Discussion thread -- June 2017 75-word Writing Challenge

[johnnyjet]

Three votes! Thanks to Cathbad, LittleStar & ratsy for the votes! Awesome surprise.

Also thanks to Starbeast, Hugh & Dusty for the listings, and to Victoria & Parson for the nice commentary.

Congratulations to Robert & mosiax. Good luck! May the best of the best win!

 

[Phyrebrat]

Hi,

Congratulations to our two tiebreakers. I'm Team Robert as I voted for him first time round. On top of that an extra special thanks to Parson for my one vote. And to TDZ for my shortlisting.

I was happy to get Parson's vote as I had not intended to enter the challenge this month; my initial story was called Polterheist; a dark magician summons a spirit to theive from the bank but doesn't know the security guard is an ex-Anglican Minister. An exorcism ensues and the dark mage is foiled. But I couldn't get it tight enough or 'wow' enough for my own tastes so I dropped it.

Also about the cat stuff:

As one of the forum's grumps, the cat stuff irritated me, not because I'm not a fan of cats (I don't hate them, I nothing them) but because I get all bent out of shape when things in the challenges and workshop area are turned into something a bit flippant*. I've not been engaged in the last two Secret Santas for the same reason - it seems sometimes, Chrons can get a bit silly for my tastes, with people vying for the zany trophy. I think - or rather admit - that's because I take this site a little too seriously sometimes; it's where I have learnt all my writing skills and I use the challenges and workshops to help in that way. When those strands of leanring start to become dumbed down with 'kitty' stuff it disappoints me.

I know I sound like a right old piece of work but I just wanted to give some background to anyone wondering why I automatically discounted any cat stories.

So, I am sorry for being the miseryguts but that's that

pH
* I know it was not compulsory, but the theme was Murphy's Law not cats and Murphy's Law.

 

[ratsy]

Yeah, I didn't quite understand the cats...or why there were so many of them, but I didn't read the discussion threads I guess.

I voted for Robert in the Tie breaker since I voted for him in the regular round. Congrats to you both! Well done

 

[Cathbad]

I never realized there was so much anti-cat sentiment on the Chrons...

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Great respect for your writing ability, pH...and of course the theme was Murphy's Law...but the spirit and fun of this month's challenge seemed to me to be - in good part - a communal running joke involving cat references. Perhaps a few of us forswore the competition for the camaraderie.

I don't know...if we do not want to be writers, or if we do not really think we will receive votes, are we gumming up the works by entering? I hope not.

 

[Ursa major]

It's pretty clear that one of the newer... er... clauses of Murphy's Law was in play here:

• On the Internet, if content can refer to a cat, it will.

Frankly, it's rather an affront to Murphy's Law that so many of this month's entries contained no mention of cats at all....

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Hah! Good one.

 

[Vaz]

Congratulation on reaching the Tiebreaker round of doom, Robert and Mosaix. Mo got the nod from me. Good luck both!

Teresa, you're very welcome

Big thanks to Cull for the stealth vote. Five votes is definitely a PB for me in the challenges, so thanks to all who voted! I didn't think people would pick up on my alternative ending to the fantastic sci fi movie Interstellar
v

 

[Zoe Mackay]

On the Internet, if content can refer to a cat, it will.

I think that's Purrphy's Law.

I'll get my coat.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I just shared my voting rules just because voting and writing are equally subjective.

My irritation is that I had to read cat stories before I had to cast my votes. I wouldn't read a book if someone recommended it to me if it had a cat element to it because I've been turned off from cats by the constant Facebook drivel regarding cute pics, anthropomorphism, and 'cute spelling'. It's just not funny to me.

As far as camaraderie is concerned; I've felt no lack of this since I joined Chrons.

pH

 

[Cathbad]

I've always loved cats. When I noticed some mysteries featuring cats, I was dubious. But I enjoy Rita Mae Brown's series, and even more so Lillian Jackson Braun's.

Eh. To each his own.

 

[Luiglin]

Hi,

Congratulations to our two tiebreakers. I'm Team Robert as I voted for him first time round. On top of that an extra special thanks to Parson for my one vote. And to TDZ for my shortlisting.

