DISCUSSION -- October 2017 300-Word Writing Challenge (#27)

[Vaz]

When is the deadline for voting? I need another thorough read through to finally whittle down my winners.

v

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Deadline for voting in the 300 is the 15th of the month following. You have some time.

 

[Phyrebrat]

When is the deadline for voting? I need another thorough read through to finally whittle down my winners.

v

Deadline for voting in the 300 is the 15th of the month following. You have some time.

In all sincerity, it’s best if you just vote now - for me - otherwise things just get nasty.

pH

 

[Luiglin]

Right, I went for...

• @Ihe - just loved the imagery in this and the sneaky play
• @mosaix - I could hear the telephone call as I was reading it. Nice writing.
• @Vaz - a dashing and clever rogue

Thanks for the votes @Talysia, @Rafellin, @Lex E. Darion and @DragonAether plus all the mentions so far folks. I do believe, at this point, it's the best I've ever done. So I'm already a winner

 

[AlexH]

I loved A LONG WAY HOME by @Kerrybuchanan - an amusing and touching tribute.

My other favourites, with votes in bold:

Hoverdasher - Legend Unveiled
TitaniumTi - Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
SPoots - Changeling
Joshua Jones - The Demon of Whitecastle
Talysia - Suburban Legend

In all sincerity, it’s best if you just vote now - for me - otherwise things just get nasty.

pH

I can confirm things have got nasty since I voted, and I only made this post a few seconds after!

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Thank you, @AlexH

 

[SPoots]

Hey, thanks for the shortlistings and even a couple of votes! I neither confirm nor deny punching the air and doing a wee dance each time I read that.

Got a day off work today so planning to get stuck into the stories and cast my own votes. Really looking forward to it.

 

[Danny McG]

doing a wee dance

.
I was doing a wee dance this morning outside the bathroom door, teenagers take forever, I nearly wet my pants

 

[TitaniumTi]

Thank you for the listings, Peter V and AlexH. I'm glad you enjoyed my story.

 

[TitaniumTi]

Sorry. Poor internet connection + impatience = double post!

 

[SPoots]

Cast my Votes.

Votes
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - TitaniumTi
Pas Ce Soir - Wruter
Convalescence? - Dan Jones

Secondary Choices
Grandmother's Garden - Ashleyne
Mary's Boy Child - dannymcg
Up the Garden Path - Peter V
The Demon of Whitecastle - Joshua Jones
Tidying Up - Teresa Edgerton
Suburban Legend - Talysia

Honourable Mentions
The Veil - Victoria Silverwolf
Bag Lady - Phyrebrat
The Rogue of Roses and The Goddess - Vaz
Model Citizens - The Judge

 

[SPoots]

Special mention of A Long Way Home, a nice little tribute piece.

 

[johnnyjet]

Many excellent entries. However, I finally came up with my Long List, Short List and **** Favorites ****:

1. GRANDMOTHER'S GARDEN – Ashleyne
2. Mary's Boy Child – dannymcq
3. **** The Veil - Victoria Silverwolf ****
4. Twilight Bravery – chrispenycate
5. **** Pas Ce Soir – Wruter ****
6. The Red Cloaks - Lex E. Darion
7. Thin-skinned - D. A. Xiaolin Spires
8. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - Titanium Ti
9. **** Bag Lady – Phyrebrat ****
10. In a Bakery, Far, Far, Away – Starbeast
11. Changeling – Spoots
12. The Demon of Whitecastle - Joshua Jones
13. Dial 'M' for … - mosaix
14. Tidying - Up - Teresa Edgerton
15. Untitled – Bashfull
16. Model Citizens - The Judge

 

[johnnyjet]

Thanks to the mentions by Peter V and Starbeast and for the vote (yay!) by dannymcq!

Very nice considering how tough the competition was this time!

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Special mention of A Long Way Home, a nice little tribute piece.

Thank you.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Some fabulous stories but Kerry Buchanan’s entry did it for me. Nearly had a lump in my throat when I read the last line. What an amazing tribute to a great author.
Thank you for a good read Kerry, I loved your story.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Some fabulous stories but Kerry Buchanan’s entry did it for me. Nearly had a lump in my throat when I read the last line. What an amazing tribute to a great author.
Thank you for a good read Kerry, I loved your story.

Wow. Thank you x

 

[TitaniumTi]

Wow! A vote. Thank you, Spoots. Also, thank you, Johnnyjet, for the mention.

 

[Dan Jones]

Voting time.

My top 10 are:

Ihe - Gaming the system
Luiglin - Gardener's Worlds
Chrisp - Big Boy's Stuff!
Wruter - dramaticus ironicus!
Kerry - Kerry 4 Terry 4Eva
DA Xiaolin Spires - Blue Murder!
Phyrebrat - Human Detritus
Spoots - Imposter Syndrome
Vaz - Barking at the moon!
Littelstar - time on her hands.

After much deliberation, I went for:
Ihe - something about the nostalgic, D&D vibe got me really into the story, and I bought into the nerd winning the day. Maybe it's because Stranger Things is back on the tellybox, but this one got its hooks in me.
Chrisp - some really lovely phrasing ("mummy tells me not to talk to strange men, though she does" is poignantly suggestive, a great line) and an odd "otherness" possessed by the narrator made this stand out.
Phyrebrat - damn you, you've done it again. Wonderful reveal.

Special mention to Starbeast, whose highly enjoyable tale of compete and utter nonsense easily made me LOL more than once ("Tall, black and bitter, Like my dad!"). And it was a special treat for Sekrit Santa fans!

 

[Bashfull]

Two votes! My first ones! Thanks, JJ, and also to JohnnyJet for the listing. I feel encouraged.