DISCUSSION -- December 2014 75 Word Writing Challenge

[Kerrybuchanan]

Such good entries this time again. I liked every single one, but my long list is:

willwallace
Ashleyne
Teresa
CC
Bowler 1
Victoria
Telford
TDZ
Mr Orange
Alcemist
Boneman

The two I really struggled to decide between were Teresa and Mr Orange but Mr Orange got the vote by the narrowest of margins.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Not very many voters this month, and only a few hours left to go. I wonder if people are thinking a day behind because of Christmas?

 

[farntfar]

My thanks to Sancho for the shortlisting.

Sorry not to give more details or a complete shortlist. Just had some bad news.

Anyway a hard choice at the end between Victoria and The Judge, but I voted for Victoria.

 

[ratsy]

I'm here!!! Don't close the polls!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas break, and I just got another jolt of Christmas as I reread all of this months great stories.

Thank you to Holland, Starbeast and Ashleyne for the listings and mentions for my story. I'm sure I would have 23 votes right now if my name was spelled correctly in the poll (I am fully joking about this)

There were so many awesome entries this month and it was really hard to choose, let alone choose a short-list so mine is kind of long...bolds were a close second

Juliana - Down at the Polar Espresso
Remedy - Hunting Frost
Teresa - A One-Way Ticket to Paradise
Talysia - The Light-fingered Lover
Alex the G &T - A Death for the Rest of Us
***Cat's Cradle - A Present for Joey***
Kerry - Fairy Tale of Tatooine
Victoria - The Gift
Telford - Ladies Man
Culhwch - Sins of the Father (Christmas)

I voted for CC's great story. It was executed perfectly and got to me.

Well done everyone and I look forward to the next challenge

 

[The Judge]

The Judge spent a while reading the rap sheets entries. She'd heard some stories in her time, but these, they took the Christmas lebkucken. Not all the pieces were noir by her reckoning, and Missy La Renne said she'd seen two-minute eggs that were more hardboiled. But there were still plenty enough to fill a stocking shortlist:

alchemist -- Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Alex The G & T -- A Death for the Rest of Us
BigJ -- Santa's Helper
Juliana -- Down at the Polar Espresso
Karn -- The Night Before Christmas
Mr Orange -- 12 Hours of a Department Store Stakeout
reiver33 -- On The Outside, Looking In
TheDustyZebra -- As Good As Gold
Victoria Silverwolf -- The Gift

Then came the hard work, and the festive mood vanished like snow in the Sahara. Mr Orange and TDZ get a slug of bourbon each for their wit in using old tales/rhymes in new ways, but the vote goes to Juliana for noir as black as espresso should be. Karn gets a kiss from Missy for being on the right side of reindeer, and alchemist gets a kicking for being on the wrong side.

Missy has asked me to thank telford, holland, Cat's Cradle, Talysia, Starbeast, Phyrebrat, Juliana, WinterLight, mosaix, Teresa, Hex and farntfar for the kind mentions/shortlistings for her story, and she is thinking of taking the sleigh on a detour to give personal belle thanks to Tywin, Parson, TDZ, johnnyjet, BigJ and Mr Orange for their votes.


(Sorry to hear you've had bad news, farntfar.)

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Aargh! Was so busy shortlisting I forgot to say thank you for mentions by Ashleyne and Sancho, but at least I can add a late thank you to Ratsy as well.

 

[jastius]

My longish shortlist

Farnfar✴✴
Starbeast❇♥❇
Sci fine
Dusty
Alchemist
Juliana
Mosaic
The judge
Mouse
Parson
Daystroms apprentice
Bowler
Karn✴✴
Johnny jet
A farewells.
DEO
DG Jones
Winterlight✴✴

Top three✴✴. Vote ❇♥❇

 

[Mr Orange]

Many thanks to everyone that mentioned my little tale and put it on your lists. Sorry I can't thank each one but the iPad is making my eyes twitch... And lots and lots of thanks to Karn Maeshalanadae, Alex The G and T, Kerrybuchanan and WinterLight for the votes!

I didn't have time to make any list but my vote went to the judge.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Many thanks to Victoria and Starbeast for the lovely reviews, and to Starbeast again along with Tywin, Juliana, Parson, Teresa, Kerry, TJ and jastius for the much-appreciated mentions of my story, and to mosaix for the beautiful vote!

I have a tremendously long shortlist and not enough time or energy to go back and cut it back, so it's going to go up just the way it is. I usually don't go over 16 for my ridiculously long shortlists, but there were so many terrifically hardboiled entries this time that it got away from me. Big thanks also to Phyrebrat for one of my favorite theme/genre combinations to date!

Robert Mackay -- The Simple Act of Traffic Law Violation
Juliana -- Down at the Polar Espresso
Remedy -- Hunting Frost
springs -- Red Hot
Glen -- The Big Shop
Teresa -- A One-way Ticket to Paradise
farntfar -- Snow On!
Talysia -- The Light-fingered Lover
ratsy -- 'Up on the Housetop'
Alex -- A Death for the Rest of Us
CC -- A Present for Joey
Victoria -- The Gift
*TJ -- Sleigh Belle*
telford -- Ladies Man
mosaix -- Stitched Up...
Karn -- The Night Before Christmas
johnnyjet -- A Case of Sugar Plum Fairies
Mr Orange -- 12 Hours of a Department Store Stakeout
alchemist -- Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
DG Jones -- New Kid in Town
Cul -- Sins of the Father (Christmas)

 

[Parson]

Jastius: A short listing?! Oh wow, thanks so much.

