Discussion -- March 2015 75-word Writing Challenge

[crystal haven]

Thank you, Perp. Glad to know you have a dishwasher now, so I don't give you nightmares.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

(The following is an advert for the Workshop's 100 Word Anonymous Challenge...)

HELP US LIBERATE WORDS!! WRITERS AGAINST WORDS BONDAGE!! We at the B.O.W/W.O.W. U. (Brethren of Words/Words Our Weapons Union) would like to point out that words are being forced to carry a very heavy burden in the 75 word challenges...each word there must represent 1.333% of the meaning of a story. In the Workshop’s 100 Word Anonymous Challenge, a single word has the much easier task of carrying only 1% of the total weight of a story. Please support a more leisurely working life for the average word...join the 100 Word Challenge today, and support Words!

(Also, representatives of the Flowery Words League asked us to point out that the extra 25 words given in this new challenge allow for the use of more fanciful descriptors such as “peppery”...”splendiferous”...”non-linear” and "yellowish".)

Entries accepted for March's 100 Word Challenge till midnight on the 18th.

 

[Sancho]

Sancho – There is crazy and there is insanity, and this one, this one is just barking mad. We’ve dogs entering the fray now, goodness knows what all those cats from earlier are going to do. Of course it is the smaller dogs that are the worst, just ask this ex-paperboy. Little terriers fixing themselves to the leg and just hanging there by their teeth. Pure fun and full of energy just reading it left me dog-tired.

Thanks Victoria Silverwolf and Perp for the great reviews.
How did you know that I was going for insanity...or was it hang dog? Mad dog? No, I remember...you can't teach a hot dog to eat blue chips

 

[Starbeast]

I've read all the stories. And I must say, that was a fun and entertaining treat. You are some very funny people out there.

Isn't this your theme every month, SB?

Urgency & Space Opera Comedy? True, Tywin. But I try hard to do something different. My "Spidey Sense" always tells me which path to take, so I listen to my instinct (goofy as it may be at times).

Starbeast -- Using the classic technique of reducing the arrogant to a lowly level, the author allows us to rethink an superhuman character.

Lady Silverwolf. I always admired your elegent & eloquent reviews, even when I (or some of us) go way off the deep end in bizarre-ness. Thank you for being a wonderful reviewer.

Oh dear, Beasty. I think I've been a bad influence on you.

Actually I thought it was the other way around, but you Telford, and I, do tend at times, like to get ranchy (in a very funny way).

SB – Before I even read this I was dreading it. In the nicest way. It’s playing right into Beastie’s court… This then is not just funny it is probably more realistic.

Nice to see you reviewing this month Perpetual Man, I missed you. "Dreading it , in the nicest way". Heh heh. It wasn't my intention to go the route I took, but some of my early ideas were already taken by some very fine writers. Therefore, I had to think about what wasn't used yet. But, I'll tell the whole story behind the making of my tale after the contest. Like some of us say, "It is, what it is".

It's good to see you Perpetual Man back in action again.

(The following is an advert for the Workshop's 100 Word Anonymous Challenge...)

HELP US LIBERATE WORDS!! WRITERS AGAINST WORDS BONDAGE!! We at the B.O.W/W.O.W. U.

Entries accepted for March's 100 Word Challenge till midnight on the 18th.

Fine speach Cat's. I'll ride a horse with you into battle. Because, what would we do, without, FREEDOM?!!

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

johnnyjet -- The author shows us the all-too-human side of epic legends in this clever story.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

martin321 -- With a wink of the eye at trends of the past, the author shows us that even the plans of the mightiest can often go wrong.

 

[Grimward]

DG, thank you for the review, and I daresay you're right about Scotty, Sulu, and the rest (except the late great Nimoy, of course, who could do damn near anything, and Kirk, who probably Kobayashi-Maru'ed it).

Perp, thank you sir for your review and the warm welcome. It's an honor just to not be tossed out on my ear.

Victoria, if writing the 75-word story is hard (as Cat's notes, each word has to carry 1.3333 times its weight!), delivering the 22-word review with such range and depth of insight borders on sheer wizardry, and I'm truly unworthy (but thank you!).

 

[johnnyjet]

Thanks, Victoria, for the marvelous review! And Grimwald is certainly right about your concise & insightful reviews.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

mosaix -- The author allows us to take a closer use at our modern myths by making use of clever and witty gender bending.

 

[mosaix]

I was scrolling through the entries, noticed UM had entered and thought I'd got the date wrong! Anyway that prompted me into thinking I'd better get a move on - so I did. I'm up.

