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

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks lovely Chrispy. so, um... Hex, be nice next month, eh!

 

[HareBrain]

Um, yes, my teethy feminist side escaped for half an hour!

Well, there's not much for your feminist side to get her teeth into regarding the voting. I make it currently:

Votes for stories by female writers: 29

Votes for stories by male writers: 5



I'm hoping Hex will go with theme: Guns, and genre: Football Match Report. Or I would, if I knew anything about guns or football.

 

[Ursa major]

Or I would, if I knew anything about guns or football.

I'm sure it would be worth your while having a shot at writing an entry....

 

[Parson]

Parson (should we be concerned that you're getting better and better at darker stories?)

I don't know about you, but I'm getting concerned by it.

Chris Thanks so much for the short listing!!

 

[Phyrebrat]

...
I'm hoping Hex will go with theme: Guns, and genre: Football Match Report. Or I would, if I knew anything about guns or football.

Oh no, please... I'd rather have a month of dental treatment than those themes!


pH

 

[chrispenycate]

Hmm, last day, 34 votes, 46 submissions. Seems to me we're waiting for:- AMB, AnyaKimlin, Bob Senior, Culhwch, HareBrain, J.Hollick, jastius, Kylara, reiver33, RichardWolanski, The Judge, Ursa major and Victoria Silverwolf. Theoretically, if they all voted for someone who has so far received no votes at all Hex's supremacy would fall (I know, what are the chances of that? But still.)

Nothing is decided before the witching hour (or at least the moment some groggy mod notices the clock has chimed and closes the poll).

 

[Ursa major]

Nothing is decided before the witching hour (or at least the moment some groggy mod notices the clock has chimed and closes the poll).

I would have thought that if the competition ends at the witching hour, Hex is just about guaranteed a spell as the (soon-to-be) current Challenge winner.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I've heard from all of those people -- they're all going to vote for me.

 

[Bob Senior]

Howdy,
I have a vote, from Starbeast no less, thank you VERY much, made my day, week, month.
Thanks to Chris,Johnny Jet,Dusty Zebra,Tywin for listings.

Vote went to Tywin, great story in just a few lines, I felt that I was there watching.
The fact that I'm taking the dog out at 15 below zero with snow up to my eyeballs helps with the mental picture.

Bob

 

[High Eight]

My vote.

Nominations:

Juliana
Mirannan
Mosaix
Crispenycate
HareBrain

And the winner is: HareBrain - for sheer nastiness.

 

[ratsy]

Oh no, please... I'd rather have a month of dental treatment than those themes!


pH

So you want Tooth Fairy to be the theme?

 

[Juliana]

Thanks for the nomination, High Eight.

 

[hopewrites]

Thanks to JohnyJet for the mention.
Im starting to regret less that I posted the first idea that popped into my head rather than waiting to see if another came along. My second idea probably wouldnt have held this much traction

 

[Tywin]

A vote! Thanks Bob!

 

[Ursa major]

Was it the Cold or the Tales of Dark Fantasy that induced the most shivers? I cannot say, but with trembling hand, I deliver my verdict:



Honourable Mentions:

• Blood runs cold by Juliana
• Ice-age Extinction by hopewrites
• Bunyip by TitaniumTi
• Changeling by Hex

Runners Up:

• Caveat Emptor by Mirannan
• Cold War by mosaix
• Demon-'Flu by Glen

Winner:

• Hiding in Plain Sight by The Judge

(In the above, each category is ordered by time of posting.)

 

[hopewrites]

I am honored by your mention

 

[Juliana]

Thanks for the mention, Ursa.

 

[HareBrain]

I kept my shortlist to four, because if I'd included one more I would have had to include another twenty. Lots of very good and varied entries this month, and it's sad that many good ones haven't picked up votes.

My top four:

Hex -- Changeling
Chrispenycate -- Eastern Campain
Culhwch -- The Last King
The Judge -- Hiding in Plain Sight

My vote goes to Hex's story, which is probably one of my favourite entries ever. Great choice to go with second-person.

