Discussion thread -- November 2014 75 word writing challenge

[Darkchrome]

Still haven't found the balance between not wanting to read any stories until I've posted mine - and then not reading this thread once voting starts until I've voted... but not having time to log on in between. Hence missing some of the discussion, plus the most excellent reviews from Victoria and Starbeast
I wonder if 'contributing to Chrons' is a vaild reason for giving up the day job?

So anyway, from the top/front/beginning.
Thank you for taking time to do the reviews, I love reading them. Victoria, I admit I had to google 'gang aft agley' though (which is easier to type than it is to say!) and Starbeast, I do worry the squirrel is now being somewhat picked upon, what with a troll boot and then accusations of PB thievery heading his way.

For long, short 'n' fina-list mentions, thank you alchemist, Hex and CC.
Mr Orange - thank you so much for the vote

My (long time getting to a) shortlist and vote was:
alchemist
paranoid marvin
Culhwch
chrispenycate
Talysia
jastius
Robert Mackay
The Judge

Phew - ginormous post... glad I didn't only have 75 words for that lot

 

[chrispenycate]

I have voted, and my short list was:- alchemist, Bowler1, farntfar, Kerrybuchanan, Robert Mackay, Talysia, Teresa Edgerton and The Judge.

Thank you Victoria and Darkchrome for the mentions, and I don't think I have yet thanked Starbeast for his review.


Oh, what? The vote? I went with Teresa.

 

[Parson]

This really was a month for remarkable stories. There was hardly one of them that I didn't understand which is saying something quite remarkable for a person like me.

Contenders:

Teresa Edgerton: "The Last Straw" --- Clever, clever title.
Springs: "Watched" --- the Big Bad Wolf turns out to be a wolf of a different sort.
Paranoid Marvin: "Heir Today" --- A logical result which the original author should have thought of.
Culhwch: "Fractured Fairy Tail" --- This story gave me a sympathetic pain in the back.
Telford: "Swine Lake" --- I want to know what tool the wolf used.
Justius: "Little Boy Blue --- A S.F. fairy tale? I thought I'd never see the day.

Finalists:

Phyrebrat: "Snow Blight" --- A perfect combination of title and wicked story.
Ursa Major: "The Valiant Little Tailor" --- Groan! I mean Ursa, really, really groan. Brilliant!! but Groan.
The Judge: "From the Huff-Puffington Post" --- A fairy tale where the media and the judicial system conspire? Can fairy tales be true to life?

Vote:

Phyrebrat: I'm going to give this the highest praise I know of for a Snow White story. Mouse would have loved to have written this!!
(You would have had to have been in the challenges from the beginning to know how she loved to twist that story.)

 

[Droflet]

Many thanks to Willwallace and Parson for the mentions. BTW Parson, the wolf got the device from a writer.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thank you for the mention, Parson.

 

[Talysia]

Thanks for the shortlistings, Darkchrome and Chris!

 

[Harpo]

Thankyou HEX, johnnyjet and Starbeast for the SLAM (shortlistings and mentions)

 

[farntfar]

Thanks for the shortlisting ChrisP.

 

[Zoe Mackay]

My shortlist:

Mr. Orange - Deliciously violent
Cat's Cradle - Who wants to live forever?
Remedy - I just love Hook and Smee, and I always want them to win.
Perpetual Man - There were a couple of goes at Hansel and Gretel, and I felt this was the best.
TDZ - I like the character in this, and the modern take.

And I voted for Cat's Cradle, in the end. Probably due to a kind of magic. Looking forward to the next challenge as another one bites the dust. Still, the show must go on.

Thanks to

Starbeast for the nice review

DarkChrome
Chrispenycate
Mr Orange
willwallace
alchemist
springs
...for the mentions/shortlistings

And...

Hex
Talysia
holland

for the votes!

 

[Perpetual Man]

Okay, here we go. Quick thanks to Robert above for the shortlisting and the kind words.

for myself everyone got in the ring and gave it there all.

They coulda been contenders:
Teresa
Alc
A Farewells
Phyre
Talysia
Ursa

They were Contenders:
Mr. Orange
PM
Karn
TJ

The Champion:
Cat's Cradle, with a story of unmitigated genius

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Wow, I honestly wasn't expecting any votes this month, so THANK YOU Mr. Perp, and Robert M.! You guys rock! And indeed, Robert, who wants to live forever?

(Ah, the power of a vote..my wife just mentioned--before knowing my story had been voted for--that I seemed suddenly happier!)

 

[Juliana]

I don't know where my head is this month... I completely missed the 100-word anon challenge, and just found out today that the poll is up on this one! Honestly. I obviously need more to-do lists!!! (or perhaps I have too many already and am losing track of everything)

Will re-read all the entries and try and get my vote in today, but I just wanted to thank Victoria, Johnnyjet, Sancho and Willwallace for the mentions, and also thanks to Sancho for the review.

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for making me a finalist, Parson.

And thanks for at least putting me in the ring (albeit one set up in a real dive), Perp.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Some great entries as usual; it will be strange hearing the origins of our stories this month as they're largely based on existing stories. I suppose we will have to explain why we chose the fairy tales we did

On to the important business:

My Shortlist and Votes

Springs
Alchemist
Remedy
Talysia
Johnnyjet
Hex
Ursa Major
StilLearning
TJ

Of these I had 4 finalists that were pretty much equal:

Springs - because of the atmosphere in the writing being so poetic and evocative and full of symbology.
Johnnyjet - I do tend to like your stories anyway, as I think you manage to instil a chill in them that I respond to, and this one was no different.
Ursa Major - the dark humour appealed to me and the idea was so original
StilLearning - for hardboiled Tinkerbell; just loved the story, the set up seeming bigger than the words, and the fury of the fairy was tangible.

I ended up voting for StilLearning because there was something about the size of it that appealed to me. I think it also helps that I'm re-reading The Big Sleep at the moment, too

Thank-yous!
Cat’s Cradle - for semi finalising me
Telford - For the silver
Talysia, Starbeast and Mr Orange for shortlisting me
And Perp for the contenderdom!

Biggest thanks for the votes from @alchemist - surprised after your chastising of me the other week , @johnnyjet for insinuating I am witty, and...dare I believe I snared your vote, @Parson ?? If there's one person I would have never expected to vote for my entry this time, it would be you!

pH

 

[Talysia]

It's been a trying day, so to find that I've got two shortlistings has raised my spirits a lot. Thanks, Perpetual Man and Phyrebrat!

 

[Bowler1]

Wow, a lot of mentions and thank you all for that. I've only read this thread so far but will be back to vote (I said the same for the 300 this month and lost my voting opportunity - duh!). Of course my reviews too and one that has left me with a tune knocking around my yellow head - try to set the night on ffiiirrrreeeee. Ahem, yes, that croak was me singing. Thankfully, I'm a little better with writing.

 

[farntfar]

After long ruthless pruning I got the shortlist down to


Cat's________________ The fairy king o'er the seven seas of rhye
Culhwch _____________ A fractured fairy tail
Holland ______________Oh, Gradma, Grandma
Alex The G and T _______Mal Voyáge
Alchemist ____________Moral hazard
Mosaix ______________Well, Would You Believe It…
The Judge ____________From The Huff-Puffington Post

But my vote went to
Talysia _______________Not Ugly, Just Different

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thank you, Phyre. It was oddly poetic for me.

 

[Talysia]

Many thanks, Farntfar - you've just made my night.

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for making me a finalist, Phyrebrat.