Discussion -- 300 Word Challenge #10

[mosaix]

Votes:

Luiglin, Boneman and Alchemist.

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the shortlisting, Starbeast.

 

[alchemist]

I'd wait until later to do all the thanks in one, but I'm going on holiday soon and fear I wouldn't have a chance. So, thanks Mosaix!

 

[mosaix]

I'd wait until later to do all the thanks in one, but I'm going on holiday soon and fear I wouldn't have a chance. So, thanks Mosaix!

Where you off to Alc?

 

[alchemist]

Exotic Scotland. Sunshine, blue skies, being dry -- these are all things I evidently hate

But I can drive to my heart's content and the kids get to see Nessie, if Scooby Doo is to be believed.

 

[Fitzchiv]

Starbeast - my first ever shortlisting, I'm honoured and humbled ;-)

Many thanks

 

[Glen]

Great month for fine reading, tough month for judging. My favourite stories were:

• Victoria Silverwolf - Atmospheric depiction of life in the gulags. Well drawn characters with one seeing a mystery that allows him to see beyond the confines of the prison.
• Tywin - A story with a foundation layer of history, a Bradbury-esque vignette of a character in a small town, and a lost opportunity.
• springs - a sound voice telling of a craftsman’s magic, a magical family relationship, and a magical transformation.
• Luiglin - oof, goosepimples and eyes welling up. There is a bit of trick on the tail to this story - the description of summer days hides off-screen grief that is bested for a moment by love that still survives
• Glen - hahaha, this guy crack’s me up
• Mouse - I loved this story. Normally I don’t read any of the stories until it’s time to vote, but I read this early because of something in the discussion thread. The prose-poem imagination of the bird’s voice is inspired, and what a voice, what a character.
• HoopyFrood - The structure is at once imaginative, fresh and challenging. Two entangled stories, one taking precedence.
• stormcrow - dystopian, alien tyranny. Dual structure, two voices, telling the same story from different angles.
• TacticalLoco - proper sci-fi...with a bit of spookiness too.
• BetaWolf - All the fun of the Facebook, and glue-sticks too. Proper social sci-fi.
• johnnyjet - elegiac, well observed behaviour against a well-painted background.
• alchemist - comic progression. Calumny.
• The Spurring Platty - looking in the pool for the longest of times to remember the wisdom and beauty.
• chrispenycate - colloquial computers. This story deserves a mention for the title alone.
• crow - reads like a poem

Themes this month: lost wives, father’s love, humanity in thrall, harbingers of death.

My votes went to Victoria Silverwolf, Luiglin, and, of course, Mouse.

PS thx for the shortlistings Starbeast & alchemist.

 

[Tywin]

Starbeast, thanks for the shortlist.

Glen, thanks for the listing, and for being called Bradbury-esque. That's better than a vote in my book.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Exotic Scotland. Sunshine, blue skies, being dry -- these are all things I evidently hate

But I can drive to my heart's content and the kids get to see Nessie, if Scooby Doo is to be believed.

Alc. if you walk around the woods at the edge of the river Ness in Inverness there is indeed a Nessie to be found. Have fun!

 

[Mouse]

Thank you very much, Glen! That's cheered me up lovely on a Monday morning.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I've got two votes sorted, struggling with the third...

 

[TacticalLoco]

So many diverse enteries this time. I did think it was a very good picture to stimulate thought.


My very short list:

ratsy - Some people just don't know when to quit. But I can't tell if that's a bad thing or a good thing.

Boneman - Interesting, imaginative and complex tale in so many ways. Loved the altruistic bird as well as mankind causing it's own distruction.

mosaix - Now that's thinking outside the checkerboard.

Fitzchiv - Personally I'm not really one for more zombie stories, but this one was very well written. (And welcome to Chrons.)


And the vote getters:

The Judge - Wow! Was that really a mere 300 words? A fabulous fable. I am humbled.

Tywin - Great story. Even though I suspected the ending I loved every minute of irony. Well done!

