Discussion Thread -- September 2017 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge

[Ursa major]

Many, many thanks for the stealth vote, BigJ.

 

[mosaix]

After and early even spread of voting it looks like UM has become the front-runner.

 

[Stable]

Thanks for the vote @TitaniumTi !

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Ursa is setting a punishing pace, and voting time is getting short, so here is my list:

Favorites - D.A. Xiaolin Spires, Hugh, Ursa, TJ

Vote - D.A. Xiaolin Spires. Loved this one from the first read; especially the terrific last line.

Thank you to TitaniumTi for the listing, and to farntfar for the vote.

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for making my story one of your favourites, CC.

 

[johnnyjet]

My Long List, Short List, and **** Favorite ****:

Folderol – Luiglin
Perfection - Victoria Silverwolf
Is the Grass Greener? – nixie
A FATHER'S THOUGHTS – Calliopenjo
Downsized - Cat's Cradle
Like a Teddy Bear - Peter V
Tightfisted Networks and Cheap Facades - D. A. Xiaolin Spires
The Guilt of Hindsight – Hugh
**** Almost Cut My Hair … - chrispenycate ****
COMMENTS AND DISCLAIMERS - Bob Senior
Weapon of Social Cleansing – Phyrebrat
The Cost of Provocation - Joshua Jones
The Failure of Rocker B(i) or So not about the Glorious Revolution… - Ursa major
Ring a Ring O' Sacrifice - The Judge
Ripped From Home – TheDustyZebra
Sleep Surrender - Mad Alice

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the shortlisting, johnnyjet.

 

[Ursa major]

After and early even spread of voting it looks like UM has become the front-runner.

As the person who will almost be certainly closing the poll, I feel honour bound to point out that:

• there are still just over six-and-a-half hours left in which to vote;
• as only 31 votes have been received so far, quite a few more are expected (including my own), which means that nothing is yet settled.

 

[chrispenycate]

If I've got this right, of those who have submitted stories Abernovo, Ashleyne, Cody Drinkwater, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, HazelRah, Heijan Xavier, hopewrites, Joshua Jones, LittleStar, Mad Alice, Shyrka, Starbeast, The Judge, Travis Woodward, and Ursa major have not yet voted. Which is quite a lot, considering there are only a few hours left.

And more thanks to johnnyjet for the second vote.

 

[Joshua Jones]

Thank you @Cathbad, @chrispenycate, and @johnnyjet for the mentions and especially @Parson for the vote! I will make an effort to put a short list up sometime in the next couple days, but my vote went to the Great Fuzzy One, @Ursa major (I hope fuzzy is not considered a slur for the majestic bearfolk...). The puns just won me over.

 

[LittleStar]

Phew, just under the wire!
Very much enjoyed this month's takings everyone. Some great retellings, exactly what I was hoping for when setting the challenge

Shortlist
Cathbad
Vaz
Hope
Cul
Parson
Shyrka
DEO
Johnnyjet
Hazelrah

Near-misses
Wruter
PeterV
Phyre

But something about Hugh's entry caught me, so this story takes my vote

 

[HazelRah]

Shortlist:

Mad Alice
Vaz
Peter V
Littlestar

An almost vote to Culhwch... with Travis Woodward getting the vote

 

[Abernovo]

I enjoyed the healthy cynicism of @Cathbad's The Red Hood, turning the innocent woodland traveller into a forest cutthroat;
and the playfulness of @LittleStar's Morning Bells, referencing a song from childhood to give it a new lease of life.

@Ursa major's The Failure of Rocker B(i) had an awfulness which was wonderful to behold, and to read (and the title was perfect).
He almost won my vote (and will, undoubtedly, and quite deservedly, win the Challenge), but...
@The Judge produced the entry, Ring a Ring O’ Sacrifice, which not only entertained, but met most closely with my interpretation of the theme. The imagery just worked, so gets my vote.

 

[Vaz]

Big thanks Littlestar and Hazelrah for the listing.

v

 

[Starbeast]

@Calliopenjo - A gigantic THANK YOU for your "stealth vote". You made my day AWESOME bro.

I thought this was a hard challenge. There are only so many familiar nursery rhymes and fairy tales and then with the proviso that you tell the real story behind them, and not just rewrite them.

Short list: StarBeast .... "Curious George in "Wacky Time" .... Revenge against the Yellow

Thanks immensely for the mention, my fellow man of the Almighty. I feel blessed by your short listing.

In the end I offer a list of the ones that I enjoyed, purely subjective.

Starbeast

Thank you for the wonderful mention. You made my day AWESOME, bro.



SHORT LIST

@Ashleyne
@Luiglin
@Vaz
@Victoria Silverwolf
@BigJ
@Dave Barsby
@hopewrites
@Travis Woodward
@Parson - Finalist
@Shyrka
@Hugh
@chrispenycate
@Old_Man_Steve2016
@Heijan Xavier
@farntfar
@Bob Senior
@Joshua Jones
@mosaix
@johnnyjet - Finalist
@Stable
@Ursa major - VOTE
@DragonAether
@Abernovo
@The Judge
@TheDustyZebra
@TitaniumTi
@Mad Alice

 

[Ursa major]

Many thanks for the vote, Joshua Jones.

Many, many thanks for your vote, Starbeast.

Many thanks for the shortlisting, Abernovo.

And many, many thanks for thr stealth vote, Travis Woodward.

 

[Ursa major]

For those writing nursery rhymes with the hope of a fairy-tale ending, and those writing fairy tales nursing the hope of a victory, here's the latest from Ursa jury....


Honourable Mentions:

• Not So Fair by Culhwch
• Downsized by Cat's Cradle
  
• The Guilt of Hindsight by Hugh
  
• Ring a Ring O' Sacrifice by The Judge

Runners Up:

• Perfection by Victoria Silverwolf
  
• Almost cut my hair.... by chrispenycate
  
• I Have A Cunning Plan by mosiax

Winner:

• Ripped From Home by TheDustyZebra

​

 

[Ursa major]

The poll has now closed and we have a winner:

Ursa major!​

Er... thanks, everyone!

 

[Danny McG]

Well done. It was a good punnery feast you served up!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Yay! Thanks and much cake for the lovely vote, Ursa! I was beginning to feel very lonely, there.

And huge congratulations! for the well-deserved win! I shudder to think what we're in for now.