DISCUSSION -- JULY 2017 300-word Writing Challenge (#26)

[Danny McG]

Thanks!
A vote!

 

[Stable]

Wow, that was awesome!

In the end I voted for
@mosaix (gorgeous and imaginative)
@Robert Mackay (the last line makes it)
and
@Perpetual Man (despite the pun rather than because of it, I haven't been able to get this story out of my head!)

Other mentions for awesomeness go to @AlexH @chrispenycate @David Evil Overlord @The Judge @ratsy @Cat's Cradle @Ursa major @Starbeast and @Wruter

 

[Hugh]

I voted for:
@Teresa Edgerton
@Robert Mackay
@Wruter

Others that particularly caught my eye:
@Alex Darion @mosaix @Tywin @The Judge

 

[Mad Alice]

I am so dithery I find it hard casting all three votes at once.
I'd me much happier doing one vote. Reading 'em all again and doing vote 2. Then I could really agonise over my final vote and hover over buttons.
It's too hard! I'll probs end up voting for one only and then regret it until voting closes.
I need ten votes!!!

This is why I usually either end up not voting until the last days, or just jump right in as soon as possible before the sheer enormity of wonderful choices leaves me dithering as much as I were at a chip stand with an eight page menu.

 

[Ursa major]

Many thanks for the stealth vote, Calliopenjo!

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Ditto, from me!

And thank you, Cathbad and Stable, for the listings!

 

[Starbeast]

@David Evil Overlord - Thank you for the Stealth Vote. You made my day shine bight.
I'm still trying to narrow down the story choices to 3 votes.

So many great stories!

MY FAVORITES
(condensed)

Astonishing Detective Stories #78, @Starbeast

Thank you for the mention, Cathbad. I'm honored to be among the many you have listed.

Wow, that was awesome!

Other mentions for awesomeness go to @AlexH @chrispenycate @David Evil Overlord @The Judge @ratsy @Cat's Cradle @Ursa major @Starbeast and @Wruter

Thanks for the mention, Stable. It's a great honor to be recognized with so many fantastic authors you've listed.

 

[Lumens]

Thanks @Cathbad for the mention!

I found it easy to decide this time:

@Victoria Silverwolf
@Vaz
@The Judge

They stood out for me. In a forest of tall trees.

 

[Cathbad]

July, I think, will go down (in my mind, at least) as the Best Challenge Month since I signed up! And I'm talking about both the 300 and 75.

 

[AlexH]

Close, but not quite a cigar: The Judge, Wruter, Teresa Edgerton, Jo Zebedee, Joshua Jones, Starbeast, HazelRah

Cigar-winners: mosaix, Victoria Silverwolf, Cat's Cradle

The cigars are fake, but the votes are real. I don't know what I mean either...

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Wow thanks so much, AlexH, for the vote! To have been a cigar recipient from amongst that group...yowza!

 

[Peter V]

There was a great deal of quality for this month and it is probably unfair to only comment on the three that get my vote. My apologies for omitting some extremely good entries but my favourite three are:

Vaz Fruit from the Broken Tree. A beautifully written, almost whimsical tale which gives away no clues before a powerful ending.

Dan Jones Beanbag. I really like the tie in to the title within this well written and very unusual tale. Strong subject matter with a fantasy twist on reality.

Phyrebrat The Heredity of Memory. A deeply moving and poignant reflection on the ravages of dementia. This tale highlights the even greater level of anguish born by those who watch that painful descent and captures their helplessness perfectly. As one who has lost his mum to the unrelenting monster that is Alzheimer's this resonated with me and was so real that I question Phyrebrat... is there real life experience in this tale for you? (Please do not answer if I am invading your privacy).

 

[Phyrebrat]

@Peter V no it's not prying; rather I'm someone who'd rather talk plainly on the issue of Mental Health to help destigmatise it. I have personal experience (and seeing as it's on both sides of my family) expect to develop Alzheimer's at some point. I have seen it erase four loved ones.

Thanks so much for the vote and kind words.

pH

 

[Peter V]

Phyrebrat I had the impression it was written from the heart. This is why it was so evocative of my own experience.

I sincerely hope you buck the genetic trend.

Peter

 

[LittleStar]

Quite a tough month this time around, there were some really great stories, and as always it's a pleasure to read them.

My shortlist is as follows
Cathbad
Victoria
Wruter
Lex E Darion (luckily I re-read over my list or I would have used your old name )
Cory
Teresa
And Ratsy, who very nearly outed one of my final three.

The vote-getters this month were three stunningly written stories, with everything I look for in these challenges. I'm not sure I would have been able to separate them had I only 1 vote.

Phyre
Vaz
Robert

Excellent work all

 

[Lex E. Darion]

My shortlist is as follows
...
Lex E Darion (luckily I re-read over my list or I would have used your old name )
...

Many thanks for the mention No problems if you had used my old name - I answer to most things

 

[TitaniumTi]

Thank you for the vote, @mosaix. It made my day.

I wished I had four votes this month, or five or...

So close
@Cathbad @Phyrebrat @Wruter @Lex E. Darion @Cory Swanson @LittleStar @David Evil Overlord @mosaix @Travis Woodward @The Judge

Votes
@Victoria Silverwolf @Rafellin @Teresa Edgerton

 

[Cat's Cradle]

It was very hard making the lists this month. There were an awful lot of really good stories. But finally, I'm ready:

Honorable mentions:
Stable, Victoria, JoZ.

Very close to votes:
Vaz, LittleStar, Teresa, The Judge

Votes:
Wruter, Robert M., mosaix

I also wish we'd have had a storm of votes this month. (Just saw George RR at Worldcon. ) Looks like a tight race, good luck all, CC

 

[Starbeast]

Close, but not quite a cigar: The Judge, Wruter, Teresa Edgerton, Jo Zebedee, Joshua Jones, Starbeast, HazelRah

Cigar-winners: mosaix, Victoria Silverwolf, Cat's Cradle

The cigars are fake, but the votes are real. I don't know what I mean either...

Firstly, nice to meet you, AlexH. And second, thank you for the "Close, but not quite a Cigar" Listing. You made my night shine bright.

No worries about the cigar, I quite smoking those in 2013. But I needed something to replace those stogies, so I switched to vaping and enjoy it without the dangerous nicotine, addictive chemicals and whatever else big tobacco companies put in them leaves.

The photo (below - shows front & back) is the Rig Roughneck Limited Edition Version 3, copper mechanical mod, with matching RDA (rebuildable drip atomizer). I'm thinking of buying this one.

​

 

[Cathbad]

(below - shows front & back)

It's a tube...