Discussion thread -- seventy-five word challenge September 2013

[Mith]

Well, I'm in and have just read through the other early entries. Impressive stuff already!

I agree, very impressive entries already. I cam home from work today, read through all posted and quite suddenly felt like David pitched against a lot of Goliath's heheh.

You lot write too well Good luck to all

Yeah, I'm always super paranoid about word counting. Whew! Now I can relax and read the other stories I skimmed over before I posted.

I counted through four or five times just to make sure I was under, then I still ended up taking another word out, just to be on the really safe side

 

[stormcrow]

@ Mith - Aaw, don't sell yourself short! Although, David won, didn't he?

I always post thinking "This One. Really? Yes. Really? What? Now? Yes. Post? Yes? Really? Done. Really?"

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

I feel like giving Hex the slow clap here...


Alternate history is difficult enough, but a theme like listening? Hmm...I'll see what I can do.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Karn Maeshalanadae -- Those of us old enough to remember the Cold War will relish this chilling portryal of a world that might have been. An added bonus is the way in which so many changes in 20th century history are depicted in so few words.

 

[Bowler1]

I'm a bit slow this month, 8 entries are posted up already and I've just had my first look in. I like history so I'll have to see about interesting events that I could use/abuse, depending on your POV. Good choice, Hex.

 

[mosaix]

Thought I'd submit early this month rather than do it all in a rush at the end.

Really liked the theme / genre this month. I wasn't fumbling around for ideas so I could concentrate on getting the words down. Thanks, Hex.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

JordanSC5 -- There are certain figures in history so towering that it is difficult to imagine what things might have been like without them. This elegantly written vignette allows us to imagine such a figure removed from history at a critical moment.

mosaix -- An ordinary conversation is used to depict a reality vastly different than the one we know. The very familiarity of the dialogue serves to emphasize the impact of one change.

(It's interesting to compare and contrast these two entries!)

 

[Juliana]

Right, back after a long break from writing in all forms! I did miss the challenges, though...

I had a quick scan of all the entries so far, going back now to read them all slowly.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Juliana -- This creative offering creates an eerie, sweeping vista of endings and beginnings with an unusual combination of prose and poetry, containing allusions to ancient and futuristic literature.

 

[Juliana]

Thank you Victoria!

 

[I_Voyager]

Thar we go. Got mine down. I accidentally double posted instead of editing! Just screwed up on the button clicking... If you could delete the first post! I had forgotten my </br /> </br />'s

 

[mosaix]

I suppose the very nature of the 75 word challenge implies that the stories have probably been cut down from the original article and that means the reader has to put a bit more effort into understanding them.

Sometimes I just don't understand a piece at all, other times it comes to me immediately and other times I have to have several attempts before it dawns.

Last night I read through the contributions so far and there were one or two that just didn't seem to make any sense at all. Reading through again this morning they're perfectly understandable. Perhaps the lesson is to sleep on these things before coming to a conclusion.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I also think that how we interpret the genre can vary widely from person. For instance, a lot of this month's are taking the historical event approach, which is, I think, what conventional alternate history often is. But there are also things like Sliding doors, that take a personal approach to alternate history -- the path we chose vs the alternate, if you like. But, I suspect, for the genre purists I may have been a bad girl...

Loving all the stories so far, great theme.

Many thanks for the comments, VS.

 

[chrispenycate]

Shouldn't it be "alternative"? Rather than switching back and forth between two potential lines, a sense of choice?

Still, be that as it may, I have posted, so they can crash the Easyjet flight later into a mountain if they so desire (and wouldn't that simplify voting – for me, anyway?)

Cusp point - clear.

 

[Luiglin]

Mine is in. As soon as I read the theme and genre the idea was there. As Terry Pratchett says it's all about the Trousers of Time.

 

[chrispenycate]

Mine is in. As soon as I read the theme and genre the idea was there. As Terry Pratchett says it's all about the Trousers of Time.

And at the bottom of the left leg is the library, right?
That's a turnup for the books.

 

[Luiglin]

And at the bottom of the left leg is the library, right?
That's a turnup for the books.

That's so bad, it's good

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Still, be that as it may, I have posted, so they can crash the Easyjet flight later into a mountain if they so desire (and wouldn't that simplify voting – for me, anyway?)

Cusp point - clear.

Bonus points for "susurration".

 

[I_Voyager]

I'm enjoying some of these stories so far. Good spin on Napoleon at the beginning, but the last two really spun me around. I agree that it must be difficult for some people to accomplish a 75 word story without making it an excerpt from some bigger story. I think it sometimes works against the story, but sometimes it works for the story.

If you remember "Classes are Grate" in the last round, that definintely sounded like an excerpt of a larger story, but it was an iconic moment in the story and so giving the excerpt flavor worked in its favor. It's like when you have a diamond in your hand and you turn it a certain way it'll sparkle in your eye at that one moment, and then it's gone, and the sparkle was the point in the whole diamond. Sometimes, however, the story sounds like it was taken out of some greater work, and instead of being the shine in the diamond it ends up just being the rough itself.

That being said, I do try to make a single story with 75 words though. I do think it's a little more true to the purpose of the contest.

 

[ratsy]

Hey I Voyager, I remember Classes are Grate! Thanks for the mention.

I think that either way works. Sometimes it's nice to envision a whole world and make a small statement from it based on the challenge criteria.

I tend to find the easiest way to make a 75 word story, just that, is to do a humorous one.