Cathbad
Level 30 Geek Master
Wow.
Discussion thread -- June 2017 75-word Writing Challenge
- Thread starter TheDustyZebra
- Start date
Luiglin
Getting worse one day at a time
@Phyrebrat apologies if I came over bristly just to yourself. That was not my intention, unfortunately you just aired your views more fully.
I agree you have every right to make your selection as you deem fit. It's just that I sometimes feel that because I write attempted humorous pieces that they are not considered to be 'serious' writing - I've even had that said to my face once. I can live with that. I personally don't like hardcore sci-fi as it turns my brain to mush but I'll give it a go.
I just felt it was a bit unfair to discount them. Maybe I'm going over the top and creating a mountain out of a molehill of kitty litter or just need a break from the 75s. I don't know.
Apologies all.
I agree you have every right to make your selection as you deem fit. It's just that I sometimes feel that because I write attempted humorous pieces that they are not considered to be 'serious' writing - I've even had that said to my face once. I can live with that. I personally don't like hardcore sci-fi as it turns my brain to mush but I'll give it a go.
I just felt it was a bit unfair to discount them. Maybe I'm going over the top and creating a mountain out of a molehill of kitty litter or just need a break from the 75s. I don't know.
Apologies all.
Joshua Jones
When all is said and done, all's quiet and boring.
An overdue thank you to @chrispenycate for the shortlist (I felt there was another shortlist somewhere, but I cannot seem to find it now. If such a person is identified, I will make appropriate prostrations) and to @Ashleyne for the vote.
My shortlist was pretty extensive:
@Luiglin
@HoopyFrood
@Robert Mackay
@Peter V
@Shyrka
@Tywin
@Teresa Edgerton
@Starbeast
@Perpetual Man
@mosaix - Narrowly missed out on first voting, got my tiebreaker vote.
My votes went to:
@Culhwch
@LittleStar
@HazelRah
Great job everyone!
My shortlist was pretty extensive:
@Luiglin
@HoopyFrood
@Robert Mackay
@Peter V
@Shyrka
@Tywin
@Teresa Edgerton
@Starbeast
@Perpetual Man
@mosaix - Narrowly missed out on first voting, got my tiebreaker vote.
My votes went to:
@Culhwch
@LittleStar
@HazelRah
Great job everyone!
If we put store by our critics we would be scared to write anyhing; I say, keep writing what you want can't believe someone had the nerve to tell you not to write comedy. I have enjoyed your stories in crits and the 75.
In fact, I would say I know that you and Starbeast are always guaranteed to raise a smile.
pH
In fact, I would say I know that you and Starbeast are always guaranteed to raise a smile.
pH
Cathbad
Level 30 Geek Master
I wish I could write humor.
I've tried. I can't.
I've tried. I can't.
Mr Orange
Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb...
I'm standing in the vicinity of @Phyrebrat's corner regarding the cats thing. I neither like nor dislike them but dislike cat memes intensely (mind you I dislike memes intensely in general). I found the cat stories this month did start to grate a little. I think mostly because the cats seemed to have been thrown in at the expense of the theme.
I do like humour in the 75, and like @Luiglin i don't think good, funny stories get enough credit. The cats just didn't do it for me.
Mind you, the theme didn't really do it for me this month, so I was flat to begin with.
Oh and I voted for @mosaix in the tiebreaker
And just so I don't look grumpy:
Edit: crikey I have just noticed I got a vote this month! Thank you very much @Ashleyne! Much appreciated and unexpected. That calls for some more

I do like humour in the 75, and like @Luiglin i don't think good, funny stories get enough credit. The cats just didn't do it for me.
Mind you, the theme didn't really do it for me this month, so I was flat to begin with.
Oh and I voted for @mosaix in the tiebreaker
And just so I don't look grumpy:
Edit: crikey I have just noticed I got a vote this month! Thank you very much @Ashleyne! Much appreciated and unexpected. That calls for some more

mosaix was on my short list, so he got my vote in the tiebreaker.
