DISCUSSION -- February 2015 75-word Writing Challenge

I'm humbled by the reviews left each month, so I figured it's about time I had a bash myself. And what a good month to try it, with some great stories up already.

@Mr Orange - Magic Trick - A savvy tale that confirms what we already knew - don't trust a street magician, and never be the first one to break the conga! And if you're a giraffe, don't stick your neck out like that.

@Hex - Sponsorship - a clever corporate cola corker, this shakes its cute little tushy at inappropriate attitudes in the workplace, and by the end sucks us all in to the maelstrom.

@Ashleyne. B. Watts - Devils Don't Dance - everybody knows the devil has the best tunes, and now he has the best moves, too. This tale of spiritual and rhythmical awakening shows the infectious and redemptive power of music.

@ddawson - One Last Time - Carnival's a funny thing. Against a world of superficiality, disguise and facades, this tale shows that it can allow the strangest among us to be themselves, if only for a fleeting while.

@Cascade - Masquerade - descriptive, visceral and gaudy. Our narrator shuns the advances of the pageant queen in favour of becoming the chequered joker. So who is he really trying to kid - himself, us, or everyone around him? In Carnival, identities aren't black and white, like the costume of Harlequin; they are fluid, like the sweat on his shirt.

@Luiglin - All the Right Moves - I'm a sucker for Ol' Darkie and Minion. This reworking of Cyrano de Bergerac for the Google generation shows Darkie at his unscrupulous best, but one can't help wonder if Ulzarta means it when she compliments him about his moves; I reckon he's more Gerard Houllier than Gerard Depardieu.

@holland - Don't fall asleep on the Night of the Living... - A cornucopia of unanswered questions abound here; is our narrator drugged, dragged or drummed into waking by the mysterious voices in his head? Are they in his head at all? Maybe a strong coffee will help me figure it out. Hmm. Tastes like whisky...

@Juliana - Boto - the river dolphin isn't like cutesy Flipper. He's a hunter, and this story shows his primal, carnal lusts that will not be denied. A smart juxtaposition of the drunken morass of revelry, and the sunken mudbanks of the river, forces us to wonder: which one is the real Carnival?

@springs - Fat Tuesday, It's Flipping Fab - talking of Flipper, this culinary crackerjack gives us a break from the debauchery and shows us that the company of one's nearest and dearest is all you need to cook up a little magic. I've been to a few football grounds where the food's done cartwheels, but never like this. Pass the lemon juice!
 
Cheers for the review DG. As I said I'm going to try and do a Dark Lord for each 75 this year ... but beeping hell did Springs make it difficult this month :)
 
Mr Orange -- This lighthearted tale shows us how the grass always seems greener on the other side.

Hex -- Through the use of a surrealistic image, the author teaches us something about the business world.

Ashleyne. B. Watts -- A sense of joy fills this story of hope.

ddawson -- The way in which the extraordinary can hide in plain sight is aptly presented in this tale.

Cascade -- This vivid and feverish imagined story shows us how our disguises may reveal more than they conceal.

DG Jones -- Full of mysterious images, this tale is sure to entrance the reader.

Luiglin -- With sly wit, the author presents the all too human side of the fantastic.

holland -- This eerie tale of transformations is full of a sense of strangeness.

Juliana -- Full of sensual appeal, this tale of forbidden love draws in the reader.

springs -- The author presents a cheerful tall tale of fun and merriment.

Michael Colton -- With one small touch, the reader is transported to a reality next door to our own.

Anne Martin -- With an extraordinary amount of imagination, and using only a few words, the author takes us to strange places.
 
Hmmm, a very interesting challenge this month, and I have an idea already which is rather unusual. I'm not sure where it fits the genre though. Might just go with it anyway...

The Perp comments should be coming shortly*...




*Shortly by definition could be many things. On a human scale a few minutes to a day my suffice, on a cosmic scale a thousand years might be little more than a tick on the galactic clock. Which scale I'm working by at the moment remains to be seen.
 
Another reviewer, wonderful! Great stuff, DG! :)

Really intriguing choices, springs, but I was so worried when I saw them. I haven't ever read anything in this genre, I think (except perhaps as a child). I was over-thinking this, so I decided to just write something, and hope it would fit (kind of-sort of) within the genre. So..I am in.

Terrific stories so far, all! Glad now to be able to just sit back, and watch the other stories roll in.
 
Well, I'm in.

I had absolutely no inspiration, and I'm still not sure I know what Magical Realism is, but this story just popped into my head this morning. When I typed it out it counted as 75 words with no editing. That's gotta be sign, hasn't it?
 
Some amazing stories so far You all are so good, it's going to be a challenge coming up with something that measures up.

As yet I only have vague ideas; I hope one will actually turn into a story.
 
I think your story is wonderful, Kerry. It seems to fit, from what I've learned of the genre these past days.

And I am excited to see what you will create for us, Teresa! I think this genre might be a perfect fit for you.
 
Thought I'd go a little nuts this month and post something bizarre for my entry.

I was in La Paz, Bolivia a couple years back - during carnival. The whole city was alive with street parties, dancing, foam, water bombs, sweets, music and costumes. Truly a fantastic time to be anywhere in South America. :D
 
Last edited:
@Michael Colton - All That Dust - pixie bones out of this one! A seemingly innocuous sibling rivalry over magical weapons could be a metaphor for so many things, but the way these two are going at it I'm minded to think of Brody's line from Jaws: "you're gonna need a bigger cage."

@Anne Martin - Infinite Recursion - ah, all the word's a carnival, endlessly looping and destined to flash that flesh for all time. I didn't think one could weave in the Second Law of Thermodynamics into a story about street parties, but by the end this one had me gawking like Hawking!

@Victoria Silverwolf - The Disguise - A guiltily pleasurable voyeuristic look into the continued mishaps of Dr Scarapelli; he really ought to check the credentials of the institution that gave him his PhD.

@Cat's Cradle - This is Our Day - And what a day it is! A cavorting carnival of couplets capturing the irruptive release that festivals can provide, even for the magical among us: truly we get the whole idea that Carnival is birth, death and release all in one day from this charming ditty.

@Kerrybuchanan - The Flame Of Love - One might initially read this as a cautionary tale: if you play with fire, you're going to get burned. But then we realise the tale's elemental substance: oh, what sweet heat it provided while it was there!

@Remedy - 17:00 - Thank goodness Cassandra was listened to this time! As the old saying goes, "it's five o'clock somewhere," but reading this made me feel like it was five o'clock all the time, everywhere! Look children, the colours, the colours!
 
:) Please, DG, would you write my stories in the future?? That's some review, thank you so much! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
elvet February / March 100 Word Anonymous Challenge 2024 Discussion Workshop 100
Christine Wheelwright DISCUSSION THREAD -- February 2024 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge Writing Challenges 150
elvet February / March 100 Word Anonymous Challenge 2023 Discussion Workshop 107
The Judge DISCUSSION THREAD -- FEBRUARY 2023 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge Writing Challenges 138
Peter V DISCUSSION THREAD -- FEBRUARY 2022 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge Writing Challenges 196

Similar threads


Back
Top