Discussion thread -- July 2016 75-word Writing Challenge

[Azzagorn]

What did the bartender say to the goat?

Get out you're Baaarrrrrredd!"

Don't forget to tip your waiter/ess.

 

[Luiglin]

@Ursa major Couldn't my "<untitled> story" be titled "Echo." I wasn't aware that it was necessary to create a different title from the one already given as the subject. I presumed that was only an option.

As for the rest of you, within the subject of puns, you are all out-standing in the field.

It's raining. So I'm lying down.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

That was a tough one, but I've voted. A good month for stories. My lists:

shortlist:
Wruter, Cathbad, Calliopenjo, Coast, Vaz, Mr. Orange, Phyrebrat, TJ

Finalists:
Victoria, Cascade, chrispy

Vote: well, these three were my finalists since the 24th, and I had decided since to vote for each of them at least once. Today, Cascade's moving tale reasserted itself, and became the first to be twice my choice, so there is the vote. Thanks again, mosaix, for the stirring theme! CC

 

[Vaz]

Thankies for the kind mention, CC.

 

[Dan Jones]

These are udderly awful.

 

[ThomasG]

That's a moooot point.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Not sure I wholly understood a few of the stories this month. Some were beautifully written but didn't have enough of a ‘story’ to make my shortlist & favourites list, which is:


Luiglin
Azzagorn
Coast
Old_Man_Steve2016*
Johnnyjet*
StilLearning*
Harebrain
Culhwch*
TDZ*

In the end it was a fight between Cul and TDZ and what can I say, after weighting them both up for nihilism, TDZ came out on top.

Thanks for the mentions and big thanks to Victoria for the review and vote!

pH

 

[Ursa major]

Couldn't my "<untitled> story" be titled "Echo."

We've always stuck to the simple rule that challenge entries cannot be changed after the editing window, or challenge, closes (because anything more complicated would make out brains hurt).

 

[hopewrites]

Is this pun explosion the result of chrispy's likely win this month? Is this the beginning of the apocalypse that was referred to??
Or do things get much worse?

Also, Parson they must have been specially selected cows, surely. Probably all outstanding in their field.

This is our standard "standing around waiting" fair.
Come to think of it, it's a bit sub-standard... there's usually dancing and ray-guns going off... I'd say this is the quiet before the storm.


(Remind me to invite you all to my fall-out shelter when the world does end. Much rather go this way than with a bunch of nervous nellies who whine and complain.)

 

[Dave]

I wasn't asked for any changes to be made to my challenge entry. The story title IS quite obviously the title of the challenge that was set. I was only asking for your poll to be altered to reflect that. Anyway, I have seen your PM and respect your rather odd decision to call it <untitled>.

 

[LittleStar]

I have a shortlist this month, not sure I've gotten round to doing one the last few times, been too busy.

My picks of the bunch are
Victoria
Coast
Hope
Stillearning
TDZ

And the finalists being
Cascade - a stunning and powerful story, and an excellent idea behind it.
Phyre - it quite often happens that I love the words you use, phyre, and the idea of... I don't know Petra-mnemonics?
Hazelrah - this is an incredibly thought provoking piece, and very well written. Brilliant.


Any of the three could have won, but in the end i have to go with Cascade

 

[Culhwch]

The story title IS quite obviously the title of the challenge that was set.

How is that obvious, though? Nowhere does it say that the theme should be the title, or that it will be used as such if you don't provide one. I think that's a big leap on your part to think we'd assume that was the case. In any case we have some five-odd years of precedent in doing exactly what Ursa did in these instances.

 

[Cathbad]

I was kind'a embarrassed when my first story was listed as <untitled> ... I'd simply forgot to type it in!!

 

[Ajid]

First of all thank you so much to those that have given a mention. For me the echo actually added an element I couldn't quite quantify further than an effect in a story and that's why I thought a half fourth wall break may help and the obvious echo of the 75 words. It was a rush and I'm so pleased so thank you guys.

But the rest of you have indeed done better and I've had a read and then read again.

My systen this month has been to take two stories against each other and then progress them to the next round. The final result.

Shyrka and Mad Alice ended up quarter semi finalists against Ursa and Chrispenycate....

Wait a minute four hooded hourse riders just rode by the window....

Chrispy has it, by a the smallest of margins.

 

[Starbeast]

Would we have even noticed???
Where am I???
Who are you???
What day is it???
What YEAR is it???

WINNER!! Starbeast - The Starwars spoof made me chuckle. A bright point in a bleak week.

You made my day of my "Bleak Week" bro. Thank you AZZAGORN. I liked your creepy tale too. Keep up the awesomeness.

 

[Starbeast]

Vote: "Delay in transmission"
by Chrispenycate​

Finalists

@Victoria Silverwolf
@Luiglin
@ThomasG
@Droflet
@Wruter
@Old_Man_Steve2016
@Pwaa
@Cat's Cradle
@StilLearning
@mosaix
@Mad Alice
@Ursa major



Honorable Mentions

@Azzagorn
@Cathbad
@hopewrites
@Ihe
@Vaz
@Dave
@johnnyjet
@Mr Orange
@HareBrain
@nixie
@Moonbat
@Ajid
@Parson
@TheDustyZebra



Thanks for the Reviews - Victoria Silverwolf - Shyrka - Calliopenjo

 

[Droflet]

Thanks for the mention, oh Beastly one.

 

[Calliopenjo]

I did vote and I did read the stories. Now that I depressed myself, mostly waiting for crits to come back on my flash, I'm waiting for the next round to come up.

 

[Shyrka]

Thanks very much for the kind mention, Ajid. I'm hoping to have my short list written up today but the way things are going at work it may end up being a ninja stealth vote in the last minute!

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for making my story a semi-finalist, Ajid.


(Sadly for my chances, competing against Chrispy this month was never likely to be a cakewalk....)