Discussion Thread -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE -- January 2014

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the special mention, Remedy.


And thanks for the mini-review, Starbeast.

 

[Starbeast]

Starbeast - thanks for the review...

You're welcome David Evil Overlord.

Thanks, Victoria, Starbeast, Parson, and DEO for the kind words. I was worried about it, because I didn't have time to obsess over every word as I usually do.

You are very welcome Teresa Edgerton. Obsessing can be a good thing or bad, yours came out great. I posted mine too quickly, I should have obsessed.

Thanks for the review, Starbeast!

You're welcome Abernovo. I too, don't read everyone else's tale before I post.

Starbeast, Thank you for your review, you are much too kind, don't stop.

Bob

You are a worthy write Bob. Keep em' flying.

Thanks for the mini-review, Starbeast.

Absolutely Ursa Major.

Cold/Dark Fantasy
(part nine)​

Brev - Astounding science fiction fantasy story that grips you by the spine with icy hands. Magic in a bottle brings forth a frozen Earth, an experiment in planet cleansing. Titanically cool.

Mith - Shocking ghostly horror of justice from beyond the wormy grave. This is a great grim tale of revenge, told by the murderer. A tremendously darkened treat. Chillingly delightful.

Phyrebrat - A marvelous frosty offering which showcases a fine story with a terrific use of words conveying a strong end to this well written tale. Good stuff.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

You're welcome Abernovo. I too, don't read everyone else's tale before I post.

I read everything as it is posted, but I have such a horrific memory that by the time I get around to writing mine, I can't remember any of the others.

 

[alchemist]

Shortlist

Glen
Hex
Sleepy Dormouse
Harebrain

Votegetter

Harebrain! Nice title too.


And big thanks to Hex, Remedy, Tywin and Mith for the mentions.

 

[Perpetual Man]

TDZ - I particularly lovd the image of a giant egg in a freezer, it just appealled to me in an offhand manner, setting up the story perfectly. A stark warning of what climate change might mean, and eevrone has a dragon egg.... the sense of foreboding is good, the story might not nd so well.

Perp - What? It might not be dark, but there's enough cold to make you sneeze.

Cul - An excellent story that does a good job of describing the life of an epic hero, before showing things in a different light. It does not matter what kind of warrior you are, or how good, when you come up against a force of nature you don't stand a chance.

HB - An excellent story that shows the dangers of doing things to yourself in order to improve/make yourself stronger. The character is wel drawn and his ongoing transformation is well described, but it is the end that steals the show, somthing that could only be described as chilling.

Ursa - An epic told on a small scale, the feeling that the mundane can be just as epic as a... well an epic. Told with just the right amount of ridiculousness the story veers close to cheese, but stops short of spreading...

TJ - A simple idea really well told with a kicker of a conclusion. The cleverest part of the story for me is the way the title works perfectly for the reader as well as the characters. The end is obvious, but only after you have read it, which is the best lind of storytelling.

Brev - A story that starts with a solid truth, leads the reader down a path of safety. The tale makes you think and wonder what is going on, what kind of disease is being cooked up, but the end is even bigger and more dramatic. The introduction of a new ice age is a cold solution to a problem, but only to give it the chance to do over. Can it be better a second time around?

Mith - Another excellent entry. Revenge rom beyond the grave is always a good idea, and this is well written and presented. It has almost the feeling of guilt, albeit one that the protagonist does not really unerstand, just some force that makes him return time and again. The payoff that the victim is simply waiting for revenge is delicious.

Phyre - I don't really know what to say about this story other than it made me smiule a lot as I read it. Two brother competing fo position and turning an old saying on its head in the process? A chilling idea, well told and full of inventiveness. An ideal way to end the month.

 

[Juliana]

Thrilled to see so many mentions!
A big thank you to Parson, Tywin, Bowler, Mith and Remedy, not just for the listing but the kind comments. And a special thank you to Aber for putting me up there with TJ!

 

[Droflet]

Many thanks to Remedy, Parson and Tywin for the mentions. We have a long weekend in this part of the world and I will need it all to sort out a winner from another month of exceptional entries. Sigh!

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the mini-review, Perp.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Thank you Starbeast and Perp for the reviews, it's great to have you two being the Terry Wogan's of our little monthly Eurovision - wait, I mean Globalvision and luckily you're both a LOT kinder to the entrants than he is! Thanks also to Parson for the shortlisting which has cheered me no end; I couldn't draft and redraft and reredraft ad astra this month due to writing it on the last day, so to get a mention is wonderful!