Thanks very much to Alchemist, Hex, Mosaix and High Eight for the votes, and to everyone who mentioned my story.

 

[Starbeast]

A finalist? I'm honored!

You're welcome Hope. I got you a sash with the word, "Finalist" on it, so you can walk around town with it.

Thanks for the mention, Starbeast!

You're welcome Abernovo.

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.

You're welcome, and good luck with your project AnyaKimlin.

Thanks, Starbeast! I was beginning to feel very lonely.

I'm happy that I brought some sunshine to you Zebra.

Thanks for the mention, Starbeast!

You're welcome Tywin.

A finalist, I like that Many thanks Starbeast

You are very welcome Mith. Keep up the good work.

Ty for the mentions, SB and TDZ.

You're welcome Springs.

(And thanks to Starbeast for a good belly laugh)

Glad you enjoyed that silly animaloid tale I wrote Telford. I do like to get playfull at times.

Thanks for the shortlisting Sevenstars and the honorable mention Starbeast very nice to have mentions after I've been away from the challenges for a few months! Thank you

You are very welcome Kylara. Glad you had time to join us.

Many excellent stories this month. Many gave me a chill (no small task this winter!)

Thank you so much for the short listings, Phyrebrat & Starbeast!

You're welcome Johnnyjet. I agree, lots of great writers here.

Thank you to Starbeast and Mr Orange for the mentions.

You're welcome Brev.

Thanks for the mention SB!

Absolutely Perpetual Man.

A short list featuring the comical, the imaginative and the genius. And oft'times all three.

Starbeast, springs, The Judge, Boneman, Victoria Silverwolf, Teresa Edgerton, TheDustyZebra and mosaix (I would love to see this developed in a twisted steam punk/alternate history stylee)

You made my day Brev. Thanks a bunch for the listing!

Thanks to the usual suspects for the reviews, and many thanks indeed to Springs, alchemist, SleepyDormouse, Starbeast for the various mentions.

You're very welcome Glen.

Firstly, many thanks to Brev, The Dusty Zebra, Starbeast and Remedy for the mentions/shortlistings.

Here's my take on it all: Can we have a warm image for the next challenge? I'm sure it's had something to do with the cold outside...

You're welcome Boneman. If I won, it would definately be a "hot" theme.

Thank you for the mentions, Starbeast, telford, and johnnyjet.

Our house has been invaded by a virus not entirely unlike the one in HB's story so it's been really nice to have something lovely to concentrate on.

You're welcome Hex. Sorry to hear you've been infected with a bad virus, I hope your family and you get better soon.

Howdy,
I have a vote, from Starbeast no less, thank you VERY much, made my day, week, month.

The fact that I'm taking the dog out at 15 below zero with snow up to my eyeballs helps with the mental picture.

Bob

You are immensely welcome Bob. I really enjoyed the eerie creepiness of your story about the mysterious "cold man".

Stay warm, keep writing and say "hello" to your puppy dog for me.

 

[The Judge]

A short short list this month -- I must be exceptionally evil, as I excluded quite a few good stories on the grounds they weren't dark enough...

chrispenycate -- Eastern campain
Hex -- The Changeling
Juliana -- Blood runs cold
SleepyDormouse -- The Snow Dragon's Mother
Tywin -- Prospectors

And my vote goes to Chris for his harrowing version of what was terrible enough in reality. In additon, there's a Best Title Prize for HB, and a Special Big Business** Prize for Ursa for his Stark, Comfortless Poste (though I'm disappointed we didn't get any mollocking in there...)


Chilly thanks for the mentions/shortlistings Parson, Tywin, SleepyDormouse, fitzchivalry, Hex, Perp, TDZ, telford, Juliana, johnnyjet, Teresa, Boneman, Chris and HB, and a freezing blizzard of thanks for the votes, Glen (I shall treasure that 100% of the votes, thank you! You'll have to wait a while for the epic novel, though...), BigJ, Bowler, Abernovo, ratsy, Remedy (thank you for the kind words) and Ursa.



** I was thinking of naming it after the cows, but a Feckless, Graceless, Aimless and Pointless Prize might have been taken amiss...