 

[Ursa major]

Snow one knows how so many great tales can be produced, but you did it. Even so, they still have to be distilled into a list that can produce a winner. So here are the results of the Ursa jury:


Honourable Mentions:

• A Visit From An Injured Santa by Starbeast
• Ladies Man by telford
• The Gumshoe and the Three Ho's by Perpetual Man
• On a Night Train by Boneman

Runners Up:

• A One-Way Ticket to Paradise by Teresa Edgerton
  
• The Gift by VictoriaSilverwolf
• Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by Alchemist

Winner:

• 12 Hours of a Department Store Stakeout by Mr Orange

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

 

[alchemist]

Thanks to everyone who mentioned/shortlisted mine. I thought it wasn't going to get anything for a while!

I voted for Victoria's, which fulfilled all criteria for me. Looks like an exciting finish.

 

[willwallace]

Thanks Kerrybuchanan for the shortlist

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Farntfar, I'm sorry to hear you've had bad news.


Thanks so much for the listings, Hex, Kerry, and TDZ!

And ratsy! A vote! Thank you, that's amazing!

Best of luck to the contenders! Looking forward to seeing, tomorrow morning, whether we have an outright winner, or a tie breaker!

 

[Ursa major]

Less than a couple of minutes to vote!

 

[Ursa major]

When the poll closed, we still had two potential winners. It's time to decide which one should win:

December 2014 Tie-Breaker Poll​

 

[alchemist]

Congratulations to both finalists, both with excellent stories. But I went for Victoria again.

And farntfar, I hope things work out for the best.

 

[Ashleyne]

Thanks for the shortlisting, Kerry

Congratulations to both finalists. I'm sticking with the one that was on my shortlist: The Gift by Victoria.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Congratulations to both finalists!

Since I came so close to voting for Rudolph and Missy in the regular voting, that's where my vote goes now.

 

[Starbeast]

Congratulations to The Judge & Victoria Silverwolf for both being in first place!​

Sorry not to give more details or a complete shortlist. Just had some bad news.

Anyway a hard choice at the end between Victoria and The Judge, but I voted for Victoria.

Sorry to hear about the bad news. You'll be in my prayers my friend.

I'm here!!! Don't close the polls! Thank you to Holland, Starbeast and Ashleyne for the listings and mentions for my story. I'm sure I would have 23 votes right now if my name was spelled correctly in the poll (I am fully joking about this)

There were so many awesome entries this month and it was really hard to choose, let alone choose a short-list so mine is kind of long...

You're festively welcome Ratsy. I agree with you about multitude of excellent entries. It would have taken me forever to chop it down to a short list of only fifteen.

Missy has asked me to thank telford, holland, Cat's Cradle, Talysia, Starbeast, Phyrebrat, Juliana, WinterLight, mosaix, Teresa, Hex and farntfar for the kind mentions/shortlistings for her story, and she is thinking of taking the sleigh on a detour to give personal belle thanks to Tywin, Parson, TDZ, johnnyjet, BigJ and Mr Orange for their votes.

(Sorry to hear you've had bad news, farntfar.)

You're merry welcome Judge.

My longish shortlist

Farnfar✴✴
Starbeast❇♥❇
Sci fine
Dusty
Alchemist
Juliana
Mosaic
The judge
Mouse
Parson
Daystroms apprentice
Bowler
Karn✴✴
Johnny jet
A farewells.
DEO
DG Jones
Winterlight✴✴

Top three✴✴. Vote ❇♥❇

Great galaxy! I have a vote?! Thank you Jastius, you made my night shine bright. Wheeeeeeeeee!!!

Many thanks to Victoria and Starbeast for the lovely reviews, and to Starbeast again along with Tywin, Juliana, Parson, Teresa, Kerry, TJ and jastius for the much-appreciated mentions of my story, and to mosaix for the beautiful vote! Big thanks also to Phyrebrat for one of my favorite theme/genre combinations to date!

You're double-ly welcome Lady Zebra.

Snow one knows how so many great tales can be produced, but you did it. Even so, they still have to be distilled into a list that can produce a winner. So here are the results of the Ursa jury:


Honourable Mentions:

• A Visit From An Injured Santa by Starbeast
• Ladies Man by telford
• The Gumshoe and the Three Ho's by Perpetual Man
• On a Night Train by Boneman

Runners Up:

• A One-Way Ticket to Paradise by Teresa Edgerton
  
• The Gift by VictoriaSilverwolf
• Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by Alchemist

Winner:

• 12 Hours of a Department Store Stakeout by Mr Orange

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

Thank you for the Honorable Mention Ursa Major. You made my night.




I voted once again for VICTORIA SILVERWOLF. It is such a powerful story that makes me shead a tear everytime I read it.