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

[Starbeast]

@Cathbad Here's an open one, without 18650 battery inside it. (brass version)

 

[Shyrka]

Has a rather steampunk-y vibe to it, I approve. Now, if they could just make a pipe version...

 

[Cathbad]

Do all the vapors include nicotine?

 

[Phyrebrat]

My favourites and votes:

Shortlist
Tywin
Lumens
PeterV
AlexH
Mosiax

Favourites
TJ
Littlestar
Dan
Robert Mackay

In the end I had to go with Dan's evocative and dark tale, Littlestar's timeless and expansive vibe, and TJ's moral tale which was entirely too clever. But Robert Mackay's arborealist really snapped at their heels for such tone and would definitely have been there had we 4 votes.

pH

 

[johnnyjet]

Lots of excellent entries this time. It was difficult, but I narrowed it down to my Long List, Short List and **** Favorites ****:

1. Childhood's Devouring – Ashleyne
2. **** The Heredity of Memory – Phyrebrat ****
3. The Cycle - Victoria Silverwolf
4. This Bird Has Flown – Wruter
5. **** Time Under Heaven - Robert MacKay ****
6. Mid-Summer - Lex E. Darion (aka Alex Darion)
7. Of Rings – LittleStar
8. Not the Story in Quite the Way That You Remember It - Teresa Edgerton
9. Sometimes, It Takes a Woman's Touch – mosaix
10. … But Memory Remains – Shyrka
11. Aegrescit medendo - Travis Woodward
12. **** A Fable Aesop Didn't Write - The Judge ****

 

[Lumens]

Thanks for the mention @Phyrebrat

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

A reminder to everyone who hasn't voted yet, there's only about a day left to read and vote.

 

[HazelRah]

Shortlist

Mosaix
Robert Mackay
Lex E Darion
Littlestar
AlexH
Rafellin
David Evil Overlord

Votes

Phyrebrat
Vaz
TJ

 

[Shyrka]

Thanks for the long-listing, @johnnyjet. I was beginning to feel I'd tried to cram too much in this month and just ended up confusing everyone.

 

[Cathbad]

And I want to thank that certain someone who gave me a stealth vote! (Don't worry, I won't give you away!)

 

[Ashleyne]

Thanks, johnnyjet, for the long listing, and a humungous thanks, dannymcg, for the vote.

My shortlist:

Starbeast - Astonishing Detective Stories #78
Wruter - This Bird Has Flown
Ursa Major - Self Possession

I voted for:

Victoria Silverwolf - The Cycle
Vaz - Fruit from the Broken Tree
Cory Swanson - When the Bough Breaks

 

[Jo Zebedee]

And I want to thank that certain someone who gave me a stealth vote! (Don't worry, I won't give you away!)

Can never resist a great doomed last stand. I blame Butch and Sundance...

I also liked Titanium Ti's last line - and I like dog's - and seem to be with the concensus that Robert's was rather wonderful.

 

[Starbeast]

@mosaix - Thank you immensely for the stealth vote. I love surprises. Wheeeeeee!

My shortlist:

Starbeast - Astonishing Detective Stories #78
Wruter - This Bird Has Flown
Ursa Major - Self Possession

Thank you Ashleyne for the Short Listing. You made me smile.


Finalists & Votes

@Ashleyne
@Luiglin
@Tywin
@Joshua Jones
@Heijan Xavier
@Victoria Silverwolf
@Wruter -VOTE
@Vaz
@Dan Jones
@Perpetual Man
@TitaniumTi
@Rafellin
@Cat's Cradle
@Lumens
@LittleStar
@Peter V
@chrispenycate - VOTE
@HazelRah
@mosaix
@ratsy
@Mad Alice - VOTE

 

[Starbeast]

Has a rather steampunk-y vibe to it, I approve. Now, if they could just make a pipe version...

Howdy-hey-there, Shyrka. There are all kinds E-Pipes now-a-days, hundreds of different styles.

I bought this one a couple of years ago.​

Do all the vapors include nicotine?

No. It's your option for the E-Juice flavor you choose, if you'd like nicotine in it or not, and what strength of nicotine you prefer. The bottle label below gives you an example. You can choose from zero nicotine to how ever many milligrams you want. I always get zero mg.

Have a good day Cathbad.

​

 

[Lumens]

Thank you for the mention @Starbeast

It brightens my day to get these.

 

[Shyrka]

Damn, those are tempting, if only for the 'pointing at stuff with the end' potential.

 

[ratsy]

Huge thanks to anyone who mentioned my little story! Means a lot, and to Teresa and Joshua for the votes. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

I voted for

The Cycle - Victoria Silverwolf
This Bird has Flown - Wruter
Of Rings - Littlestar

There were a lot of good ones this month, and picking just three wasn't easy! Great work everyone

 

[The Judge]

As everyone has said, some very good stories this month, and one so haunting that I temporarily overlooked the fact that I couldn't see it met the genre and still shortlisted it. And that shortlist -- which isn't so very short -- is:

Cat's Cradle -- One Wish
Dan Jones -- Beanbag
Jo Zebedee -- Y Ddraig Goch
Lex E. Darion -- Mid-Summer
LittleStar -- Of Rings
mosaix -- Sometimes, It Takes A Woman's Touch
Perpetual Man -- The Tale of Klaus Tree Fowbya
Phyrebrat -- The Heredity of Memory
Robert Mackay -- Time Under Heaven
Teresa Edgerton -- Not the Story in Quite the Way That You Remember It
Vaz -- Fruit from the Broken Tree​

Notwithstanding the calibre of entries, though, my votes were fixed from the moment I read the respective entries of Vaz, Robert and Teresa whose stories I so wish I could have written.


I wasn't terribly satisfied with my entry this quarter, the result of having no inspiration and then having no time in which to polish the story as and when I did finally put fingers to keyboard, so I'm gobsmacked and delighted it's received so much attention. Accordingly, strong and beautiful Oak and Rowan thanks for the mentions/shortlistings Cathbad, Dan (willowy thanks for the incredible review!), Stable, Hugh, AlexH, Titanium, and CC and incredibly enormous Sequoia and Banyan thanks for the wonderful votes Lumens, Phyrebrat, johnnyjet, HazelRah, and for the stealth votes nixie, Perp, holland and Heijan!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Thank you for the vote, TJ! Also nixie, mosaix, DEO, Rafellin, Titanium Ti, Hugh, and Joshua Jones. And to everyone who mentioned my story.

 

[Shyrka]

Didn't really have time to write up a short list this month (maybe tomorrow) but I voted for @Vaz, @Robert Mackay and @Peter V.