Discussion -- 300 Word Challenge #8

[Ursa major]

Here they are the votes of the Ursa jury, with the stories in posting order within the categories:


Honourable Mentions:

• Bolt for the exit by crystal haven
• Pay the Piper by Boneman
• <Untitled> by The Spurring Platty

Runners Up:

• Song of the faerie by springs
• The Modern Mermaid by Hex
• Sand by Teresa Edgerton

Winners:

• Live Forever, Die Alone by Mouse
• The Soul Collector by The Judge
• Better The Devil...? by mosaix

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Ursa, ty for the runners up. and my sneaky voter, who I think was Big J? Ty.

Edit, and thanks to Kylara, too.

 

[Kylara]

So I have whittled down, and voted and here we go:

It was very difficult to choose between these final 6...

Runners Up:

Juliana
Hex
TSP

Votes:

Springs
Mouse
Perp

 

[The Judge]

Dammit. I knew I should have closed the poll last week...

Anyway, another difficult choice (I say that every time, don't I?). Some really clever stories and several which only just missed the shortlisting, which stands at:

Boneman -- Pay the Piper -- tragic but uplifting
Hex -- The Modern Mermaid -- I loved her voice
Juliana -- Dreams -- I'm a sucker for a love story
monsterchic -- The Call -- good to see mermaids as ravening beasts
mosaix -- Better the Devil...? -- spooky vengeful ghosts are wonderful
Perpetual Man -- Requiem -- beautiful, haunting images
stormcrow -- Pearlman's Escape -- I loved the use of language
Teresa -- Sand -- a moving image of a mother's love
TheDustyZebra -- A Sailor From the Sea -- another love story, cleverly constructed

The first vote was easy -- Boneman's story stayed with me from the moment I read it. The other two I've ummed and ahhed over, and kept changing my mind, then changing it back again and everyone in the shortlist featured in the top three at one point. But finally, I've gone with Perp's for its beauty, and Hex's for its sassy voice.


Thanks for the shortlistings/mentions TDZ and crystal, and mega-thanks to those further misguided souls who have have voted for me, namely Culhwch, mosaix, nixie and Ursa. I shall inscribe your names on sheets of sailcloth.

 

[stormcrow]

Thank You for the shortlisting TJ!
I'm very pleased to be 'up before the beak' - glad you liked it!

 

[Perpetual Man]

Just managed to crawl back into the Chrons for the first proper time in a week, and am delighted to find not one but two votes waiting for me.

It's enough to make me a feel a little better a little quicker.

Many thanks TJ & Kylara (TJ your words made it extra heartening thank you)

 

[Juliana]

Thank you Kylara and TJ for the shortlisting! (Meaning no disrespect to Bowler...)

 

[alchemist]

It's all level. A nervous couple of hours left for the protagonists.

 

[Ursa major]

And it remained level until the end, with both Mouse and The Judge on 12 points.

A tie-breaker poll will be along soon....

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Somehow, I forgot to vote. Sorry everyone. I'll vote in the tie-breaker.

Thanks to everyone who mentioned my story, and thanks to johnnyjet for the vote.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Oooooh, another tiebreak. Excitement. Well done Mouse and TJ!

And thanks, gary, for the vote! This was, by far, my best showing at the 300, and after a miserable week with the wip it totally raised spirits, so a double thanks to everyone... Now nails ahoy... Tiebreak!

 

[Ursa major]

And here is the tie-breaker poll:

300-Word Challenge #8 - Tie-Breaker Poll.
​

 

[Ursa major]

Looking at the workings I used to decide how to vote in the main poll, I see that TJ's story had the slightest of edges over Mouse's, so I've gone with that in the Tie-breaker poll.

(Sorry, Mouse.)

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

To balance that out, I went with Mouse's story.

 

[Lenny]

The poll will close at 11.59pm GMT on Sunday, 20 February, 2013

May I point out that Sunday is the 17th, and the 20th is Wednesday?

 

[David Evil Overlord]

May I point out that Sunday is the 17th, and the 20th is Wednesday?

Don't make me use that time machine!

 

[Talysia]

Firstly, thanks for the last minute vote, Cul.

Secondly, congratulations to Mouse and TJ! Both stories are good, but my vote goes to TJ. It was a very close contest, though!

 

[alchemist]

Well done to both finalists!

As per my original vote, I went with Mouse's story. A haunting tale worthy of a Channel 4 mini-series!

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Well, I voted for both. Um, in the original, non-tie-breaker poll, I mean.

It's very unfair to make me choose between them.

Eventually, I chose Mouse. But it was a very close thing.

 

[The Judge]

Oh, lordy lord... not another one. *puts on her "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" expression*

Thanks for the vote, Gary -- sneaking in there at the end! And thanks for the votes so far in the tie-break, people. All greatly appreciated.

May I point out that Sunday is the 17th, and the 20th is Wednesday?

Ah, yes we make a mistake of that kind every now and then just to see if anyone actually does read the blessed things.