Discussion Thread -- July 2017 75-word Writing Challenge

[Ihe]

>Longlist: Ashleyne, Luiglin, TitaniumTi, Peter V, JLT, HazelRah, Teresa Edgerton, Moonbat,

>Shortlist: Tywin, The Judge, Dan Jones

>Vote: Joshua Jones

Good stories all around, but many quite serious and sad for such a happy theme. We are a dark bunch, I tell ya.

 

[Calliopenjo]

Thank you, Phyrebrat for putting me on your list. A kiss and a hug from me to you.

 

[Parson]

Good stories all around, but many quite serious and sad for such a happy theme. We are a dark bunch, I tell ya.

I've said this for years and years. Does this mean most SFF authors are borderline depressive?

 

[TitaniumTi]

Thanks for the mention, Ihe.

 

[Danny McG]

Mathematics, please (or, lacking that, at least arithmetic)..

(Betrays ignorance)... I'm somewhat shamed to say I don't even know the difference

A fat sum is a fat sum isn't it?

P.S. When I skimmed down the poll column I somehow read the 7 votes for Joshua Jones as 1 vote, more an eyesight issue than a counting issue

 

[Cathbad]

I've said this for years and years. Does this mean most SFF authors are borderline depressive?

Yes.

No, we're not!

Shut up, you!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I somehow read the 7 votes for Joshua Jones as 1 vote

Joshua is likely to find that rather alarming.

 

[Luiglin]

Good stories all around, but many quite serious and sad for such a happy theme. We are a dark bunch, I tell ya.

Well I went dark this time to avoid being labelled a one trick pony. Yet, even then my original take was humourous.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Victoria -- Playmates
dannymcg -- First Toys
Cathbad -- A Doll Just for Me
Dave Barsby -- 1up
chrispy -- Gratitude for New Toy (took me a while, but...)
*Joshua Jones -- Insurrection*
holland -- Buried Alive
johnnyjet -- All Toys All the Time
TJ -- The Rag Doll's Story
Hoopy -- Jack in His Box (sorry, it was really, really close)
CC -- Gewgaw
Peter V -- Out of the Frying Pan...
Hazelrah -- Never a Toy
Teresa -- Not the Prettiest Doll in the Shop
Moonbat -- Got Myself a Crying...

 

[Mr Orange]

a lot of good stories this month, so i have employed a strict culling method regarding the inclusion/interpretation of the theme, which helped me get down to the following shortlist:

The Rag Doll’s Story -- The Judge
Dead Eyes Full Of Life -- Stuart Suffel
Fall Before Pride -- Phyrebrat
Gewgaw -- Cat's Cradle
NOT THE PRETTIEST DOLL IN THE SHOP -- Teresa Edgerton

and my vote goes to @The Judge for a moving story that took me back to my trip to Poland and the soul destroying impossibility of Auschwitz and Birkenau

now, so i don't "do a Vaz", i'm off to vote right now!

 

[Shyrka]

I'm reading through the stories steadily, trying to work up a shortlist. As I mentioned elsewhere, I've been a bit remote from the challenges lately so didn't read them as they came in.

 

[Dan Jones]

Some good stories this month. Here comes the short list:

Vaz
Tywin
Joshua Jones
The Judge
Littlestar
mosaix
Travis Woodward
Teresa
Robert Mackay

I have to echo the other voters who've gone before me, inasmuch as there were two standout stories this month, which were The Judge's and Joshua J. After a little thinking time, I decided to opt for Joshua. His fabulous surname is merely happy coincidence.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I dunno, sounds like some shady nepotism to me.

 

[farntfar]

Terrific stories all round this month

Shortlist
I Love My Dolly by Ashleyne
Playmates by Victoria
Collectors by Luiglin
Gewgaw by Cat's
Not the pretiest toy in the shop by Theresa

Runners up
The ragdoll's story by The Judge
Jack In His Box by Hoopy

But my vote went to
Gratitude for new toy by Chrispy

 

[Vaz]

Thanks Dan for the short listing.

Mr Orange, I so hope that becomes a regular saying haha

 

[Ihe]

Yes.
No, we're not!
Shut up, you!

@Parson, we'll also have to add anger management problems and dissociative dissorders to the list. Neuroses for all!

 

[Perpetual Man]

Good lord, just what has happened this month? The quality was absolutely superb, there were any number of stories that I could have voted for, but cutting them down to a short list was hard enough and that was before even coming up with a vote!

As I say there were plenty that made the short list and it would take me far too long to type them all - if you took part you're on the list.

In the end Joshua Jones just got a toe-nail in front of Teresa for the vote...

And thanks to Hoops for the vote, a surprise and a great one at that!

 

[Danny McG]

It seems as though a lot of us have had a little toy tale buzzing away in the back of our minds. Finally we had an ideal opportunity to open the window and let them fly.
Awesome yarns, what high standards

 

[Shyrka]

Like many, I ended up with an enormous shortlist:

Collectors, @Luiglin
Fix You, @Vaz
1UP, @Dave Barsby
It Came Back in a Box, @Tywin
The Rag Doll's Story, @The Judge
Jack in His Box, @HoopyFrood
Geegaw, @Cat's Cradle
Plights of the Highly Strung Performer, @Ihe
The Trip of a Lifetime, @Ursa major
Tin Man, @Dan Jones

I narrowed it down to the final three:

I Love My Dolly, @Ashleyne
Transience, @LittleStar
Insurrection, @Joshua Jones -

In the end though, @Joshua Jones just pipped it.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I won't be here this afternoon, so I'll take the opportunity now to thank Culhwch, nixie, mosaix, Suzanne, Tywin, Vaz, and Stable for the votes (including the stealth votes). And everyone who mentioned my story. I think this is by far the most mentions I have ever had in a month, which is thrilling.

My vote went to Titanium Ti for a truly moving story.