Mouse - Poetry as it might be written by the birds. Made me wonder what music they would write as well.


And finally...

Galaxy sized thanks to springs and Starbeast for your much appreciated votes.

Nebula kudos to Tywin and Glen for the shortlistings.

My day is made thanks to chrons. Now if the rain will hold off I get to do some bicycle repair today!

 

[Fitzchiv]

Fitzchiv - Personally I'm not really one for more zombie stories, but this one was very well written. (And welcome to Chrons.)

Thanks very much for the feedback, really appreciate it. It's interesting you mention Zombies as I knew that was a risk when reading back over it. The reality is I myself don't know what they are, or who, or from where. Just that they're constant and inevitable to the character, like an eroding force.

Maybe this is a technique thing people can advise on, but I thought about considering the wider background and decided the story would have to develop organically as I came up with it, rather than be plotted. It's something I may do actually, for my own development, as I'd like to learn what's been going on!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks very much for the feedback, really appreciate it. It's interesting you mention Zombies as I knew that was a risk when reading back over it. The reality is I myself don't know what they are, or who, or from where. Just that they're constant and inevitable to the character, like an eroding force.

Maybe this is a technique thing people can advise on, but I thought about considering the wider background and decided the story would have to develop organically as I came up with it, rather than be plotted. It's something I may do actually, for my own development, as I'd like to learn what's been going on!

We're kind of not allowed to do dissections until after the voting (because it might explain too much and affect the votes), but then there's this thread:

http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/534118-improving-our-300-word-stories-read-first-post.html

where if you pop it up, you'll get sort of mini critiques on it.

While I'm here, thanks Starbeast and Glen for the lovely mentions. (I get the feeling I will not be retaining the title this quarter. )

 

[Fitzchiv]

Apologies - moderaters feel free to delete my post.

 

[johnnyjet]

After much deliberation over all of the excellent entries, at last, my top fifteen:
1. The Rook - Victoria Silverwolf
2. The Blueprint – Tywin
3. EUGENIE'S PROMISE – springs
4. Carrion Post - Bowler1
5. All That Glitters – Mouse
6. Moe Crow, Hillbilly Joe & Stumpy vs the Beast From Outer Space – Starbeast
7. A Raven on My Porch – BigJ
8. Akira Dreams - reiver33
9. Theodora Sings – Phyrebrat
10. अबमैंदुनियाकीमौत, विध्वंसकहोगएहैं - Perpetual Man
11. The Balance – Boneman
12. A Kiss, Friedrich von Schiller Style - Ursa major
13. Powerless – mosaix
14. Raven Flight - Dream Walker
15. The Parliament of Crows - The Judge

And my Favorite Three:
1. The Rook - Victoria Silverwolf
2. Theodora Sings – Phyrebrat
3. The Balance – Boneman

 

[johnnyjet]

And a heartfelt thank you to the short listings by springs, Mr Orange, Mith, Starbeast and Glen.

 

[ratsy]

Thanks for the shortlisting SB and Tac!!

I just read an article today about a lab that took cells from a cow and used them to make muscle and meat. They are going to make a humburger from it. So my story may not be so far fetched. Think of how it could change the world if meat could be created in a petry dish.

I just hope we are ready for the effects it may cause!!

 

[TacticalLoco]

Thanks for the shortlisting SB and Tac!!

I just read an article today about a lab that took cells from a cow and used them to make muscle and meat. They are going to make a humburger from it. So my story may not be so far fetched. Think of how it could change the world if meat could be created in a petry dish.

I just hope we are ready for the effects it may cause!!

Cheaper cheeseburgers in Israel?
Wide spread obesity and clogged arteries finally reach the orient?
At least if MDs open in Africa I'll get my spicy peanut dipping sauce for chicken McNuggets?
JK!

Hopefully the real goal is begin growing differentiated tissue at some point. Replacement organs that don't require donors.
But then I suppose it's only a matter of time until we have Androids Dreaming of Electric Sheep.

Am I becoming a pessimist?

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the mention, johnnyjet.