DISCUSSION -- August 2015 75-word Writing Challenge

Wonderful stories, as always gang! Loved the genre/theme pairing--well done DG! It was nice to have an out-of-the-norm genre for this challenge.

Had a tough time narrowing my lists down...I always intend to have no more than ten tales listed, but that never works...so here we are:

Honorable mentions:
Victoria, Glen, alchemist, Cascade

Semi-finalists:
KyleAw, Tim James, Chrispy, TDZ, Ursa

Finalists:
Playtime at pre history school, farntfar: This made me LOL the first time I read it; I've smiled broadly since, on each reading. Five out of five 'Ugs' for this one!
Burning Bread, Phyrebrat: IMO, this is the most beautifully written, and most elegantly constructed entry this month. Haunting.

Vote: Phyrebrat. Amazing detail for a 75-word story...well done pH!

A big Thank You!!! to the folks who've listed my story! And, wow, Victoria! Thank you for your vote! :)

DG, loved your guesses as to time and place for the stories this month...that must have been a fair bit of work. With mine, it actually takes place on the eastern coast of North America...and just a few decades earlier than you estimated. But very close, on both counts! :)
 
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Jo Zebedee said:
I was chatting with a local writing group last night and was talking about the challenges and how they teach editing skills and how it was possible to tell a story in 75 words, and I read Cascade's to them - they thought it was very good. So, you've had a public reading ;) :)
Click to expand...

Wow Hugely chuffed to hear that. Thanks. :)

Thanks also to Droflet, Jo Zebedee, Alchemist, Juliana and Vaz for the votes and accompanying kind comments. And to TitaniumTi, CC, and Glen for the mentions, shortlisting, and the like.
 
Tough challenge this month (and that's just the picking which one to vote for - let alone the writing part!).

Since karma sent a wasp to smite me for not shortlisting in the 300 challenge, here's my very-painfully-whittled-down short list:

Cat’s Cradle
Cascade
Ratsy
Venusian Broom

...and my vote went to:

Phyrebrat

for just a wholly brilliant story!

Thank you (belatedly) for your wonderful review Victoria, and for the mention! =)
 
I went with an entry that reminded so much of one of my fave movies mixed with a touch of one of my fave comedy teams.

So Kerry got it for the Carry on Monty Python Cleo tale.
 
A nice selection of fascinating entries. Finally narrowed down to:

My Long List, Short List and **** Favorite ****

  1. Hero of Chichen Itza - Ashleyne. B. Watts
  2. Church and State - Victoria Silverwolf
  3. Playtime at Pre History School – farntfar
  4. The Importance of Emperors - Or a Squaddie's Priorities – Kerrybuchanan
  5. Manifest Destiny - Cat's Cradle
  6. 96 – Cascade
  7. "What Do We Want?" – AnyaKimlin
  8. A Friend in Need – ratsy
  9. Just Frenzied Killing - Mr Orange
  10. The Valued Investigations of Hopkins and Stearne – HazelRah
  11. The White Flower of House Tyrrell - DG Jones
  12. Yurt Licit – chrispenycate
  13. The Sun Rises – willwallace
  14. And So, To Ashes – Juliana
  15. **** Burning Bread – Phyrebrat ****
  16. Starr Chamber – TheDustyZebra
  17. The Killer Biscuit – BrisGirl
  18. God’s Authority – Parson
 
Where to begin? Well a quick thanks for the mentions, those who gave them and a massive thanks to Phyre for the vote, I did not really expect anything this month so that made my day. More about that after voting...

I felt it was an excellent all round month, and it seemed rather fresh with a different genre to work with. It did seem to pull the rug a little, and there were those that I, personally would not have called historical fiction. This did not make them any less excellent, mind you.

How far back (or forward) do you have to go to make something historical fiction anyway? I guess that even something that happened a few hours ago has become history, but going backwards when does historical fiction stop? Is prehistoric fiction still historic? ;)

The genre through me, not because it was going to be hard, but just for the vast scope that was there to be drawn upon...

A few mentions, I'm not sure whether they should be considered short-list, but I just enjoyed them.

Farntfar - I'm not sure whether I would have classified this as historical fiction, but it was wonderful made me smile when I finished it, and it kept me going all day.

Mr. Orange - A great idea, well executed. I loved the conversation with an excellent resolution. What could be better than a probing talk only to find it is with yourself.

HazelRah - A great little tale that not only manages to catch the unrelenting twisted logic of the Inquisition, but gives us a great humorous ending with echoes of Monty Python.

Special Mention
Luiglin - The second I saw the challenge I thought of poor old Luiglin who seemed to have shackled himself with his personal challenge. His solution while might not being historical fiction was most surely bolstered by the 'prove me wrong...'

