Discussion Thread -- August 2017 75-word Writing Challenge

[Mad Alice]

Congratulations on your win, Littlestar.
Thank you for the reviews of my story, Parson and Victoria Silverwolf. Lovely words as always.
Thank you DEO for the stealth vote. Greatly appreciated. Glad my little detective story passed muster.

I voted for THE CONTRAPTION -- Bob Senior

My runners up were;
JUST ANOTHER BOUNTY -- Cathbad
The Black Market -- Cat's Cradle
It's too bad she won't live, but then again who does? -- Starbeast
The loneliness of singularity -- Travis Woodward
The Maker -- HazelRah
Make me numb or else I die. -- WordWarrior
Forever -- Perpetual Man
The last night -- Peter V
A Carnivore's Scramble -- D.A.Xiaolin Spires
Sacrifice -- ratsy
The Rise of the Great Steam Empire -- Parson
New Beginnings -- nixie

Second place was; Victoria Silverwood with "Experience".

 

[Perpetual Man]

A big and heart congratulations to LittleStar for the well deserved win.

I think when the stories are all so good it can be seen that the number of votes given to an individual story is less because personal opinion sees the votes scattered around. It is also a greater achievement to win.

It is the most votes I have seen in a long time and a few mentions, so many thanks to those who mentioned my little Teddyfriend® and implausibly sycophantic thanks to

LittleStar
Ashleyne
Cathbad
The Big Peat

for the votes.

 

[Bob Senior]

Howdy,
Congratulations to Littlestar for the win, great story.

Mad Alice, thank you for your vote, I can not put into words how much I appreciate it, thank you, thank you!

Dusty thank you for the listing.
Shyrka thank you for the kind review.

Starbeast thank you for the comedy award, I figured enough blood had been spilled and went in a direction I favored.

Thanks one more time to all for the warm welcome back.

Bob

 

[Parson]

** for non-Brits, Oliver Cromwell was a general in the Parliamentarian army during the civil of the C17th and thereafter Lord Protector in the Interregnum. During the civil war and afterwards Parliamentarians and puritans destroyed/despoiled a great deal of church property as well as slighting castles which belonged to Royalists.

Ahem, some of us non-Brits know perfectly well who Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads were. After all one of us lived in the town of Ireton.... (grins and wonders if her honor knows this reference.) but I have now moved. Have just spent my 3rd night in our new retirement home.

 

[The Judge]

Yes, I know of Ireton! The General and Regicide, that is, not the place. I didn't know he had any connection with the US, though. Gosh, how interesting. Was it one of his family who emigrated from England, or a Parliamentarian supporter there who named the town? Or just a coincidence of name?

I'm never sure how much British history gets taught and/or imbibed elsewhere, hence the little footnote. Was it because you were in Ireton you heard of Cromwell, or was it something you learned from school/general reading? Or even seeing the film? Michael Jayston played Ireton if I remember correctly, but I was more taken with Prince Rupert (Timothy Dalton -- swoon!) when I saw it.

Congrats on the move! How are you liking it so far?


EDIT: I couldn't resist looking on Wikipedia for Ireton, Iowa, and I see that in the 2010 census you were one of 609 people living there. I had to giggle to myself that you call it a town. I live in a settlement of 3,300 in our last census, and it's only a village!

 

[The Big Peat]

Congratulations to LittleStar, that was a corker of a story and I look forwards to your choice of theme.


Thank you to pB and The Dusty Zebra for the mentions - and to Lumens for the vote. My very first ever! I'll take that for 15 minutes work before going to bed on the morning of the deadline.

 

[Parson]

Yes, I know of Ireton! The General and Regicide, that is, not the place. I didn't know he had any connection with the US, though. Gosh, how interesting. Was it one of his family who emigrated from England, or a Parliamentarian supporter there who named the town? Or just a coincidence of name?

I'm never sure how much British history gets taught and/or imbibed elsewhere, hence the little footnote. Was it because you were in Ireton you heard of Cromwell, or was it something you learned from school/general reading? Or even seeing the film? Michael Jayston played Ireton if I remember correctly, but I was more taken with Prince Rupert (Timothy Dalton -- swoon!) when I saw it.