I'm not a fan of cats myself, like Phyrebrat I get tired of all the cat stuff in social media, and so I'm not likely to be charmed by something just because it has cats in it, but people vote for stories for all sorts of reasons, and it's the impossibility of guessing what kind of story voters are going to go for in any given month that makes the voting so suspenseful.
As for humor, the first few years of the challenges, it seemed like humorous stories actually had an advantage in the 75. Since I spent a while away from the challenges, I don't know if that has changed. But over the years all sorts of stories have done well in the voting: funny, horrifying, moving, joyful. Most people enter prose, but we have had some winning stories in verse. It's just impossible from month to month to tell what will strike a chord with the most voters.
However, something I meant to post about before the voting but didn't get around to it and then there never seemed to be a good time to say it:
There is a reason when we started the writing challenges that we called them challenges and not competitions. Voting for our favorite stories and choosing a winner is a big part of the pleasure (it also encourages people to read all the stories), but anyone who meets the month's challenge and writes a story to the required length and in the chosen theme and genre has achieved a success and should feel proud of themselves, regardless of whether they get votes or appear on other people's lists or not. We are challenging ourselves by writing something we feel worthy of entering. And it doesn't matter if we are established writers, aspiring writers, or non-writers. Some of the most popular stories, stories that voters have admired and enjoyed, have been by novices or non-writers. And while some of us use the challenges to hone our skills, some have discovered an aptitude for writing they never even knew they had. So as well as the challenge and the camaraderie there is also the excitement of finding out what we and our friends here are capable of.
And for all those reasons, I think that while we are waiting to see who will be this month's winner, we should each congratulate ourselves and each other for a job well done!
_____
(Thank you to pyan for the stealth vote.)
I'm not a fan of cats myself, like Phyrebrat I get tired of all the cat stuff in social media, and so I'm not likely to be charmed by something just because it has cats in it, but people vote for stories for all sorts of reasons, and it's the impossibility of guessing what kind of story voters are going to go for in any given month that makes the voting so suspenseful.
As for humor, the first few years of the challenges, it seemed like humorous stories actually had an advantage in the 75. Since I spent a while away from the challenges, I don't know if that has changed. But over the years all sorts of stories have done well in the voting: funny, horrifying, moving, joyful. Most people enter prose, but we have had some winning stories in verse. It's just impossible from month to month to tell what will strike a chord with the most voters.
However, something I meant to post about before the voting but didn't get around to it and then there never seemed to be a good time to say it:
There is a reason when we started the writing challenges that we called them challenges and not competitions. Voting for our favorite stories and choosing a winner is a big part of the pleasure (it also encourages people to read all the stories), but anyone who meets the month's challenge and writes a story to the required length and in the chosen theme and genre has achieved a success and should feel proud of themselves, regardless of whether they get votes or appear on other people's lists or not. We are challenging ourselves by writing something we feel worthy of entering. And it doesn't matter if we are established writers, aspiring writers, or non-writers. Some of the most popular stories, stories that voters have admired and enjoyed, have been by novices or non-writers. And while some of us use the challenges to hone our skills, some have discovered an aptitude for writing they never even knew they had. So as well as the challenge and the camaraderie there is also the excitement of finding out what we and our friends here are capable of.
And for all those reasons, I think that while we are waiting to see who will be this month's winner, we should each congratulate ourselves and each other for a job well done!
_____
(Thank you to pyan for the stealth vote.)
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2006
- Messages
- 6,381
As always these days I'm fast too busy to truly appreciate the Chrons as I once did, but still managing to keep up with the challenges, if only by the skin of my teeth!
After the mishap of last month I think I counted the words a couple of hundred times before posting, but before that I have to admit that I found this month challenging. I had a vague idea for a story but could not make it work, until the threat of time evaporating forced me to do it.
I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome which included more votes in a single outing than I have seen in a long time - probably helped by the multiple voting.
So thanks to mosaix, Cul, TJ, Luiglin, Mr Orange and Antimon for their votes, and more thanks to everyone who was kind enough to mention my story.
I found all the stories to be worthy of consideration, but in the end voted for mosaix, TDZ and SB.
As for the tiebreak - congratulations to both finalists, but I went with mosaix in the first instance and stuck with the dear old fellow now.
