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

Thanks, all! Certainly didn't expect to even be in hunt the hunt when I posted my story, but I guess it's usually those ones that do best - when I think I've done a great job, I usually crash and burn!

Now to think up a suitable challenge for December....
 
Congratulations, Cul -- a very well-deserved win, if I do say so myself (having voted for you)!

Thanks to Tywin, chrispy, Glitch, TJ and Anya for the lovely mentions and shortlists! I shall have to hope not to find myself infested with spiders for that one.

Can't wait to see what December brings....
 
Congratulations Cul!
 
Congratulations Cul!

It's nice to see that someone I vote for wins, as it is normally the kiss of death ;)
 
That can't be right, Perp: I'm pretty sure that TheKissofDeath has never won any of the challenges. In fact, Chrispy or TJ will tell you that he's never entered a single one of them. :rolleyes:


Anyway, it must be time to explain the stories... As I found it impossible to copy any of the well known styles of detective stories (Holmesian, Christien, Chandleresque, etc.), I resorted to the old stand-by of referencing works (in the hope of not inducing sleep, big or otherwise). So in my story, I referred to the titles of three Chandler books - Playback, The Long Goodbye and The Simple Art of Murder (a short story collection, which seemed appropriate for a Challenge) - and alluded to that well known quote from a Chandler essay: "Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid." All that reamined was to be mindful of a major aspect of detective stories: that the murderer rarely gets away with their crimes.
 
I picked up on the long goodbye and the mean streets, but I couldn't get PG Wodehouse out of my mind after reading the title -- he has a character called Psmith, and I kept expecting the Psimple to relate to him... (I eventually got the Psi but by then it was too late!)
 
congrats culhwch...

if we're explaining stories, i'll go... mine is based on a true story... well, actually "inspired by real events" might be a better way to put it. i was coming up very empty on a story for this and then i thought of a dream i had when i was at school... what was the scariest nightmare i have ever had...

i was sitting in a dark room, with only a table and two chairs visible. i was sitting in one and my father in the other. i knew he had killed a lot of people but no matter what i said, he just kept denying it, even pulling out "come on Chris, i'm your dad, you know i would never do anything like that"

eventually i had to let him go, even though i knew he was a murderer, and he stood and walked past me into the darkness. then there was the sound of pounding footsteps behind me and a huge sense of imminent danger... I woke up immediately, heart racing and actually sat bolt upright in my bed, turned behind me and held my arms up defensively...

i always tend to get vivid dreams and i will always remember that one.. and so seeing as that was the only thing that came to mind, i tried to force it into a story...

i was surprised and pleased to get mentions and even a vote, as it didn't really fit the genre
 
Now, what you've all been waiting for, the monthly statistics...


A good month with 49 entries and 8 new entrants, no doubt due to the excellent theme and genre which someone had chosen, :p and also a good showing with the 48 votes -- in all three respects this makes November the second best month of the year so far, beaten only by the June figures. (Hmm. Thinking about it. Guess who helped choose June's theme and genre... I think I see a pattern here. ;))

For the year to date we have now had 380 stories from 106 entrants, including 40 members who have entered for the first time, and we've accumulated 328 votes. 19 of us have completed all 8 Challenges for the year, and 7 members have missed only one month, another 7 only 2 months. But we still have a long tail of 44 members who have entered only once this year -- a large number of those are newbies, but also some old-timers who are rationing their appearances. Stop slacking at the back!

The big change in the year's leader board is that thanks to his magnificent win Cul** has jumped straight into 4th place with 16 votes, just behind Victoria who is 3rd on 17 and alchemist who is 2nd with 23, and he's edged out DEO who is now 5th on 14 votes. HareBrain has also trampled over several people and he's hopped into joint 7th place with Hex on 11 votes, just behind paranoid marvin who is 6th with 13, and a hare's whisker ahead of Boneman and reiver who are joint 9th on 10 votes apiece.

So things are hotting up as we get to the last third of the year. Can Cul cull more votes? Will HB hop further? All this and more next month.


** That was, incidentally, Cul's 4th win, and HB's 4th second place.
 
The Judge said:
The big change in the year's leader board is that thanks to his magnificent win Cul** has jumped straight into 4th place with 16 votes, just behind Victoria who is 3rd on 17 and alchemist who is 2nd with 23, and he's edged out DEO who is now 5th on 14 votes. HareBrain has also trampled over several people and he's hopped into joint 7th place with Hex on 11 votes, just behind paranoid marvin who is 6th with 13, and a hare's whisker ahead of Boneman and reiver who are joint 9th on 10 votes apiece.
Click to expand...

Yeah, nice try, but you don't get away with leaving out 1st that easily.
 
Congratulations Cul - I really like your story.

Big thank you to TDZ and TJ for your mentions, so pleased to have those :)
 
Congrats Cul! Deserved victory for a great story.

Thanks again to Parson and WriterJosh for the votes this month. And everyone who mentioned my story. After reading the quality of entries I was not expecting that at all.

Strange that there were so many humorous ones and I wrote 3 before deciding and they were all a little dark. My wife told me I had to post the one I did, even though I was leaning towards a different one.

Hope next month's is a fun one. I had a blast with last years December one...It Twas the Day Before Christmas and all through the crypt....
 
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