Discussion Thread - SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE May 2013

[Perpetual Man]

Thanks for the mentions Victoria and SB, I didn't expect much because I rushed it this month (on purpose).

I'm going to try and catch up on my comments today or tomorrow!

 

[Bowler1]

48 posts so the count got there in the end.

Mentions
VS – Our reviewer. BigJ, JordanSC5, Abernovo, Moonbat and Ursa Major. Just what I liked out of a good selection as ever.
Welcome also to the new members, four of your this month by my count. See you again same place, same time next month.
Vote – TacticalLoco, it just flowed along easily for me and I liked it, well done.

Thank you for a mention, Starbeast.
I got a nice early vote in, so now I can sit back and relax.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

So, amongst many others, I really liked this month:

Big J's rhyme which tripped along very nicely
Aun Doorback, which almost, almost got my vote
Moonbat's lego sea 'cos I know it was written from the heart and
Crystal Haven's -- I like the feelings in this one.

But, I voted for the one that took my attention early on and held it through my reread -- Victoria Silverwolf.

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the mentions, Starbeast and Bowler1.

 

[stormcrow]

Starbeast - Thanks for that glowing review and for the 'runner-up' listing!

 

[Luiglin]

OK top 3 for me ...

Perpetual Man - great twist of a last line
AnyaKimlin - neat idea
Lenny - god awful pun ... nice1

The vote goes to Moonbat as it made me chuckle

Thanks for the mention SB.

 

[Moonbat]

Oh, wow, I got a vote. Thank you Luiglin
Also thanks for the mentions Starbeast and Springs.
Consider me a happy Moonbat.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Wow Starbeast & Luiglin thanks for the mentions lol. I thought it was rubbish.

 

[johnnyjet]

Needless to say, it was again quite difficult to narrow down all of these wonderful and varied entries to a list of favorites, a short list and ultimately pick a winner. Congratulations to everyone on some very good writing and creative interpretations of the theme. Also welcome to the new members who have contributed entries that stood up very well against the best of the veteran chrons' works.

So first, my Honorable Mentions: Perpetual Man, Starbeast, JordanSC5, TheDustyZebra, Culhwch, TacticalLoco, alchemist, Moonbat, crystal haven, stormcrow, jastius, Mary Faerie, The Judge and Lenny.

And now my Short List:

Legacy Systems – Bowler1
Post-Digital Legacy – EloiseA
Rust - Victoria Silverwolf
Redundant hardware will be decommissioned - Aun Doorback
A Long Line of Love – Parson
The Limits of Military Intelligence - Ursa major

I mulled over my Short List for a long time, picking one, then another, and another. Finally, I settled on Aun Doorback's clever tale as my favorite.

 

[jimness]

Thanks for the comments Perp, Starbeast and Victoria!

 

[Parson]

Parson – There is something more to be celebrated here than an incredible ninety fifth wedding anniversary. For although it paints a world in faded hues, where marriage is little more than an emotionless contract, or where it is all about the sex and nothing more, it shows that there can be true love, and when that is the case it is something shines in a manner that can only be celebrated and not diminished. That's how special it is. (Written on my wedding anniversary so good timing Parson)

Perp, congratulations on your wedding anniversary.

I don't think you've ever given me a review that made me scratch my head and wonder what you were talking about, but this review so got to the heart of what I was trying say that I am just thrilled by it!

Starbeast:

Parson - Like a breath of fresh air with a walk in the park full of flowers. A wonderful tale is given to us about a happy man who is confident about the strength of love in his family. A supremely pleasent story. I love it.

Thanks so much for your kind words. "a happy man who is confident about the strength of love in his family" says what I was trying to say.

Victoria Silverwolf: A vote!!! I am so humbled, and the first vote at that. Thanks so much.

Johnnyjet: Thank you for putting me on your short list. It is much appreciated.

 

[stormcrow]

Thanks for the HM johnnyjet!

 

[RoninJedi84]

It's been awhile since I've been on the forum, and I've been silent since posting in the Challenge. A belated "Thank You" to Perp, Victoria, and Starbeast for the in-depth reviews and kind words. Very much appreciated.

The vote for me came down to Perp and The Judge. I was eating my dinner while reading through the stories, and when I read the words "you little turd", I spit alfredo sauce onto my screen. Then I got to The Judge's story, and the last line just punched me right in the heart.

I sincerely wanted to vote for both, but couldn't. So I decided to play the odd/even number game (Perp/Judge, respectively). I called my wife and said, "Pick a number between 1 and 10." She was bewildered, laughed, and said, "Eight."

So my vote went to The Judge.

 

[Perpetual Man]

What is it with people. All these posts in the last few hours of the challenge? How am I meant to keep up? Especially when it is my busiest weekend of the year? And how to SB and Victoria do it?

I don't know...

I'm doing my best.

