Discussion thread -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE November 2013

[Starbeast]

I’d like to thank these likely suspects:

Starbeast, for the great listing

You're very welcome David Evil Overlord.

Starbeast, Juliana and Tywin - thanks for the long listing. I had a massive allergic reaction at the weekend so will try and get to reading before the deadline.

You're welcome AnyaKimlin. I hope you get better soon.

in the running for the silliest thing I ever wrote. And thanks for Perp and Starbeast for noticing it – and SB, if it had been three hundred words perhaps I could have fitted in a real detective rather than the most ineffective alternative in fiction.

You're very welcome Chrispenycate. I still think you'd write an awesome tale about Frances's funniest detective.

Finding the winner of this month's challenge took a good deal of investigating.

Runners Up:

• A Study in Gender by Victoria Silverwolf
• We All Have Our Secrets by Culhwch
• Astonishing Detective Paperback Tale by Starbeast

Wow! I made your Runners Up List! Cool, glad you enjoyed it Ursa Major.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Just a Post-It post to say I voted for reiver33's Dial 'M' for Moebius, half because of the concept, and half because I fell in love with this construction;

the neon stab of a sign across the street. I smoked.

Will do my shortlist proper when I get a moment. Needless to say (but I will) most on my shortlist were on the more supernatural side. Presently I am horrendously hungover so the write ups will have to wait.

I just didn't want to miss the voting deadline.

pH

 

[nixie]

Thanks for the Vote Mith.... made my month.

 

[nixie]

Looks like we are in for a nail biting finish, I thought Cul had it sewn up but HB is coming up with a late sprint.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thabks SB, PM and springs for the shortlistings.

Starbeast,your entry is excellent as always. Do you realise how hard it is to make someone laugh with just 75 words? And you manage it every month; that truly is a gift.

I thought this month was going to be a reallt tricky one to decide until I read Ursa's entry; clear winner.

 

[Glitch]

Thanks for the mention Ursa and Dusty.

Very good stories from everyone. My short list

ratsy - Keeping the Heat off
Bowler1 - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
nixie - Who's Afraid
Victoria Silverwolf - A Study in Gender
Culhwch - We All Have Our Secrets
alchemist - Telling Tales
TheDustyZebra - Captain Obvious Across the Pond


With the vote going to

Victoria Silverwolf - A Study in Gender

 

[The Judge]

With all the suspects gathered in the room, the curtains drawn and the doors locked, it's usually time for the leetle grey cells to work, and in preparing my shortlist, I've fingered all the usual suspects...

alchemist -- Telling Tales
HareBrain -- Masquerade of Doom
Hex-- Our Secret Overlords' Diary
martin321 -- Deadly Whispers
Remedy -- Silky Secret
TDZ -- Captain Obvious
Victoria -- A Study in Gender

But there wasn't any need for the line up, because the culprit was obvious from the start -- HareBrain got my vote, because when it comes to plain daft, no one does it better.


Many thanks for listing me with the other red herrings, martin 321, Bowler, High Eight, ratsy (thank you for your kind words), Mr Orange, stormcrow, Juliana, TDZ and Chris P, and mega detective thanks for adding to my voting rap sheet Alex, mishov and RoninJedi -- very much appreciated.


I'll ignore the lèse majesté involved in a certain member's story (though his card is marked...) and formal apologies to Chris for the typo (even thought it seems fitting considering the subject matter of his pantherine tale).

 

[nixie]

Thanks Glitch

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Ratsy
Nixie
Victoria Silverwolf
Starbeast
The Dusty Zebra

And for no reason other than I enjoyed it a lot Nixie gets the vote.

 

[Parson]

Mith, Thanks for the short listing. It makes for a more pleasant Thanksgiving Day. Now off to the in-laws for supper. Umm! Turkey.

 

[nixie]

Wow thanks Anyakilm.. 2 votes

 

[ratsy]

Thank you very much for the mentions Glitch and Anya!!

 

[HareBrain]

Well, if Cul is biting his nails, he can stop it now, because his story was the stand-out winner for me. Every time I read it, it feels like more than 75 words' worth. (Though it doesn't in any sense feel like Wordsworth.)

Honourable mentions to Brev, Victoria Silverwolf, Mosaix, Hex, Boneman and The Judge, though there were any others I enjoyed almost as much.

Huge thanks to the Judge, Hex, Mr Orange, Chrispy, Tywin, Ursa Major and Bob Senior for their votes, and to everyone else who mentioned or shortlisted my bit of foolery. On the basis of this reception, I've successfully pitched the TV show, and you're all invited to the launch party. (Cash bar.)

 

[alchemist]

Big thanks to TDZ, chris, Glitch and TJ for the mentions/listing. I wonder what December will bring...

 

[Culhwch]

Wow, thanks for the kind words and the vote, HB! And of course thank you to TDZ as well for the vote, and thanks to those who further short-listed and mentioned my little story!

And yet still - I can't rule you out just yet, HB. You're the king of this competition, and your outline looms large in my rear-view...

 

[Ursa major]

The poll is now closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, Culhwch!
​

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Whew! I thought I'd done for you with my early congrats, Cul! And hard luck, HB, on a charge at the end there!

Um, if anyone here is familiar with Gary Larson's The Far Side Cartoon, he has a couple with elephants. One is a noir style detective, the other is of an elephant attempting to hide behind a sofa, and being noticeably present. Sadly, no matter what I did, the image wouldn't shift. So, I wrote a story about it.

Cul, no cows next month or I'm doomed...

 

[Ursa major]

Oh, and many thanks for the vote, PM.

 

[Juliana]

Congratulations Cul!

 

[Bob Senior]

Congrats Cul.

Thanks for the vote and welcome aboard Woods.
Thanks to Dusty andRemedy for the listings.

It's good to be back------as George Burns often said, "It's good to be anywhere".

Bob