After the mishap of last month I think I counted the words a couple of hundred times before posting, but before that I have to admit that I found this month challenging. I had a vague idea for a story but could not make it work, until the threat of time evaporating forced me to do it.
I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome which included more votes in a single outing than I have seen in a long time - probably helped by the multiple voting.
So thanks to mosaix, Cul, TJ, Luiglin, Mr Orange and Antimon for their votes, and more thanks to everyone who was kind enough to mention my story.
I found all the stories to be worthy of consideration, but in the end voted for mosaix, TDZ and SB.
As for the tiebreak - congratulations to both finalists, but I went with mosaix in the first instance and stuck with the dear old fellow now.
I really enjoyed your story Perp and, just to add to the ongoing discussion, it was the vein of humour that made it one of my three.
I enjoy a good chuckle every now and then.
I enjoy a good chuckle every now and then.
For those puzzled by the cats, a word of explanation.
I don't even recall exactly how it started, back in the day, but I believe that several people had written stories involving kittens in a short period of time, being less than kind to them as well, I might add, which irked TJ to no end. So when I won, around that time, I picked "Kittens" and "Tall Tales" as the theme and genre, and all hell broke loose that month.
When I won last month, I made a comment in that discussion thread, "I must now rub my hands together, laugh evilly, and wander off muttering about kittens and Kipling." (Stories in the style of Kipling was, of course, the infamous choice of chrispy one time, and the reason that we look askance at new people who come in and unknowingly dare to vote for him.)
And then, near the start of this discussion thread (post #9, to be exact) I commented, tongue-in-cheek, "Kittens optional", not realizing for some reason that people might take it seriously or as a given part of the theme.
To be fair, I do sort of think cats are the physical embodiment of Murphy's Law. I mean, why else would they need nine lives and the ability to land on their feet? Apparently I'm not alone. Sorry.
I don't even recall exactly how it started, back in the day, but I believe that several people had written stories involving kittens in a short period of time, being less than kind to them as well, I might add, which irked TJ to no end. So when I won, around that time, I picked "Kittens" and "Tall Tales" as the theme and genre, and all hell broke loose that month.
When I won last month, I made a comment in that discussion thread, "I must now rub my hands together, laugh evilly, and wander off muttering about kittens and Kipling." (Stories in the style of Kipling was, of course, the infamous choice of chrispy one time, and the reason that we look askance at new people who come in and unknowingly dare to vote for him.)
And then, near the start of this discussion thread (post #9, to be exact) I commented, tongue-in-cheek, "Kittens optional", not realizing for some reason that people might take it seriously or as a given part of the theme.
To be fair, I do sort of think cats are the physical embodiment of Murphy's Law. I mean, why else would they need nine lives and the ability to land on their feet? Apparently I'm not alone. Sorry.
I think—and here I am referring to life in general—that people get Murphy's Law wrong. "If something can go wrong, it will go wrong" doesn't make someone else (let alone poor Murphy) automatically responsible for all our disasters. We're often at fault for not considering all contingencies and doing everything we can to make sure of a favorable outcome.
Anyway, that was the idea behind my story. People used to treat servants like they were invisible, or like they weren't there at all. And that was the otherwise wily Count Orson's miscalculation. He forgot there would be servants in the room.
Anyway, that was the idea behind my story. People used to treat servants like they were invisible, or like they weren't there at all. And that was the otherwise wily Count Orson's miscalculation. He forgot there would be servants in the room.
Starbeast
Benevolent Galaxy Being
You made my day shine bight in the severe thunder storm I was in. Thank you Parson for the vote.
I couldn't squeeze a cat in the coffin of my story. Thank you very much for the listing, Johnnyjet, it made my day. I your tale too.
Err... ok, I just created a three-way tie out of a single leader. Sorry, HazelRah!
I also created a very long shortlist. StarBeast -- Larry, From Room 13
Thank you for the mention, TheDustyZebra. You brightened my day.
Thank you for the Honorable mention, HazelRah. You made my day.
Thank you Joshua Jones, for the mention. You made my day.
