DISCUSSION -- January 2016 300-word Writing Challenge (#20)

[Zoe Mackay]

As has been noted before, I'm bad at shortlists. Here are my votes:

@Jo Zebedee - I'm a sucker for stories where people find out that their self-image isn't right, and I thought the writing of this worked particularly well.
@Victoria Silverwolf - I thought the Collector was a genuinely interesting idea, and the use of the jazz motif really well thought-out.
@The Judge - I just adored the lyricism in the writing and the use of the mimosa as both a leitmotif and a plot point, and the echoes of selkie stories within this.

 

[crystal haven]

Well, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading all the stories. Well done, everyone.

My Longlist:
Juliana – Fish Kids
J5V – Plagiarism
Shyrka - Quality Control
IHE- Long Term Values
DG Jones - La Baise de la Mer
Pambaddeley - Sole Survivor
Reiver33 - A Snapshot, With Commentary
Willwallace - Climate Change

Shortlist:
Victoria Silverwolf -- Stranger on the Shore
Jo Zebedee – The Way Of The Hunt
Phyrebrat - The Rime of the Brackish Mariner
Mosaix - Everyone Likes A Day On The Beach
Tim James - Always Looking Forwards
Ursa Major - Thank God it’s Friday....

And my votes:
Mr Orange – Ashes to Ashes
Johnnyjet – Homeless
The Judge - The Song for the Seal-Kin

 

[johnnyjet]

Another vote! Thanks, crystal. That's awesome.

 

[Denise Tanaka]

Apologies for not digging into all these wonderful stories until now. Day job sucks up so much time!! It's Saturday now, and I'm applying butt to chair with great enthusiasm and anticipation. This is a long list. So many talented writers. So many great stories. This is going to be tough.

 

[Denise Tanaka]

Yeah, it was really really tough to narrow them down. My "long list" was practically the whole list.

My "short list" was roughly a third of them (don't check my math!):

Cat's Cradle - The Beach of Time
Victoria Silverwolf - Stranger on the Shore
JD Foster - Beached
Jo Zebedee - The Way of the Hunt
DF Jones - La Baise de la Mer
Phyrebrat - The Rime of the Brackish Mariner
Alex Darion - Time Flies
Will Wallace - Climate Change
Venusian Broon - The Early Ghost
Culhwch - Reunion
Glen - Shoreline
Ursa major - TGIF
The Judge - The Song for the Seal-Kin

I had to go out to the store and buy chocolate-dipped macadamia nut shortbread cookies to think about it. Finally cast my limited-to-three votes for Beached, La Baise, and The Song. Sigh... That was too hard!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I had lots I loved:

J5V, JD Foster, Titanium ti, Phyre, Ashleyne but in the end went for DG Jones, Mr Orange and Robert McKay's (who would have had my One Vote. )

 

[LittleStar]

I think this was the biggest list I've been left with at the end of judging so far, there were just too many that had soemthing i really liked so I had to put them on the list

Short list:-
Mr Orange
pambaddely
Ursa
DG
Tim
Johnnyjet
Hazelrah
Denise

And these ones missed by the whiskeriest whisker:-
Jo
Phyre
Shyrka
VB

My votes went to:-
Robert Mackay
TJ
Victoria

Excellent stories all

 

[Shyrka]

Thank you Littlestar! Short-short list! I'm honoured to be amongst such distinguished company.

 

[Lex E. Darion]

Thanks for the shortlist mention @Denise

 

[Dan Jones]

Thanks Littlestar for the mention - and thanks to Jo and Denise for the votes, that's a wonderful surprise!

 

[Dan Jones]

OK time to get my votes in. Apologies for the double post.

There were plenty of others that came close: Phyrebrat, Pam Baddeley, Juliana, Denise, Ursa and TJ all delivered wonderful stories, but the following three really touched a tender spot for me.

@Victoria Silverwolf - this just made sense to me. It seemed inevitable. I don't know why but it just kinda spoke to me, the way great jazz does. The whole metaphor was artfully constructed. Jazz is confusing, often doesn't make sense to the outsider, sounding like a jumble of notes thrown together at random. But after you listen a few times, something clicks, and suddenly everything becomes crystal clear. Really nice, and completely different from anything else offered this month. Blow that horn, girl!

@Jo Zebedee - masterful storytelling from someone emerging as a master storyteller. This one had my vote from the moment I read it. Beautiful, rhythmic, poetic prose echoing the thrum and beat of the pursuit, and provides us with a resolution that can only be described as an satisfying failure. Really tight, close first-person present narrative, too. Possibly the basis for something bigger? (Sorry Jo!)

@Robert Mackay - a warm, subtle story that might not be as showy as some others on display, but that simply tells us how confident the writer is in his ability to paint images in deft, sepia tones. This tale shows the gentle compassion of friendship, yet undercuts it with the merest glimpse into a grieving mind prone to cracks. Enough to give a reader chills.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

@DG Jones - thank you. You made me blush. (And no. Just no. )

 

[Dan Jones]

@DG Jones - thank you. You made me blush. (And no. Just no. )

Haha, I knew that'd give you the willies!

 

[Zoe Mackay]

@DG Jones - Wow. I've been saving up my thanks for a later comment, but that was lovely and unexpected. Thank you! (I don't think I'm a confident writer!)

 

[pambaddeley]

I think this was the biggest list I've been left with at the end of judging so far, there were just too many that had soemthing i really liked so I had to put them on the list

Short list:-
Mr Orange
pambaddely
Ursa
DG
Tim
Johnnyjet
Hazelrah
Denise

And these ones missed by the whiskeriest whisker:-
Jo
Phyre
Shyrka
VB

My votes went to:-
Robert Mackay
TJ
Victoria

Excellent stories all

Thanks for the shortlisting @LittleStar!

 

[pambaddeley]

OK time to get my votes in. Apologies for the double post.

There were plenty of others that came close: Phyrebrat, Pam Baddeley, Juliana, Denise, Ursa and TJ all delivered wonderful stories, but the following three really touched a tender spot for me.

@Victoria Silverwolf - this just made sense to me. It seemed inevitable. I don't know why but it just kinda spoke to me, the way great jazz does. The whole metaphor was artfully constructed. Jazz is confusing, often doesn't make sense to the outsider, sounding like a jumble of notes thrown together at random. But after you listen a few times, something clicks, and suddenly everything becomes crystal clear. Really nice, and completely different from anything else offered this month. Blow that horn, girl!

@Jo Zebedee - masterful storytelling from someone emerging as a master storyteller. This one had my vote from the moment I read it. Beautiful, rhythmic, poetic prose echoing the thrum and beat of the pursuit, and provides us with a resolution that can only be described as an satisfying failure. Really tight, close first-person present narrative, too. Possibly the basis for something bigger? (Sorry Jo!)

@Robert Mackay - a warm, subtle story that might not be as showy as some others on display, but that simply tells us how confident the writer is in his ability to paint images in deft, sepia tones. This tale shows the gentle compassion of friendship, yet undercuts it with the merest glimpse into a grieving mind prone to cracks. Enough to give a reader chills.

Thanks for the shortlisting @DG Jones.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Oh, lordy lord. It's all very, very close.

 

[Dan Jones]

Dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner din...

STEALTH VOTE!

Thanks @Tim James!!

 

[Perpetual Man]

A voting ninja, that's me!

 

[Shyrka]

Curse you, voting ninjas! You're the reason I have to keep checking the poll thread!