A shorter shortlist from me this month. I have to confess that there were quite a few of the stories I didn’t quite understand - and one I wanted to include in my shortlist but I just didn't understand despite loving its tone. I am possibly (probably) dense when it comes to fantasy tropes and rhetoric, so I apologise for not getting some of them. There are less/fewer (mass/number/bla bla bla) entries than normal, and that may be a factor as well.

So:

Springs – One in the Eye. This was a great satire on the misogyny peddled by the likes of GRRM. I was so charmed and delighted by this story outside of the contest as well, because I recently gave up on watching the TV version of ASOIAF because I couldn’t stand what came across as pornographic hate for women. Anyway, this is a great tale delivered with wit and entrendre!

Mosaix – Cold War. So inventive and delightful for me to feel like I for once get an inside joke. I wish this was real, it would be such a fun alternate version of history. The dwarves and mammoths and bats are a great novelty but what really intrigued me was the suffering he felt in every sinew. And the promise of exploricide is a great way to end the story.

Hex – Changeling. It shouldn’t really be a surprise to you how I felt about your tale when I read it, bearing in mind my comment in the World Affairs thread of the other week. There is a heartbreaking poetry to the way you’ve written this which reads almost like a spell, or an oath, and I love the element of hate that seems to infuse the voice. It’s beautifully grotesque without being burlesque or Grand Guignol-esque and reminds me of a written version of butoh dance.

johnnyjet – Come See the North Wind’s Masonry. Okay, before anything, I have to say you win the prize for the best title. I really want this made into a book or a movie. It really has that flair of adventure and excitement similar to books like Jurassic Park. What I like is that the first time I read this the other week, I could have sworn you’d outlined a monster, like some kind of ice troll giant or something. When I reread the stories today I realised I'd put that in there. There’s also something a little humorous to my mind that one moment there is much excitement and banter, the next minute…puff….nothing!

I gave Hex my vote because the story has stayed with me for a couple of weeks now. I'm so bloody envious of that voice! Well done.


pH

 

[Hex]

Thank you very much, Phyre. I had to go and look up "butoh dance", so now I have learned as well as received flattery and a vote. yey! Champagne all round.

 

[SevenStars]

I have really enjoyed all the stories! My shortlist was:

Sleepy Dormouse
Hex
Parson
Perp
Victoria
Kylara

My vote went to Victoria. Absolutely amazing, stunning and breathtaking. The language conjures such vivid imagery - sans pareil

 

[Perpetual Man]

It's always very hard narrowing these things down, because you all, without an exception, are so damn good. (Well there is that Perp fellow, but there needs to be the exception that proves the rule eh?)

Andy hoo, thanks to SevenStars for the shortlisting.

And my Short list:

Hex
Tywin
SleepyDormouse
Anya
DEO
Teresa
HB
TJ

I gnawed my fingers down to the knuckle trying to make up my mind between two, Hex and Teresa, and it is still really to hard to call, so I closed my eyes and voted.

 

[Tywin]

Thanks for the short list Perp!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks for the mention, Phyre!

 

[Hex]

Thank you very much for the short-listings, SevenStars and Perp!

And thank you lots and lots, dear DEO, for the secret vote.

 

[Brev]

Thanks to StarBeast and Perp for the reviews. Have been tight on time this month, and need to do the stories the justice of another read through before making any decisions.

 

[Starbeast]

I read everything as it is posted, but I have such a horrific memory that by the time I get around to writing mine, I can't remember any of the others.

Hi Zebra

For me, a good story would stick in my mind, haunting me. And I don't want to be influenced by someone else's tale.

Thank you Starbeast and Perp for the reviews, it's great to have you two being the Terry Wogan's of our little monthly Eurovision - wait, I mean Globalvision and luckily you're both a LOT kinder to the entrants than he is! pH

You hit upon something interesting Phyrebrat, perhaps instead of writing reviews, Victoria, Perp and I could interview each of you authors on live tv. Or have a panel discussion on live tv. BTW, I had to research Mr Wogan, to find out who he is.

Thanks to StarBeast and Perp for the reviews. Have been tight on time this month, and need to do the stories the justice of another read through before making any decisions.

You're welcome Brev. I too, read the stories a few times to be a better judge of who to choose.

Honorable Mention - Finalist - Winner
_________________________________________________​

Springs
Bowler1
Hopewrites
Boneman
Karn Maeshalanadae
Hex
Tywin
Glen
Johnnyjet
Kylara
SleepyDormouse
AnyaKimlin
Abernovo
Bob Senior
TheDustyZebra
Perpetual Man
Brev
Mith​

 

[hopewrites]

A finalist? I'm honored!

 

[Abernovo]

Thanks for the mention, Starbeast!

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Wow Starbeast and Perp - thanks for the mentions. I was less than sure about this story and now I'm singing. I'm hoping to get my vote in but I have two days to write a short story for a festival in.