Thanks to Luigin, Johnnyjet and RoninJedi84 for the mentions -RJ84 there is something apt with me being 'odd'

Ursa – There is something almost sinister in the way this tale ends. The idea of some form of tyrannical war leader with an army of robots at his disposal is scary enough, but the twist of them all being programmed with his personality is terrifying. Countless iterations of the same mad man. It does lead questions as to what the world would be like afterwards though...

stormcrow – There is something about the ordered destruction of the written word that must be terribly chilling top those of us who read, almost to the extent that someone doing their best to preserve just one such set is the work of a true champion. But it is more that that here, we also see the act being played out because of the love for a father, and that is something all the more special.

Jastius - There are those apocalypse that come along with the sound of thunder and the roar of a detonating world, and then there are those that are little more than a quiet whisper, but this, being the latter was something more, it was almost as something beautiful as well, the last gasp of a world destroyed by the neglect and greed of man, showing us just what it was we had plundered.

Mary Faerie – A nice and well delivered bit of misdirection. Starting with something that looks so disgusting and terrible that you fear for the character involved, it is a nice switch to be reminded that sometimes the best of cures come with disgusting side effects. It adds to the feeling of relief at the end, and means that the readers smile should be just that little wider.

TJ – A story that sends a chill down the spine. There is a nice bit of depth here, giving great background in so few worlds. A world where only one child is allowed might be better for overpopulation purposes, but it exposes the darkness underneath, that if people don't get the child they want how far are they going to go to change things. The end though gives us the twist, and is it sinister, or enlightened? Up to the reader to decide.

 

[Abernovo]

Thanks for the listing, Victoria, and the mention, Bowler.

Off to read the entries now. If I don't manage to vote this month, it's because my connection's doing its usual disappearing act. I'm going to try, though.

 

[reiver33]

Sorry all - I managed to miss the deadline for this one (by a whopping two days) - and I even wrote an entry! I'm blaming my new 4-on/4-off night shift rota which is seriously screwing with my head.

Oh well, there's always next month...

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the shortlisting, johnnyjet.

 

[TacticalLoco]

Thanks as always to the absolutely great Chrons reviewing staff. You are all smarter than me.
I just write stuff while you seem to understand what's written.

Thank you to Star Beast and johnnyjet for the mentions

And of course Bowler1! Thank you for the vote. You made my day!


My short list:
Bowler1 - What a weird, creative twist on the theme. Mugging terminated! LOL!
Star Beast - Great funny and gruesome surprise ending.
fishii - Welcome and very well told.
Johnneyjet - creepy and well written.
AnyaKimlin - The unusual perspective made me smile and enjoy even the darker aspects of this one.
TheDustyZebra - Superb writting skills, plus a solid happy ending. A complete story in 75 words.
Velocius quam licem - Welcome. You kept me guessing even after the story ended. Very entertaining.
Ursa major - Skill, wit and irony. Who could ask for more?

And vote:
Victoria Silverwolf - So much good plot development in 75 words. Astonishing!

 

[Perpetual Man]

HB – There is evil and then there is EVIL. And this entry falls into the latter category. I'm not going to make my normal comment here, rather I am going to place advice, or it might be a plea. Do not, no matter how good the story, ever vote for Harebrain.
(Actually the suggestion isn't that bad and might be a bit of fun... vote for him...)

Brev – An interesting idea that says a lot with what it does not say rather than what it does. The heroes came from the North, but it does not say they were born there. All these great heroes, turned into legend that came from the North, it becomes a myth in its own right, but what it does not tell us is why they went there in the first place.

Phyrebrat – A classic and well told time travel tale that is simple and perfect. A near spot on paradox, that will twist the mind of the reader as they begin to think about it. If the agent was sent back in time to kill his own grandfather and succeeded he never comes into existence, then how could he be sent back in time to kill him. My head hurts... in the best way. (Unless of course, his parent was born before the grandfather died....

mosaix – in some ways this is a study of human nature. It is so easy to see someone taking he easy path, believing that they got the best of a bequest, because it was something understandable like money. Pig ignorance in the fact that someone could find anything valuable in a book especially one in a foreign language. I get the feeling that it will not be the new millionaire who has the last laugh.

Lenny – a great idea with a fun execution. The printers are coming! As technology advances at the pace it does, things that we have now, state of the art become things of the past, looked upon with a fondness, but the laugh at how simple they were compared to what we use now. Using printers (especially the true nameof Legacy printers) is a mark of a different, well thought out story, that is fun.

AMB – I think what I enjoyed most here was the idea that something could happen that could wipe out knowledge to the extent that 'modern' things are mysteries to a few. The ramifications of this are huge, but instead we get something else. You can almost imagine the anticipation of discovering just what it is they have found. The fact that it is Rick Astley is probably the biggest disappointment possible. Unless thay start dancing...

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the shortlisting, TacticalLoco.


And many, many thanks for the (stealth) vote, Alchemist.