Discussion thread -- June 2016 75-word Writing Challenge

[Cathbad]

I suppose you'd want three votes again, huh?

Hmmm.... I do often feel I'm doing a disservice not voting for someone.

But at 200+, I think 5 would be more appropriate.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I would bet that if you could rustle up 200 entries, you would get 5 votes.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Really great and interesting genre/theme pairing, StilLearning! It was a fun challenge to write. Really nice stories so far. Nice to see you here, Ray, and nice to see some new members in the challenge, too.
I'm in. I took the theme in a different direction...hope it makes sense! Looking forward to the stories to follow, CC

 

[chrispenycate]

I can finally wear my Wonder-bread Mandalorian Armor, and you will make it crispy for me?

I'm not convinced that chrispy armour, Mimbrate or not, is a good solution. The very word suggests frangibility, something that would shatter under impact which is not what you generally want from armour. Now Valaisan bread (from Switzerland) is probably the source for Pratchett's dwarf bread . though cutting slices of it requires power tools, it would not require toasting to be extremely resistant to impact.

If we keep up this pace, we'll have 220 entries.

Wouldn't that be great?

We always get that curve. A huge number of entries right after the theme is posted, of people who want to get their ideas in first, who suspect that if they leave it lying around they'll be forever editing it, or who already had a story written that can, with a little imagination, be considered to match the theme and genre. Although mine is not generally found in this block, sure, 'tis but one little pome… Then this flood recedes, normally around half the entries needed to make up the mystic forty-two. For several weeks there are just a few entries drifting in, sometimes entire weeks without any at all. And then the end is nigh. All the 'I'll see if I can't do better' people, the 'let's see if the muse comes up with something else' people, the 'heavens, it's now? I have to submit something' people (and, I suspect, some 'how close to the deadline do I dare steer?' people, though I can't prove that) rush their offerings hours, or even minutes, before the gate clangs closed.

And, seeing I find the voting harder work than the writing (and I don't skimp on the work in the writing) the idea of going anywhere over the hundred, let alone the double century Not that it would be impossible - in the course of the challenge, more than four hundred and fifty different writers have participated) but who could make a choice with that many contenders?

The division between SF and fantasy is quite largely a question of style of writing rather than concept. I have read SF with vampires, dragons, werewolves, gadgetry way outside the technological norm of the society described and psi abilities which were magic with a different label, and fantasy with time travel, dimensional portals, flying cars and even interstellar spacecraft. Thrillers and romances that grab indiscriminate elements from either or both of the genres. Hybrid adventure novels that would end up the same story if you eliminated all the futuristic/supernatural elements. Snuggling together on the shelves they produce a massive range of hybrid tales, and who am I, as a dedicated reader, to complain about this?

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Droflet -- With cleverness and wit the author reminds us of the astonishing power of simple biology.

Cat's Cradle -- This dark fantasy offers a truly cosmic vision.

 

[Bowler1]

I suppose you'd want three votes again, huh?

SLAP....

And I'm telling Nixie, so there... ah....

 

[TheDustyZebra]

SLAP....

And I'm telling Nixie, so there... ah....

Whaaa? What did I do?

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Ihe -- This surreal comedy allows the reader to ponder the nature of Self and Other.

 

[Calliopenjo]

Glen-A discussion over a bottle of port.

Chrispenycate-Something to get the mind working.

Ray McCarthy-It seems pregnancy is at odds in this tale.

Ragandar-Orcs questioning their self-worth after being told they could be mass produced.

Zen Dragon-Gnomes and trolls work together to manufacture dragons on an assembly line.

Kieran Song-An assembly line of mortals in a factory for vampires.

Sinister42-Men In Black fantasy style.

Vaz-It seems the tables have turned in this tale.

Cascade-Another day at the office.

Victoria Silverworlf-A magical factory that employs golems to make different items used in magic.

reiver33-A place to create the ultimate soldier that would spell doom for mankind.

Luiglin-It seems demons need to be entertained as well.

cab-A wish that comes true with the question of timing.

Cathbad-A place that makes carousels

Mr. Orange-A slight of humor in this tale about the goings on in church.

Ashleyne B. Watts-A dark dream about being famous.

Coast-A little lesson in science.

Johnnyjet-A love for a grandchild and a love for pasta.

DG Jones-A baby making factory turns deadly as one plants for the end.

 

[Droflet]

Many thanks to Victoria for her usual wonderful review.

 

[Bowler1]

Whaaa? What did I do?

You've been discussing three votes, I suspect it may have been a different conversation I've jumped on, but I'm rolling with casting three votes in the 75 words competition. Nixie promised to slap me for discussing it, so I thought I'd get there first.

 

[Vaz]

Thanks for the review Calli

 

[Heijan Xavier]

I've tried my hand at reviewing/reacting to entries the last two months. Perp and Victoria seem to be on a different level though, this month, and I really do need to get caught up on sleep and at work, so I'm going to just watch and learn till July.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Sleep and work come first, Heijan Xavier! I appreciated your reviews, but I can only guess at how time consuming it must be to do them, so thank you. A big thanks also to Victoria, and Perp for taking the time to do reviews...and I see Calliopenjo is back this month! Thank you!.
I hope you'll have time to write a story this month, HX!

 

[Kieran Song]

Ooh I know what I'm having for lunch. There's this fantastic Chinese place not that far from my office that does a thing called a "superbowl," which has crispy roast duck.

It's amazing when they serve it in that taco type wrap.mmmm

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Allen Teasdale -- With wicked glee the author creates a gruesomely funny satire on industrialism.

 

[Heijan Xavier]

Sleep and work come first, Heijan Xavier! I appreciated your reviews, but I can only guess at how time consuming it must be to do them, so thank you. A big thanks also to Victoria, and Perp for taking the time to do reviews...and I see Calliopenjo is back this month! Thank you!.
I hope you'll have time to write a story this month, HX!

I will. It's almost ready; it just won't stop shifting shape!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

You've been discussing three votes, I suspect it may have been a different conversation I've jumped on, but I'm rolling with casting three votes in the 75 words competition. Nixie promised to slap me for discussing it, so I thought I'd get there first.

Ahh, ok. Thanks for saving me. Nixie slaps hard!

I was just referring to Cathbad's comment about how we would have 200 entries at this rate. I figured he would be asking for ...err... the thing that shall not be named.

 

[Calliopenjo]

And. . . here is part two.

Starbeast-A little sense of humor always go a long way especially in this tale of Morgana’s latest selling item.

Droflet-A fairy bunny factory would be an interesting venture.

Cat’s Cradle-An interesting tale of magic.

Ihe-I believe this tale answers the question: What would happen in a town full of mes?

Allen Teasdale-Always did wonder what happened to that Keebler elf.

Bowler1-A factory of workers to manufacture weapons of mass destruction.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Bowler1 -- This sardonic look at the difficulty of revolution offers a sobering lesson within its dark comedy.