Edit: That was quick, Victoria! Thanks for the review.

 

[ddawson]

Wound up writing 2 stories. Probably should have posted the other, it fit in with the urgency more, but was lacking in understandable humor.

 

[Dan Jones]

My hedonistic weekend at Peppa Pig World is over, but I return to find many splendid stories, and much reviewing work to be done.

Let's 'av it!

@Remedy - Making The Best Of A Bad Job - Gosheroo, this takes me back. Before I get to the serious stuff, I ought to say that this is a really funny tale that warrants re-reading. The relationship between Hurdson and Kim gives a textbook illustration - in 75 words - of what Lacanian psychoanalysts call the Master/Slave dyad, in which the slave is able to subvert the master's position by taking crumbs of jouissance from the master's table. What's more interesting is I think Kim lets Hurdson get away with it, which gives their relationship more depth, a bit like Lear and his Fool. I could write for ages on this but I'd better stop for fear of you all thinking I'm a bit odd. The fact that it's dressed up as broad comedy complete with boob jokes is masterful.

@crystal haven - Got That Sinking Feeling - "We're all creatures of comfort," Dave Wyndorf sang on Cry. Although his other song Spacelord might be appropriate here. Anyway, I get the feeling that, rather than guffawing like loons, all the men reading this will be nodding solemnly at the denouement depicting the horror of having to resort to actual manual labour. Especially the washing up! In fact I'd go so far to say that for the chaps out there this is more like a kitchen-sink drama...

@Sancho - 2001, A Space Dogyssey - At last, somebody ensures the cats aren't having it all their own way this month. There's something gloriously Pythonesque (for some reason it reminds me of Python's Flamenco sketch about llamas having big pointy teeth) about a tidal wave of vampiric CHIHUAHUAS pouring out of every orifice in the spacecraft. And I love the name Dobowman. How the mighty are toppled, eh?

@Hex - Tentaclefest 'tastrophe - Ah, a sly giggle at the faintly ridiculous nature of balls, gowns and dinner parties. And I've been to enough to know they need a good poking, so I enjoyed this throughly. Trust those dang Parisians to spoil the party! But as a man I'll never understand why it's such a 'tastrophe to turn up to a tentaclefest wearing the same dress as someone else. Mind you, it's never happened to me; all my dresses are bespoke.

 

[Juliana]

@DG Jones I sniggered out loud at 'hedonistic weekend at Peppa Pig World'...

 

[crystal haven]

Thank you, DG Jones.

 

[Remedy]

Thank you, DG Jones. Your review has made my day!

 

[Dan Jones]

@DG Jones I sniggered out loud at 'hedonistic weekend at Peppa Pig World'...

It's nay laughing matter. There's only so much candy floss the human body can take.

 

[Dan Jones]

Thank you, DG Jones. Your review has made my day!

If that's the case then it pleases me no end. Your story was very clever and witty even without the psychoanalytic subtexts. As Goethe (almost) said: "it's the job of the poet to capture the specific. If there is anything about him he will reflect the universal."

 

[Dan Jones]

Thank you, DG Jones.

You're quite welcome, thanks for the story!

 

[Sancho]

@Sancho - 2001, A Space Dogyssey - At last, somebody ensures the cats aren't having it all their own way this month. There's something gloriously Pythonesque (for some reason it reminds me of Python's Flamenco sketch about llamas having big pointy teeth) about a tidal wave of vampiric CHIHUAHUAS pouring out of every orifice in the spacecraft. And I love the name Dobowman. How the mighty are toppled, eh?

Thanks for the great review DG Jones, I am glad you liked it. Llamas in space! Thats got legs

 

[Perpetual Man]

johnnyjet – All great legends start somewhere, and why not here. A nice reinterpretation of a classic, working just as well due to the legend of Art returning anyway. Don’t you know it, how the daring adventurer and his sword finish an illustrious career and are transported back in time to start all over again? Classic. Well told. And fun.

martin321 - “He’s heading for that small moon.” “That’s not a moon… that’s a D.I.S.C.O” and so the legend that is Star Wars is changed forever. How Luke managed to destroy it is anyone’s guess when all he can see is his own X-Wing reflected back at him. But then it’s all worth it to see the Stormtroopers striking a pose and… hell this is only 75 words and it’s already got more depth that Episode II.

mosaix – Gender reversal leading to a daring and amusing pay-off. I am rather stuck because the only lines I can think to write may quite possibly get me thrown off Chrons. So that is all I’m going to say. I’m sure you can all imagine the kind of risqué comments that might have been squeezed in here, I’m sure Scotty could.