If we put store by our critics we would be scared to write anyhing; I say, keep writing what you want can't believe someone had the nerve to tell you not to write comedy. I have enjoyed your stories in crits and the 75.
In fact, I would say I know that you and Starbeast are always guaranteed to raise a smile.
Why thank you for that wonderful comment, Phyrebrat. I'm touched.
And grinning bashfully.Thank you gigantically Perpetual Man, for the vote. PLUS, I also wanted say, that I am personally glad that you can join us here, my friend. Because, it wouldn't be the same without you.
I'd also like to thank the others who voted for me. Because I was freak'n surprised, at getting seven votes.
@David Evil Overlord - @Mr Orange - @Ashleyne - @Antimon
Danny McG
"Anything can happen in the next half hour!"
The tie-break voting was close for a while but now looks like a forge ahead.
Gripping stuff!
Gripping stuff!
I do so hope mine was fantasy - a dream I will wake up from, and not science fiction or worse (for me, not necessarily my younger relatives) current affairs. I had enlisted my demoniac kittens (now less energetic, but more calculating plush, plump cats - it has been a while since July 2010) in a curse in verse (curses, like spells, traditionally use rhyme and rhythm to intensify their effects) when I made the error of watching the TV news. Murphy had intervened, both in my writing/versification and Westminster), and fluffy charm and all rationality in government eloped together, leaving me a sadder but not noticeably wiser trembling wreck.
From my university years I remember Murphy being credited with three laws (yes, I am aware that this being in the sixties I shouldn't remember anything of it, but my memory has always been special - not specially good, nor bad, just strange)
Murphy's first law: if anything can go wrong, it will
Murphy's second law: if nothing can go wrong, it still will
Murphy's third law: if, at any point in time, two or more mutually exclusive things can go wrong, they all will.
There is rumoured to be a fourth law, but as this consists of swearwords at the top of your voice it is not included in engineering textbooks.
For it is the engineering colleges which maintain this formalisation of the law of cussedness, sometimes referred to as the 'butter side down' rule. Mathematicians need no proof of the deviousness of the universe.
Many thanks Mad Alice and Jo – no, I'm not an eejit, I am aware I can't do the accent, but poetry excuses a thousand sins, no? – for the votes, which I was genuinely not anticipating for this oft repetitive piece.
The sword of democratic Damocles hangs by a swift unravelling thread, and Murphy lounges in the fly gallery.
From my university years I remember Murphy being credited with three laws (yes, I am aware that this being in the sixties I shouldn't remember anything of it, but my memory has always been special - not specially good, nor bad, just strange)
Murphy's first law: if anything can go wrong, it will
Murphy's second law: if nothing can go wrong, it still will
Murphy's third law: if, at any point in time, two or more mutually exclusive things can go wrong, they all will.
There is rumoured to be a fourth law, but as this consists of swearwords at the top of your voice it is not included in engineering textbooks.
For it is the engineering colleges which maintain this formalisation of the law of cussedness, sometimes referred to as the 'butter side down' rule. Mathematicians need no proof of the deviousness of the universe.
Many thanks Mad Alice and Jo – no, I'm not an eejit, I am aware I can't do the accent, but poetry excuses a thousand sins, no? – for the votes, which I was genuinely not anticipating for this oft repetitive piece.
The sword of democratic Damocles hangs by a swift unravelling thread, and Murphy lounges in the fly gallery.
Just to remind everyone....
The tie-breaker poll closes at 23:59 (well, 23:59:59) GMT tonight... so there are just over 13.5 hours left before the poll closes as I type.
The tie-breaker poll closes at 23:59 (well, 23:59:59) GMT tonight... so there are just over 13.5 hours left before the poll closes as I type.
The tie-breaker poll has now closed and we have a winner:
Congratulations, mosaix!
Starbeast
Benevolent Galaxy Being
Congratulations MOSAIX
and a big FANTASTIC JOB to Robert Mackay.
Calliopenjo
Well-Known Member
Congratulations, Mosaix!
Thank you, everyone, for reading my story.
Thank you, everyone, for reading my story.
Cathbad
Level 30 Geek Master
Congratulations, Mosaix.
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