I was happy to get Parson's vote as I had not intended to enter the challenge this month; my initial story was called Polterheist; a dark magician summons a spirit to theive from the bank but doesn't know the security guard is an ex-Anglican Minister. An exorcism ensues and the dark mage is foiled. But I couldn't get it tight enough or 'wow' enough for my own tastes so I dropped it.

Also about the cat stuff:

As one of the forum's grumps, the cat stuff irritated me, not because I'm not a fan of cats (I don't hate them, I nothing them) but because I get all bent out of shape when things in the challenges and workshop area are turned into something a bit flippant*. I've not been engaged in the last two Secret Santas for the same reason - it seems sometimes, Chrons can get a bit silly for my tastes, with people vying for the zany trophy. I think - or rather admit - that's because I take this site a little too seriously sometimes; it's where I have learnt all my writing skills and I use the challenges and workshops to help in that way. When those strands of leanring start to become dumbed down with 'kitty' stuff it disappoints me.

I know I sound like a right old piece of work but I just wanted to give some background to anyone wondering why I automatically discounted any cat stories.

So, I am sorry for being the miseryguts but that's that

pH
* I know it was not compulsory, but the theme was Murphy's Law not cats and Murphy's Law.

A theme of Murphy's Law immediately smacks to me of silly rather than serious.

As one of the cat offenders I find being discounted just because I wanted to include another thread in my tale to be a trifle annoying. I'd rather it be classed as a crap story or crap writing rather than that.

However, if you wish to make that sort of judgement then that is your right to do so.

Edit: damn phone.

I would like to say though that my entry with the cat is purely coincidental. It's a semi extract from a WiP that includes that scene but with less involvement from Murphy.

 

[Heijan Xavier]

I have 5 cats, a dog, a bunny, 2 human children, a wife, and 100+ Star Wars Lego mini figures. My daughter has a cat woman lego mini figure!

Oh, wait it's bat woman. Darn. I thought I was going to tie it all together nicely. Oh well, anything that can go wrong...

The point is, I have many cats. I thought I'd take a break from them in this story.

 

[Luiglin]

I would like to say though that my entry with the cat is purely coincidental. It's a semi extract from a WiP that includes that scene but with less involvement from Murphy.

Grrr lol. I meant that I deliberately chose to include the cat but that I took it from a longer scene in my WiP. Which is probably why it didn't get any votes as I had to mangle it somewhat.

 

[Ursa major]

This wasn't really a good month to mangle your WiP's cat....

​

 

[Cathbad]

Poor mangled cat...

 

[Tywin]

I ignored the cats, the "cat people", and the cat fascination.

Just like in real life.

 

[Danny McG]

I was so tempted to do a story on this
Murphy's Law (UK TV series) - Wikipedia

 

[Parson]

Mosaix in the tie break. Close one.

 

[Phyrebrat]

A theme of Murphy's Law immediately smacks to me of silly rather than serious.

As one of the cat offenders I find being discounted just because I wanted to include another thread in my tale to be a trifle annoying. I'd rather it be classed as a crap story or crap writing rather than that.

However, if you wish to make that sort of judgement then that is your right to do

I agree it might seem a trifle annoying. I find the preponderance of cat jokes annoying.

Murphy and his law might smack of humour to you - after all most your entries are in the comedic genre - but my issue isn't with humour it's with the cat stuff.

I don't want this to be unpleasant for anyone and apologise if I've put anyone's nose out of joint, but I don't like what I don't like! (And bearing in mind the oft-flippant SS stimuli that are thrown up, this whole cat thing was a step too far for me. And that is the key point: for me.)

I've said UT that Chrons is a tool as well as a tribe for me. I'm worried that I'll have nowhere to go that offers so much learning and support if the challenges become flooded with flippant stories.

Maybe it might help you to come to terms with my fascism if you understand I spend nearly the full month writing, editing, rewriting and re-editing my story.

Don't be annoyed; I've voted for you in the past!

pH