Discussion Thread -- November 2016 75-word writing challenge

[Perpetual Man]

Six hours± to midnight, and I make it:- Abernovo, Ajid, Ashleyne. B. Watts, AstroZon, Cory Swanson, HareBrain, Hex , hopewrites, Judderman, Justin Swanton, Mad Alice, Mith, Mr Orange, Perpetual Man, Peter V, ratsy, Stable, The Big Peat, The Judge and Ursa major haven't yet voted. Some of those are notorious last minuters, but that's still a large percentage of 55 submissions. Oh, and thank you nixie for the vote without submission.

There's still ages yet...

 

[Ursa major]

I couldn't put down any second or third vote

Perhaps it's just as well: we only have one vote each in the 75-worders (except on much trumpeted special occasions).

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Wow, thank you ErikB! I'm not sure I deserve such praise, but it's very nice to hear.

 

[ErikB]

Good to know Ursa! That makes the good voting sense. LOL. But if I had 3 votes I would still only have voted once.

Cat's Cradle your story was fantastic! Still the top contender in my opinion even after so many other good offerings.

 

[Dan Jones]

There were reams and reams of fascinating, dusty old stories this month, but my vote went to @Hugh for an interesting tale with an unexpected and witty twist. It's always nice when a story by a new (ish) member catches the eye.

As for me, I can't think I any excuses for not entering this month other than the challenge always seemed to be second or third priority in my list of things to get round to, and in the end my procrastination ran out of time, so apologies to my millions of adoring fans around the world. I'll be back in December.

 

[Dave Barsby]

A few honorable mentions on my first go - thank you everyone!

Fingers crossed for theme: 'party snacks' and genre: 'brutal horror' next month cos I've got a doozy ready to go.

Do you think it might be worth having a back-up plan?

 

[Dan Jones]

Do you think it might be worth having a back-up plan?

Never! Even if the genre is romantic fiction, I want to read your doozy.

 

[ErikB]

Heck yeah Dave I agree with DG. Party Snacks AND Brutal Horror??? Oh man, who doesn't want to read that?

LOL.

Note: if it is that I will totally freak out. Ha ha ha...

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Thanks for the shortlisting, Shyrka!

 

[Hugh]

There were reams and reams of fascinating, dusty old stories this month, but my vote went to @Hugh for an interesting tale with an unexpected and witty twist. It's always nice when a story by a new (ish) member catches the eye.

.

That's very kind! Many thanks indeed.

 

[Perpetual Man]

There were three that made it to my shortlist, but I am woefully aware that I did not spend as much time as I would have normally given it, and there might have been seismic shifts in my opinion and a lot longer list.

Ihe and Hex get the second two places, mosaix gets the nod.

 

[The Judge]

Hmm. I don't know if I'm being particularly obtuse this month, or I'm being even more pernickity than usual, but I couldn't see the genre in quite a few of the entries, and not the theme in a few more. A great pity, as it means no matter how good a story, I push them out of the running. And several more I simply didn't understand.

Anyhow, my short shortlist:

farntfar -- Crop of the Pick
HareBrain -- Devil You Know
Judderman -- Hope is for the Hopeless
Mith -- Footsteps
Phyrebrat -- Mappa Cutis
ratsy -- Hope
Shyrka -- A Dream of Clouds


Good as the others were, there were only two contenders, and I was torn between HareBrain's whisky-sodden informer and Phyrebrat's skin-tingler, but Phyrebrat just pipped the Hare for my vote.


As ever I left writing my story until the last minute, and having completed it then read the other stories and was apoplectic to find my brilliant idea of a map inscribed on a person's body had been pre-pinched by Phyrebrat and mosaix -- both of whom have form in snaffling my ideas before I get round to writing them! *considers come judicial punishment for the pair of them* I tried to think of something else, but couldn't get anything to gel and had to go with the original, so I'm delighted it received so much attention.

Wildly dystopic cartographic thanks for the mentions/shortlistings Droflet, nixie, CC, Ihe, Anushka, Phyrebrat, Bowler, LittleStar, Hazel, TDZ and johnnyjet, and humungous self-sacrificing thanks for the lovely votes Parson, farntfar, Wruter, Juelz4sure, and Coast! Oh, and I've just seen a stealth vote from Dave Barsby -- thank you!

 

[Mith]

Well thankies kindly to Cat's Cradle, Vaz, Venusian Broom, HazelRah and The Judge for the mentions. And an especially big thank you to Droflet for the vote, made my evening did that!

Yet again there's too many great story's to make an easy choice, but I got there eventually...

Here we go for my little list:

Stable ~ Satisfaction
Vaz ~ The Path
Venusian Broom ~ Ariadne takes another path out of the maze
Phyrebrat ~ Mappa Cutis
Ihe ~ Backup
Cory Swanson ~ with each note we will honour the spirit
Hex ~ Goodnight Kiss
Dave Barsby ~ Last Chance
HareBrain ~ Devil You Know
The Judge ~ Dead Man's Map

But the winner for me this month is...

Shyrka ~ A Dream of Clouds, definitely a tale to stick in the mind.

 

[Ursa major]

Here are the results of the Ursa jury, mapped out in a way that lets you see the winner and those that did not quite make it....


Honourable Mentions:

• A Dream of Clouds by Shyrka
• The Mapmaker by LittleStar
• The Pride of the Proud by HazelRah
• The Eyes Have It by mosaix

Runners Up:

• Goodnight Kiss by Hex
• Discovery by Justin Swanson
• Dead Man's Map by The Judge

Winner:

• The Promotion by Victoria Silverwolf

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

 

[Mad Alice]

And a howdy from the pantslist at the bottom of the washing basket. It's dark and wiffy but at least warm.

my cat quite likes the warmy bottom of the washing up basket. apparently wiffy kitties are happy kitties.( except when they are accidentally added to the wash. )
Thank you Writer and Chrispennygate for the mentions! And thank you DavidEvilOverlord for the vote!
everyone almost made my shortlist, this month. brilliant tales all round once again!

so these were the finalists off the short list.
luigin
callopengo
shruka
hex
hope writes
David evil overlord
vaz
cathbad
dusty zebra
Glen
Ursa major
jeulz4sure
ratsy
farntfar
Johnny jet
the judge
abernovo
ajid
peter v
stable
Victoria silver wolf
star beast
the big peat

and everyone else not listed made the short list!
Like Eric B., I am only voting once! the perpetual man.

my story was inspired by will smith in legend pretending the mannequin in the video store was a person. it seemed almost a mapping of the sadnesses of the human heart in loneliness. how one could inherit the world, but what good would it be without anyone to share it with.

 

[Ursa major]

The poll has now closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, Hex!​

​

 

[Droflet]

Well done, Hex. Look forward to your pick for December.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Congratulations, Hex!

And thanks, Mad Alice, for the long shortlisting!

Oh, and now that voting is over, I can say something about my story. You didn't see the dystopia? Have you ever seen Shakespearean trilobites?

 

[Culhwch]

Congrats, Hex. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe we have our first repeat winner!

Many thanks to those who mentioned or listed my story this month!

 

[Phyrebrat]

Witch! Burn her!

Congratulations, Hex. A well deserved win as usual

pH