Discussion Thread -- November 2016 75-word writing challenge

[Hex]

(Shhhhh don't tell anyone... but the challenge is now up!)

Enjoy

 

[Mith]

Dunno if I managed to hit the theme right, but I got me a story...

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Mith -- A glimmer of hope in the midst of despair.

Calliopenjo -- An extraordinary discovery after disaster.

Judderman -- Disappointment after extreme effort.

Cathbad -- The corruption of innocence in terrible circumstances.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Stable -- The ability to maintain a positive attitude no matter how bad things get.

 

[Stable]

Victoria - what is good in life? The simple pleasures.

Actually I think each of our reviews could be reversed to be about the other story (I wrote this one about yours before I saw you had added one for me, so that is purely accidental). There is a nice symmetry there.

 

[Luiglin]

Damn, there's never a Mod round when you need one.

 

[Luiglin]

And then I didn’t one.

 

[Shyrka]

Footsteps, @Mith – In an oppressive regime that monitors the thoughts of its citizens, one resistance fighter attempts to follow their directions blindly, unthinking, to deliver a blow for freedom.

The Necessities, @Calliopenjo – Survivors of an atomic apocalypse discover a maze-like warren of tunnels dug by humans who have learned to live underground. Guided by instinct, these dwellers below have no need of maps but their new arrivals most definitely do.

Hope is for the Hopeless, @Judderman – A desperate traveller walks on, guided by a map purchased with their life’s savings, hoping it will lead them to salvation. Their true destination, however, is far more gruesome.

The Promotion, @Victoria Silverwolf – A cleaner, lost in the great machine of a hierarchical civilisation, is assigned a task that sees them literally moving up in the world.

The World is What You Make It, @Cathbad – A disturbing tale of a traveller in a broken, ruined city who stumbles across an oasis of beauty and innocence in a ravaged world. However, all is not as it first appears.

Satisfaction, @Stable – A nightmare vision of an apocalyptic future where a feudalistic regime has risen from the ashes, fuelled by the horrors of cannibalism.

So welcome to the machine, @Luiglin – The ruler of a meticulously-crafted future society explains the reasoning of their vision. They are the centre of their world. Literally.

Tit for Tat, @Cat's Cradle – A trader haggles with a shepherd for possession of a living map that could tip the balance of power in their world. Their bargaining skills are no match for the wily sheep-herder, however.

The living map, @ErikB – In an apocalyptic world, two survivors stumble across Jeff, a simple soul of few words. One of his words, however, suggests there may be more to him than it would seem.

 

[Stable]

@Shyrka - The cake friend is a lie.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Thank you for the review, Shyrka! I'm enjoying the stories - we always find such unique interpretations of the theme/genre pairing (cool choices, Hex!).
I just read my story for the first time since posting...I changed the title at the last moment, and then forgot to change two sentences (two words really) to reflect the new title. So disappointed in myself. It's no big deal, and I'll try to remember to post the revised story after the challenge ends. Darn.

 

[Parson]

@Shyrka --- Now that's dystopian! Good job.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Luiglin -- A gripping portrait of the power of cultural norms over the individual.

Cat's Cradle -- A piercing look at how self-interest survives even the most extreme circumstances.

ErikB -- A mysterious vision of a strange new world.

Shyrka -- A powerful account of trust betrayed.

AstroZon -- An evocative tale of vast changes over immense lengths of time.

Vaz -- An eerie story of how people can be forced to adapt.

 

[Calliopenjo]

Thank you Victoria and Shiyrka.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Aaaaaaaaand I have storied. Or possibly poemed.

 

[Cathbad]

Aaaaaaaaand I have storied. Or possibly poemed.

Did you clean up after yourself?


Great story/poem, btw

 

[Shyrka]

The Odon Cartograph, @AstroZon – A forbidden map of an ancient world turns out to be eerily familiar.

The Path, @Vaz – A loyal worker reflects on their place in the world and ensures others remember their own.

Brontosaurus’ Quantum Thesaurus (And Atlas Of Alternate Worlds), @David Evil Overlord – This entertainingly-bizarre rhyme takes us on a surreal journey of discovery in the company of a whimsical, dimension-hopping dinosaur.

 

[Vaz]

Thanks for the reviews Victoria & Shyrka.

 

[Mr Orange]

Done. Now to get back to work.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

David Evil Overlord -- A rollicking poem which creates comic chaos from a multitude of imaginative concepts.

Wruter -- An all-too-realistic look at how our dreams are subject to the limitations of reality.

Mr Orange -- An intriguing account of a mysterious errand which illustrates how our goals can be frustrated.

 

[Mith]

Thanks Victoria and Shyrka!