DISCUSSION -- June 2014 75 Word Writing Challenge

[JonH]

It's a photo finish. Get yer lippy on.

Or I could read the first post properly and remember someone put the clocks forward.

 

[Ursa major]

Obviously this challenge is historic, but I can say that because it's fiction. Anyway, here are the entries I'd include in the annals:

Honourable Mentions:

• Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. by farntfar
• His Story by The Spurring Platty
• More \cunning Than A Fox... by Perpetual Man
• The Original Sin by Culhwch

Runners Up:

• One Small Step by Victoria Silverwolf
• Smoothing over a Wrinkle by Mr Orange
• Now You See It... by mosaix

Winner:

• The Ballad of Mary Read by Juliana

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

 

[Ursa major]

The poll is now closed and we have a winner.

Congratulations, Juliana!​

 

[Ashleyne]

Congratulations, Juliana.

 

[ratsy]

Congrats Juliana! My selection wins! Yay

 

[Juliana]

Thanks everyone, and thank you for the vote, Ursa! Wow! My first challenge win.

I was out for dinner with family and had everyone cheering me on... The table next to us must have thought we were all quite strange.

Well done to all who were with me to the end, talk about a close finish!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Congratulations, Juliana! One of my top three, yay!

And many, many thanks to jastius for the mention -- I needed that!

(I note that we actually managed more votes than stories this month, so that's something.)

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

So Rackham's girls won it for you, Juliana. Very good. 'Twas a fine shanty o' th' seas, lass.

 

[Droflet]

Congrats Juliana. And by the way ......

Wooopeeeeeeee! A vote for little old me? Astounding. Perp, you have made my year.

 

[A. Fare Wells]

Grats Juli!

And thank perp man for the listing.

For those wondering, my little yarn referred to H.H. Holmes, a pharmacist who built a hotel and killed some who stayed at it in the 1800's during the World's Fair in Chicago. He would sell his victims organs and skeletons to medical schools and is regarded by some as U.S.A.'s first serial killer.

 

[farntfar]

Congratulations Juliana.


Thank you very much for the mention/listing Ursa and Jastius.

And you're quite welcome Jastius. I did enjoy the idea of "straight-laced" Victoria giving it all up for a chance to sing at Covent Garden.

 

[BigJ]

Congratulations Juliana.

Thanks to Serendipity, Parson, The Storyteller, and jastius for the mentions, be they long or short or what have you.

I'd like to say a quick word about my story. The intent was not to offend anyone; I actually changed it at the last minute to try to make it at least a little bit ambiguous but when the theme is deception, well, the reader will tend to find what they're looking for and that's on me for not recognizing that.

I'm not a religious person and I don't claim any knowledge or belief as it pertains to the story/life of Jesus Christ. I did read the new testament a few years back, and while it didn't change my beliefs, what stuck with me was the importance of faith and love. I think those two things carry weight (or should, at least) regardless of what you believe, and I tried to get that across in my story. I also tend to think you should judge words based on their merit and not so much on who said them, and I think that might've come across as well (or I'm tired and thinking it, anyways).

 

[Hex]

Well done, Juliana!! Congrats on the lovely story.

Phew that was close -- commiserations Bowler -- I was expecting a tie!

---

My story was based on a translation of Requiem, by Anna Akhmatova, about the Stalinist purges in the 1930s. I didn't stick close to her story because in fact, the scene I used is about her son being taken by the Secret Police (though his father had been shot by the Cheka in 1921, so it wasn't too much of a leap). Requiem is very long -- there are ten parts -- but this was the bit I was remembering:

...The stars of death stood over us.
And Russia, guiltless, beloved, writhed
under the crunch of bloodstained boots,
under the wheels of Black Marias.

I
At dawn they came and took you away.
You were my dead: I walked behind.
In the dark room children cried,
the holy candle gasped for air.
Your lips were chill from the ikon’s kiss,
sweat bloomed on your brow–those deathly flowers!

Like the wives of Peter’s troopers in Red Square
I’ll stand and howl under the Kremlin towers.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Wooo! Well donr, Juliana. Bowler, big commiserations.

Mine was based on a siege of my local castle (ty Tywin for the mention, btw) where a group of 30 of the besieging soldiers for Edward the Bruce's army were offered the chance to parley for surrender. When they reached the castle under a flag of truce they were betrayed and the strong rumour was that the starving residents of the castle ate them. The castle didn't fall; in fact, it was never taken in its history. So, um, nice.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Congratulations Juliana, a great poem well worthy of a win.

Thanks for the mentions Crystal and Ursa.

And for those wondering:

Mine was based on a series of documentaries shown on the BBC in the 1980's that proposed historical documents had been altered during the end few months of the War of the Roses. Allegedly after Richard III died, tragically after winning a great victory at Bosworth Field.

Henry Tudor fled, barely escaping with his life, and Richard was succeeded by his nephew Richard IV. His reign was very short, and despite trying to establish himself with various methods including manipulation of the Church, and foreign marriages it all failed when he and his hold family were killed and poisoned by agents of Henry Tudor, who assumed the throne and had history re-told to put him in a better light and more acceptable to the people.

However it was rumoured that his younger son (who was severely tortured as well as poisoned) had illegitimate offspring who may have come to the surface a couple of times, historically speaking, most notably during the Elizabethan reign, during the Regency and then the First World War.

All very interesting and true.

Honest.

 

[alchemist]

Congratulations Juliana! And commiserstions to Bowler.

It's good to get the explanations now, because I was guessing at quite a few.

 

[Bowler1]

I had a good run and lost to a good buddy, so congratulations Juliana.

A big thank you to everyone who kindly voted for me and all the mentions I got too. Roll on next month and whatever Juliana has in mind for us.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Congrats, Juliana!! It is a terrific poem! And what a great race to the finish line!! Looking forward to your choices for next month's challenge!!

Ahh, A. Fare Wells, I've read about HH Holmes! Wasn't there a book a few years ago about him?

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Mine was based on a series of documentaries shown on the BBC in the 1980's that proposed historical documents had been altered during the end few months of the War of the Roses. Allegedly after Richard III died, tragically after winning a great victory at Bosworth Field.

Henry Tudor fled, barely escaping with his life, and Richard was succeeded by his nephew Richard IV. His reign was very short, and despite trying to establish himself with various methods including manipulation of the Church, and foreign marriages it all failed when he and his hold family were killed and poisoned by agents of Henry Tudor, who assumed the throne and had history re-told to put him in a better light and more acceptable to the people.

However it was rumoured that his younger son (who was severely tortured as well as poisoned) had illegitimate offspring who may have come to the surface a couple of times, historically speaking, most notably during the Elizabethan reign, during the Regency and then the First World War.

All very interesting and true.

Honest.

True...at least, according to Saint Ralph the Liar...

Congratulations, Juliana.

And thanks for the shortlistings, Glen and Jastius...

 

[Juliana]

Thanks everyone. Bowler, I was already looking forward to a tie-breaker with your excellent story.

Loving hearing all the explanations. Some I'd either figured out or found on the internet, others I had no idea. Very educational month!