Discussion thread -- March 2017 75-word Writing Challenge

[Cat's Cradle]

Cool, Andrew! Next month...next challenge, you'll be an old pro.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

And I find a sneaky little vote from The Dusty Zebra.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I was getting here with the list!

Hugs and cookies to Cathbad, Talysia, Mr O, Phyrebrat and TJ for the lovely mentions, and cake for all our wonderful reviewers!

Yes, the vote did go to DEO, after a lot of mental wrangling with the shortlist and despite TJ's best effort at subliminal zebra-vote-getting with her title.

Cul -- Work Sets You Free
Dave Barsby -- Belittled
Cory Swanson -- Behold the Works of God
Victoria -- It's a Living
mosaix -- The Alien Will See You Now, Sir
Shyrka -- The Reclamator's Burden
saulfan -- A Mother's Work
*DEO -- Little Wonder*
Hazelrah -- Gifts of Choice
ratsy -- Scars
Mr O -- Working It on New Britain...
TJ -- What a Piece of Work...
Ursa -- Nancy Drew...
Phyrebrat -- Die Glocke

 

[Shyrka]

Apologies for flying a bit 'under the radar' this month - it's been a bit hectic and my entry took a long time to wrangle into shape so I didn't get chance to do any reviews this time. I shall do my best to get some done next month.

Anyway, my shortlist, favourites and *votes*, etc. are as follows:

Poo & Gold, @Ashleyne
the Huǒxīng Settlement, @AstroZon
*Farmville World 2025, @Stable*
The Last Engineer, @Justin Swanton
Job of a Lifetime, @nixie
Gifts of Choice, @HazelRah
Scars, @ratsy
Working it on New Britain (Epsilon 456-K), @Mr Orange
A Bit of Patchwork, @Vaz
Die Glocke, @Phyrebrat

Stable's just pipped Vaz' to the post because of its all-too-plausible vision of the future. The drones delivering shopping and the self-monitoring fridge were particularly nice references to the kinds of future-tech we keep being told about. Also, having worked on a farmville-style video game myself in the past, it was a little close to home...

Huge thanks to mosaix and The Judge for their kind votes and the mentions from TDZ & Mr Orange. I'd like to apologise to folks for the misery level of this month's entry but once I'd had the idea, I couldn't get rid of it and my attempts to come up with an alternative just fell flat. Next month I shall compensate by creating a laugh-riot. Or something.

 

[LittleStar]

I have quite a long list of honourables this month, I usually manage to whittle them down.

Honourables go to:-
Wruter
Talysia
Cul
Cory
Victoria
Hazelrah
TJ

Just missing outs:-
AstroZon
Stable
Mosaix


But my vote has to go to a beautifully written entry, and lovely story, I thought. Shyrka

 

[Shyrka]

But my vote has to go to a beautifully written entry, and lovely story, I thought. Shyrka

Many thanks - I'm glad some of the 'sweet' part of the 'bitter-sweet' managed to make it through!

Clearly my plan of gaining a radical, late surge of votes appears to be working.*

* albeit badly

 

[HazelRah]

Thankyou shyrka, starbeast and TDZ for the mentions

Sadly I don't have the time right now for my usual re-reads and list making so just a short short list this month...

Luiglin
Mosaix
Victoria

Vote: Aine - the firefly line is an image which I suspect will stay with me for days. Great entry.

 

[Aine]

Thank you so so much Cat's Cradle and The Judge for the shortlist mentions and Phyrebrat and Hazelrah for the votes - I'm delighted as this was my first time entering this and I'm so glad people enjoyed it!

My favourites (and it's so hard to pick - one of the reasons it took me so long to vote!):
- It's A Living - Victoria Silverwolf
- Farmville World 2025 - Stable
- Ihe - No Dull Boys

But I've voted for 'A Mother's Work' by Saulfan - I really felt for the MC, and I couldn't get the story out of my head ever since I read it.

 

[Ursa major]

We seem to have a tie. A tie breaker poll will be up in a minute or so (once I've posted my full list).

 

[Ursa major]

Choosing a winner was hard work, but at last the job is done: here are the results of the Ursa jury:


Honourable Mentions:

• Work Sets You Free by Culhwch
• Belittled by Dave Barsby
• Working for Queen Grimhilde by Parson
• Gifts of Choice by HazelRah

Runners Up:

• FULL-TIME BARBARIAN HERO REQUIRED by Wruter
• The Alien Will See You Now, Sir. by mosaix
• What A Piece of Work... by The Judge

Winner:

• Behold the Works of God by Cory Swanson

​

 

[Ursa major]

And the tie-breaker poll is up. It will be open until 23:59 on March the 30th 2017:

Tiebreaker Poll -- March 2017 Writing Challenge

​

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Well, these are two of the three I had tied in my mind when I voted the first time (the other being Phyrebrat's), so I have to go with the one I voted for the first time. DEO again, by a hair!

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Always a tie-breaker, never a bride.

 

[Cathbad]

I voted Mosaix. I was afraid not to!




~sigh~ Only one person liked my story this month - me.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Always a tie-breaker, never a bride.

But TJ has that nifty little yellow number for you to wear.

~sigh~ Only one person liked my story this month - me.

Better than the alternative?

 

[Cory Swanson]

Thanks for the vote, Ursa. I had completely given up hope.

 

[Culhwch]

These were my final two - both very worthy stories, but I voted for DEO first go around and have done the same in the tie-breaker.

 

[Parson]

Although I thought @mosaix had a bit dialogue which sounded like Captain Kirk at his finest/cheesiest, really well done. I had to vote for @David Evil Overlord .... This dialogue sounded like the "Incredibles" but that title "Little Wonder" was the clincher for me.

 

[Starbeast]

Thanks to everyone who shortlisted me (even though Starbeast's shortlisted was more like a longlist).

Heh heh. You should see the Long List (so much great talent here). You're welcome David Evil Overlord. And, great news, I voted for you in the Tie-Breaker.

good to see my mangling of the English language worked!

I wouldn't have it any other way bro.

I'm looking forward to the 300-word challenge. I'm hoping I can come up with a happier story this time. We need happy. Happy is good. Sorry, I'll leave now.

I'm like you, Calliopenjo, I always shoot for the happy tale, but sometimes, I gotta whip out the Dark side for an entry (rare, but I do it). Many times I'm surprised when so many people go for a Dark entry, and I'm one of the few who goes for a little funny tale.

Thank you Cathbad and Starbeast for the mentions.

You're tremendously welcome, O' Wielder of Wondrous Wordage.

shortlist, Should I Stay, or Should I go? -- Starbeast

Thank you for the Short Listing, Mr Orange. You made my night.

Thanks to Stable and Cc for the mentions!

My shortlist is: Starbeast's Should I Stay or Should I go?

Thank you, Ashleyne, for the Short Listing. You made my night.

Thankyou shyrka, starbeast and TDZ for the mentions

You're immensely welcome, HazelRah. Excellent story.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Eek! The tiebreaker poll is tied.