The Short List
Cascade - A terrible moment in recent time that will stick in the memories of those old enough to remember, catches feeling quite perfectly.

Anya - I just loved the image it evoked, the disregard for parental authority, it worked on quite a few different levels.

Chris - Another excellent, intelligent entry, but with a wonderful twist at the end. For a moment I thought Ursa must have added the last line.

Juliana - A moment of time, terrible in that instant, but one that would last through the ages. A nice touch being told by one that did not have the courage of the woman he helped execute.

Robert Mackay - A bleak moment of history, the dead gathered by a reaper who might even be showing more compassion than the hell the young men died in.

Cul - A moment of change as science and faith collide, but what really sold the story was the superb wording of the last line.

TDZ - In another of recent histories darkest moments, there is a glimmer of light and hope as a soldier finds a spark of heroism, of humanity within his heart.

The Winner

KyleAW - There are few images that stick in my mind than a solitary figure standing there looking down a row of tanks. An iconic moment encapsulated in words.
 
Good round up @Tim James, I think my voting will have to go between those that have clear placement in history. Otherwise I think we are wondering off into fantasy in general.

I need to do a second read of them and get my vote in :)
 
Howdy,
holland, thank you for the vote, I really needed that. Not a single listing or mention this month, so that makes your vote extra special.

Tim questioned weather prehistoric is history, I guess if cave drawings and fire are worth remembering then they are history.

Victoria, thank you for the review, you do a great job and a great service to those of us that are always in need of a pat on the head.

Thanks again you two.

Bob
 
thanks for the runner up listing @holland, the favourite listing @Droflet, the shortlisting @johnnyjet, the mention @Tim James (and comment)

now off to read through and vote....

right, i'm back. so it's an interesting month. a lot of good stories but i felt some missed that historical aspect and some missed the fiction bit as well... and then there was the theme, which was pretty tricky as well but broad enough that it's a little hard to determine whether some stories had authority in them somewhere. also, i don't have the time for research that others may so missed a few of the historical references. *

having said all that, my shortlist and vote:

Order No. 227 -- alchemist
“What do we want?” -- AnyaKimlin
A Friend in Need -- ratsy
WITNESS -- TitaniumTi
A different bird of carrion -- Venusian Broon
Et in Arcadia Ego -- Robert Mackay
Starr Chamber -- TheDustyZebra


*Note that whilst reading and voting i may have ignored some or all of this paragraph...
 
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Thanks for the listing, JJ and Tim, and the comments too, Tim. :)

Mr Orange said:
right, i'm back. so it's and interesting month. a lot of good stories but i felt some missed that historical aspect and some missed the fiction bit as well...
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I found this month not only to be hard to write, but hard to choose stories, too. Shows I don't really know enough about the genre!
 
Most emjpyable thing I've done today :) :
Honourable mentions:

The Importance of Emperors - or A Squaddie's Priorities – Kerrybuchanan
Prometheus – Void
So long and thanks for all the big fanged lizards – Luiglin
Hero of Chichen Itza -- Ashleyne. B. Watts
WITNESS -- TitaniumTi
Vote goes to Starr Chamber -- TheDustyZebra
 
This was a tough one for me because I have no knowledge of worldwide history apparently. I found myself googling details on many of the stories to understand the stories!

With that being said, many of the stories were good, and my favourites were

Void
TDZ
Phyrebrat
Doftelt

And my vote went to Phyre who has been on fire this month!!!
 
First of all I fully admit that I was anything but faithful to the genre or the theme in my entry, but wrote it in the hope of raising a smile, so I'm absolutely thrilled to find that several of you have found it amusing and even shortlisted me. I am terrifically grateful.

For my own part here is my short list

Cat's Cradle _____________ Manifest Destiny
Cascade _______________ 96
Mr Orange______________ Just frenzied Killing
Chrispenycate____________ Yurt licit
Juliana_________________And so to Ashes
Culhwch________________The heretics trial
TDZ___________________Starr Chamber
Moonbat_______________A Chronversation between friends (I love that 28th law)

But my vote goes to Kerry for The importance of Emperors, or a squaddies priorities (Especially for "End of an era, I reckon". You can here the boredom in his voice.)
 
A challenge that shows that history isn't past it.... Speaking of which... I've just been passed the results from the Ursa jury:

Honourable Mentions:
  • LAWMAN by Droflet
  • Legisavior by Grimward
  • <untitled> by KyleAW
  • Yurt Licit by crispenycate
Runners Up:
  • A Friend in Need by ratsy
  • THE WHEEL by Bob Senior
  • The Heretic’s Trial by Culhwch
Winner:
  • A Chronversation Between Friends. by Moonbat

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