Congrats on the move! How are you liking it so far?

Ireton ---- As far as the local history goes there is no real clue as to why the name was chosen other than some English were the first to settle in what is now a largely Dutch ancestry village. It is unknown if they were historically connected with the General or not. One of his descendants did send a reproduction of a portrait which hangs in the town hall. ---- Now in full disclosure mode: I have a history major in College and one of my courses was a 6 hour course in English History. I wish I could say I remember more of it than I do, but I guess I have to remember that the course is now 45 (shudder) years in my past.

My sense of having taught world history at the high school level is that fewer than 1 in 20 U.S. citizens without further training in history would have the slightest idea of who Cromwell was. ---- I hope I'm mistaken about this, and Chrons is certainly not the place to draw conclusions about what is known generally because of the high education and interest level of most Chronners.

 

[LittleStar]

Well, this is my third win now, and it gets no less shocking, no less exciting, and no less nerve-racking in the closing days.

Im glad my story hit the right notes with enough people. I always want something human to show through the fantasy in my stories, and sometimes it is all too easy to feel inadequate or not worthy, despite your best efforts. But i find, if you look in the right places, there is always someone or something willing and ready to show that maybe you are good enough after all, and no matter what you'll always be beautiful.

I think i kinda needed something for the win column recently as well So thanks everyone who voted for me And commiserations to the runners up. Great stories both...

And great stories all. I don't know if I recall a month where the votes were quite so spread


Now, I think I read something up-thread about 'theme demons'??? I'm sure I can dig around somewhere primordial and dark for something worthy

 

[Ashleyne]

A massive CONGRATULATIONS, LITTLE STAR!!

 

[Heijan Xavier]

Congratulations Little Star!

Thanks @Cathbad for the mention and helping me avoid a total shutout.

Either I was off genre or just offull. Despite the story's spoucicide though, my wife Found it sweet and touching. So...I got that going for me.

Thanks as always to @Victoria Silverwolf @Parson and @Shyrka for the wonderful reviews.

 

[Cathbad]

Either I was off genre or just offull. Despite the story's spoucicide though, my wife Found it sweet and touching. So...I got that going for me.

Besides yourself, if you've pleased your wife, you've won!

 

[LittleStar]

I never realise how tough it is thinking of genre/theme until I come to do it

On the fun side of things, I was, as you do, trawling through wikipedia's list of genres in search of inspiration, and found something called 'Fantasy of Manners' (whatever that may be) but in the second paragraph is a quote from our very own @Teresa Edgerton



Right... Back to the hunt then!

 

[Shyrka]

Sacrifice, @ratsy – A member of a hidden underclass, condemned to a life of back-breaking drudgery, sacrifices their own chance to escape for their daughter’s future.

The Rise of the Great Steam Empire, @Parson – A victorious machine overlord, at a loss as to how to handle their new human vassals, finds inspiration in an unlikely place.

To Love the Babe, @TheDustyZebra – A steampunk tale with a fairytale twist, this reimagining of a classic pits the compulsion of an evil queen’s command against the power of a mother’s love.

End of the Line, @The Big Peat – A gritty cyberpunk heist story that teaches us that, no matter how big your problems, family takes priority.

 

[Heijan Xavier]

Besides yourself, if you've pleased your wife, you've won!

Indeed, and the opposite is true. That's what my story was all about. Thanks for getting it!

 

[Shyrka]

Better late than never, right?

Stamina or Maintaining a Head of Steam, @Ursa major – This story of stymied steam-driven stamina shows that, just as in real life, some performance ‘enhancements’ may not always be as advertised.

After the Laughter, @The Judge – This tale of a ‘steamy’ robotic singer who litters her bawdy (baud-y, perhaps?) performances with nudges and winks reveals the terrible cost of her craft.

Gear Heart, @Mad Alice – This tale of a forbidden love between human and machine comes to a predictably tragic conclusion but not in the way one might expect.

New Beginnings, @nixie – A destitute, unemployed human, reduced to scavenging, receives an unexpected and rather brutal form of kindness from a cybernetically-enhanced benefactor.