DISCUSSION -- March 2014 75 Word Writing Challenge

[holland]

So, I see somebody couldn't resist my siren song

Thanks, TitaniumTi, my first vote for my first story here, feels really cool

 

[Bowler1]

Thank you Glen, Alchemist and TitaniumTi for the mentions.

 

[johnnyjet]

An outstanding and varied selection of tales from old & new chron members! It took a while for me to whittle my list down. But finally, my Long List, Short List and *** Favorite ***:

DEAR CHARACTER – springs
Coin of the Realm - Victoria Silverwolf
Pavane for a Dead Princess - Teresa Edgerton
On The Ground - Cat's Cradle
Lamp it or leave it - Aun Doorback
All Souls, Or None - Karn Maeshalanadae
*** Talking Creatures Trilogy of Death – Starbeast ***
The Immortal Question – HareBrain
Deathwatch – TheDustyZebra
Old Things – ethelredtheunredey
Limbo – AJB
A Weapon's Bane – SirSamuelVimes
Five Card Stud on the River Styx – BigJ
Summers End – SleepyDormouse
Double Edged - crystal haven
Where's the Fun in Being Death? - Alex, the G and T
Reap What You Reap – Brev
Friends for Life - Bob Senior
Pieter's Muse – Phyrebrat
Revenge of a Goddess - The Judge
King of the Dead – Culhwch


I had to go with Starbeast's creative & hysterical trilogy! You truly outdid yourself this time. Can't wait for the sequel.

 

[Juliana]

Thank you for the vote, Hex! You absolutely made my morning.

I need to do some serious reading of stories now; so many I liked first time round.

 

[Ursa major]

Yes, sorry for the typos, but when I came to add my own story to the poll, I found there was no poll to which to add it**. Cue a desperate 26 minutes*** of entering the 59 poll options.

And it didn't help that IE11 doesn't let me insert links in normal editing more (where the A/A button is highlighted), so that I had to change them (from last month's) in a screen filled with commands (e.g. changing the colours) inside square brackets, and that when I make one line change to, say, right justified, it changes the whole post, leaving me to add commands like [ right] and [/ right] by hand. Bl**dy Microsoft!


** - To be fair, this is the first time this has happened; on all previous occasions, a properly proofed poll has been ready and waiting for me to post it.

*** - Note that the time on the first post of the poll (11:34pm) is when the text of the post was accepted by the system: the poll details (entry title + author) were all added after then, with only seconds to spare (i.e. no time for proof reading). After that, I was mostly jiggered.

 

[SleepyDormouse]

Thank you Alchemist and Johnnyjet for mention/shortlistings. And thank you for the vote Parson, I'm glad you liked it.

oh and thanks to Ursa for sorting out the poll last minute. I know it must take a lot of work to set up and run these challenges.

 

[Remedy]

My shortlist:

Hex - To Dance with Death

The first entry and the first of many entries to use the personification of death. Fun and complete.

Cat's Cradle - On The Ground

Brilliant imagery and description. I saw the sideways view clearly from the dying warriors eyes.

Aun Doorback - Lamp it or leave it

The word limit well used. So much story and the theme was weaved in cleverly.

The Spurring Platty - A Voice Beyond

A genius way to almost completely hide that voice beyond. We get involved in uncovering the tale. Original.

Starbeast - Talking Creatures Trilogy of Death

I nearly wavered on how fantastical this was. But SB's whacky creatures won me over with their hilarious last moments! Brilliant. (also, I don't believe the words: "Bash", "stomp", "scrap" & "flush" have ever been used before in a more perfect order! )

Perpetual Man - The Book of Death

A thought provoking concept which needed no more and no less words to tell.

BigJ - Five Card Stud on the River Styx

Gave me chills, imagining having to gamble to reach the after. Fantastic use of dialogue.

crystal haven - Double Edged

A full story, expertly told. Another example of 75 words used wisely.

Brev - Reap what you Reap

A great title to fit a haunting story. A bittersweet ending that all the fathers might find their justice.

Bob Senior - Friends For Life

I really enjoyed this idea that even death needs something to keep him grounded, a soul that he refuses to take. I never expected a story with a feel-good-factor (apart from the comedies of course).

The Judge - Revenge of a Goddess

Fiendishly clever. It took my slow brain a couple of reads to finish the puzzle, but how satisfying. Scorned Death is frightening.

Ursa Major - I Spoke Too Soon

Ursa's wordplay knits tightly into this story to bring us a humorous conclusion. I'd like to buy you a drink at Inn Genious.
______________________________________________

My vote went to Perpetual Man - May all our full stops be very far away!

 

[TacticalLoco]

Thank you so much for the vote TacticalLoco! I'm absolutely giddy, and in shock that I got a vote!

You are very welcome. And welcome!

 

[TacticalLoco]

Thank you for the honourable mention, TacticalLoco.

Well deserved, m'lady.

 

[TacticalLoco]

TacticalLoco thanks so much for the "Also in the Running" listing. Made my day.

Your welcome Parson. Your story really stuck with me.

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the short-listing, Remedy.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Thanks for the shortlisting TitaniumTi, and I was about to say the same to Remedy before re-reading the post and saw much to my surprise a vote. (and a sentiment I can only agree with)

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Good day, Remedy and thank you so much for the very kind shortlisting and review! It was a very nice surprise.

 

[hopewrites]

Thanks to Sleepy Doormouse and TacticlaLocol for the listings I am so pleased that the idea has stuck with so many!

Bob, your quite welcome, I did enjoy it.

I promise to make time to get my list sorted today (hopefully my vote as well, but at least the list). Along with everything else I need to get done (refuses to look at clock and :eepface: )

 

[martin321]

Too many good stories to mention them all, but here is my long list:

springs - DEAR CHARACTER
Victoria Silverwolf - Coin of the Realm **VOTE**
alchemist - Death Rides A Black Cab
Teresa Edgerton - Pavane for a Dead Princess
holland - Sailing
The Spurring Platty - A Voice Beyond
Boneman - Dead Unlucky
ethelredtheunredey - Old Things
BigJ - Five Card Stud on the River Styx
crystal haven - Double Edged
mosaix - It Comes To Us All…
Abernovo - Even Valkyries Get the Blues
Ursa major - I Spoke Too Soon
Culhwch -King of the Dead

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Thank you johnnyjet and martin321 for the mentions.

______

There are a lot of votes in already but so spread out, no one is out of the running, and it could be anyone's victory. This could be exciting.

 

[BenSt]

Oh this is getting exciting, so many good ones are neck and neck!

 

[hopewrites]

Got my list, almost down to the vote for me. Going to put the list up, eat, and come back to vote after

in posting order: short and shorter list
Hex
Alc
Teresa Edgerton
Mr Orange
Karn
David
Dusty
Boneman
Lonewolf
Mosaix
and
Bob

 

[crystal haven]

Thank you very much for the mentions on your shortlists,
SleepyDormouse, Alchemist, johnnyjet, and Remedy, and Martin321 for the long list.

I've still to vote. So many good stories to decide from.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Thanks for the shortlistings, TacticalLoco and Hope.