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

[nixie]

@nixie , would you be willing to shed some light on this whole "Lavender/Cumin" issue, or is this part of the pixie deep lore not available to outsiders?

I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you, suffice to say there are different types of plant Pixies. Oh and steer clear of pixie dust,

 

[Danny McG]

I got me a perfect little 300 worder, sadly it counts up as only 127 words. Gonna try to pad it out with pointless blurb now and probs ruin it

 

[Cathbad]

So leave it at 127!

 

[Danny McG]

Yeah, might well do
Couple more read through's for grammar and spelling and I'll post it

 

[TheDustyZebra]

300 words exactly, and I'm not happy with it. This always happens when I jot out a 400+ word scene and then cut it down to fit. I try to keep too much and lose the feel of what I'm after.

That's why I tend to write my 300 stories on paper -- I know what 300 looks like handwritten, so I can stop if it starts getting near that with no conclusion in sight, and start over. It's far too difficult for me to write something long and then cut it down, so I'd rather just aim for that total to start with.

I got me a perfect little 300 worder, sadly it counts up as only 127 words. Gonna try to pad it out with pointless blurb now and probs ruin it

300 is the maximum, not a requirement.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Stable -- A rich and detailed fantasy world is created in this action-packed tale of bravery and loyalty.

Cathbad -- This vivid account of a conflict of overwhelming importance depicts the inevitable cost of progress.

Ashleyne -- The author probes deep into the minds of the characters in this chilling psychological horror story.

Phyrebrat -- This heartfelt and poetic elegy portrays the universal experience of loss and mourning.

Luiglin -- With great insight the author creates a fable of unity and isolation to which we can all relate.

Tywin -- This tale of the conflict between freedom and responsibility carries a powerful impact.

Joshua Jones -- A unique combination of epic verse and prose can be found in this highly original story of tomorrow.

Starbeast -- With tongue firmly in cheek the author creates a new variation on classic themes of popular literature.

Heijan Xavier -- This intricately constructed poem allows us a glimpse of other realities.

 

[Cory Swanson]

I see that this has quickly become a poetry contest.

 

[Danny McG]

I see that this has quickly become a poetry contest.

That has been noticed, very enterprising members on here going for 300 words of verse - I struggle past a Limerick

btw, anyone know what they call those short poems that start with "higgledy piggledy" as the first words?

 

[TheDustyZebra]

btw, anyone know what they call those short poems that start with "higgledy piggledy" as the first words?

I didn't know this was a thing, but apparently this is what you're looking for (although they don't all start with higgledy piggledy):

Double dactyl - Wikipedia

The named example, from the article--

**
An example by John Hollander:

Higgledy piggledy,
Benjamin Harrison,
Twenty-third president
Was, and, as such,

Served between Clevelands and
Save for this trivial
Idiosyncrasy,
Didn't do much.
**

And an explanatory one--

**
A self-referential example by Roger L. Robison:

Long-short-short, long-short-short
Dactyls in dimeter,
Verse form with choriambs
(Masculine rhyme):

One sentence (two stanzas)
Hexasyllabically
Challenges poets who
Don't have the time.
**

 

[Luiglin]

I didn't know this was a thing, but apparently this is what you're looking for (although they don't all start with higgledy piggledy):

Double dactyl - Wikipedia

The named example, from the article--

**
An example by John Hollander:

Higgledy piggledy,
Benjamin Harrison,
Twenty-third president
Was, and, as such,

Served between Clevelands and
Save for this trivial
Idiosyncrasy,
Didn't do much.
**

And an explanatory one--

**
A self-referential example by Roger L. Robison:

Long-short-short, long-short-short
Dactyls in dimeter,
Verse form with choriambs
(Masculine rhyme):

One sentence (two stanzas)
Hexasyllabically
Challenges poets who
Don't have the time.
**

That's why I'm not a poet. It's too damn complicated

 

[Joshua Jones]

I see that this has quickly become a poetry contest.

And here I thought going for something poetic was going to make mine more unique...

 

[Joshua Jones]

Joshua Jones -- A unique combination of epic verse and prose can be found in this highly original story of tomorrow.

Thank you for the great review! Just hoping that "unique" and "highly original" doesn't translate into "there is a reason no one attempts this" .

 

[Danny McG]

Double Dactyl
Amazing, thanks for that, dunno why it sorta popped up in back of my memory when reading some of the verses entered.

 

[Danny McG]

Wruter : -
Your story about the Beatles has sparked an old memory that'll probs end up in book search
I read a sci fi story once where some bloke found a portal to an alternative universe where the Beatles never split up. Sadly in the nineties WW3 had destroyed most of the alternate Earth but he could still get through and always came to Liverpool dockyards. The story was about him finding a safe regular route from the docks to a record store.
He got various unheard singles and finally, one day, he found an album by them titled 'god' (in lower case font)
Sigh.... now something else to keep me awake..... name that story!

 

[Wruter]

Wruter : -
Your story about the Beatles has sparked an old memory that'll probs end up in book search
I read a sci fi story once where some bloke found a portal to an alternative universe where the Beatles never split up. Sadly in the nineties WW3 had destroyed most of the alternate Earth but he could still get through and always came to Liverpool dockyards. The story was about him finding a safe regular route from the docks to a record store.
He got various unheard singles and finally, one day, he found an album by them titled 'god' (in lower case font)
Sigh.... now something else to keep me awake..... name that story!

There have been loads of alternate history Beatles stories. Spider Robinson did one, Gregory Benford, "Snodgrass" by (I think) Ian R. MacLeod, but mine (such as it is) is the only one I know of which postulates a reality in which they never actually existed. The story you've described is "The Twelfth Album" by Stephen Baxter.

 

[Vaz]

Wowzers! What entries already.

Nice work folks. I feel a fraud in such company. Some of you are ridiculous (in a good way, promise!)

Best of luck all

v

 

[Cathbad]

@Vaz , I normally don't comment on stories unless they're all in, but I just had to say it.

Wow.

 

[Danny McG]

There have been loads of alternate history Beatles stories. Spider Robinson did one, Gregory Benford, "Snodgrass" by (I think) Ian R. MacLeod, but mine (such as it is) is the only one I know of which postulates a reality in which they never actually existed. The story you've described is "The Twelfth Album" by Stephen Baxter.

Great. Thanks for feedback. Long time ago I read it

 

[Cat's Cradle]

I have a completed story whose main characters are a pine, an oak and a poplar...and I've just now read Victoria's, and Vaz's wonderful entries, *sigh*.
Maybe I'll just hang on to my little story for awhile.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Wruter -- This moving tale of things lost and things found reminds us that nothing is without its cost.

Vaz -- The author creates a new and compelling myth.