Discussion -- November 2017 -- 75 Word Challenge

[Hugh]

Great Moloching Messerschmitts!! A stealth vote! I've checked it several times and it's still there! Many thanks indeed @Mad Alice.

Many thanks also @johnnyjet for the mention.

 

[Abernovo]

Thanks for the review, Shyrka.

And also for the listings from Suzanne Jackson and TDZ!
Will finish reading the last of the entries on my break at work (if I manage to take one today), and will vote later today. Before midnight, or my computer will turn back into a pumpkin, or something.

 

[mosaix]

There were a few stories I didn't understand - even after a couple of re-reads. But re-reads are, for me, always worth it and the subtlety of Victoria's finally dawned on me and she took the vote. Suzanne and TDZ close behind.

 

[Droflet]

Thanks for the mention, CC. After a long absence from here it's really appreciated.

 

[Luiglin]

Top 3 for me.

@mosaix - great idea and fine execution
@paranoid marvin - thoroughly enjoyed the rhythm in this piece, I could hear the Ringmaster calling it out
@The Judge puntastic, Carry On Weird West

Vote went to @paranoid marvin, loved it from the first read.

 

[Shyrka]

Shortlist:

The Second Coming, @Bashfull
All the Fun of the Fair, @nixie
One Night in Dead End, Nebraska, @Droflet
Birth of an American Vampire, @Pedro Del Mar
Insanity, @DelActivisto
Ain't No Way to Make A Living, @Suzanne Jackson
The Steal of the Show, @HazelRah
It There's Something Strange... @Luiglin
Poor Draw Leads to Boot Hill, @mosaix
Sideshow Sanctuary, @Starbeast
Come See, @paranoid marvin

Finalists:

Interview for The Stage newspaper (Deadwood Edition), @The Judge
Untitled, @SPoots
Fifty Dollars in Gold Per Head, @Cat's Cradle

***Vote***

Fifty Dollars in Gold Per Head, @Cat's Cradle

 

[Perpetual Man]

Lot of people haven't voted yet my list suggests:- Abernovo, Ajid, Ashleyne , AstroZon, Bashfull, Bob Senior, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, Droflet, HazelRah, Joshua Jones, LittleStar, Luiglin, Mad Alice, mosaix, Perpetual Man, Shyrka, SPoots, The Judge, TheDustyZebra and Ursa major. Which is somewhat more than the:- TitaniumTi, DragonAether, Calliopenjo, The Big Peat, Culhwch and Vaz, who voted without the moral pressure (thanks, folks). Still more than twenty-four hours for the last minuters to make their choices, though.

Whut? I'm sure I'd voted by then?

Another stealth vote thanks pep.

See?

 

[chrispenycate]

You probably had - it takes me some time to prepare a list, and the post - if you voted during that time I wouldn't have seen it until I'd posted. Sure, I should have edited it directly…

 

[SPoots]

Dropped out of the forums for a little bit and came back just in time to cast my vote. Phew.

Very happy to see my story has received a vote. Thanks very much!

 

[SPoots]

Here are my long list, short list, and vote:

Talysia
mosaix
chrispenycate
paranoid marvin
HazelRah
nixie
Hugh
Suzanne Jackson
TheDustyZebra
and my vote goes to SPoots

Thanks for the vote!

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Wow, thank you, Shyrka!!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Just a few hours left to vote. I'm off to the dentist, so it might be all decided by the time I get back.

_______


Thank you to everyone who mentioned my story, and especially to Parson, Mith, and Hugh for the votes!

 

[The Judge]

I'm glad I'm not alone in my pernickitiness, since I have to agree with Parson about stories missing the genre. I found it very difficult this month to get all three elements of theme and genre -- Western, weird and carnival/circus -- and in my view most people only managed two of the three, and for some others the Western element was more window dressing than integral to the story which I'd prefer to see.

Anyway, grump over, and straight into my shortlist:

Cat's Cradle -- Fifty Dollars in Gold Per Head
chrispenycate -- Shortfellow percussion (for Wa'ds Worth)
johnnyjet -- The Wildest Wild West Show West of the Pecos
mosaix -- Poor Draw leads to Boot Hill
paranoid marvin -- Come See
Perpetual Man -- The Cowboy and the Clown
Victoria Silverwolf -- The Magic Spectacles​

I had a hard job choosing between Cat's re-living dead, Chris's not-Hiawatha, and Perp's ingenious shoot-out, but in the end Cat's Cradle just pipped the other two and got my vote.

And a special mention to Mith for Billy the Squid and to Dan for creating Senator Imminent J Craptitude!


I was very dissatisfied with my piece, but I'm glad it gave a laugh to some of you -- and even more glad if it created only groaning -- though I'm piqued that Shyrka was able to create a funnier piece in reviewing it than I did in writing it! So shapeshifting carnival thanks for the mentions -- ordinary and otherwise, I'll take whatever comes! -- shortlistings and even lovely finalist-listings, Dan, Talysia, Titanium, Hugh, Kerry, Parson, Suzanne, johnnyjet, Vaz, Cat's, Luiglin and Shyrka, and Gigantic Big Top Megathanks for the wonderful and much appreciated vote, nixie!

 

[Ashleyne]

Firstly, tahnks to Mith, Dan Jones, Talysia, TaitaniumTi, kerrybuchanan, Suzanne Jackson, johnnyjet, Vaz and Cats Cradle for the listings/mentions. A massive thanks to Victoria, parson and Shyrka for the revies and a ginormous thanks to Peter V for the vote.

My shortlist:

The Magic Spectacles by Victoria Silverwolf

All the fun of the fair by Nixie

Interview for The Stage newspaper (Deadwood Edition) by The Judge

Go West, Young Man by TheDustyZebra

I voted for Come See by paranoid marvin.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Wow, thanks for the votes Ashleyne and Luiglin, it really does make my day, my month even.

And of course thank you for the shortlistings Starbeast,Kerrybuchanan,Teresa, Cats Cradle and The Judge

 

[Droflet]

Thanks for the mention, Shyrka.

 

[Ursa major]

This was the Ursa jury's best shot...! (The stories are in posting order within the categories.)


Honourable Mentions:

• The Magic Spectacles by Victoria Silverwolf
• All the fun of the fair by nixie
  
• THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF RUSTY by Jo Zebedee
  
• Come See by paranoid marvin

Runners Up:

• The Second Coming by Bashfull
  
• Poor Draw Leads To Boot Hill. by mosiax
  
• The Bargain (Out Past Joshua Tree) by Teresa Edgerton

Winner:

• Fifty Dollars in Gold Per Head by Cat's Cradle

​

 

[Ursa major]

The poll has now closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, mosaix!
​

​

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Many congratulations to mosaix on a very strong victory, leaving us all choking on the dust thrown up by hoofbeats!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Congrats, Stuart!

Apologies for my drive by voting but I was laden with a rotten cold bashfull's stuck with me but I also enjoyed Suzanne's, Mosaix's and Teresa's.

Mine was missing the western but was really a bit of fun - Rusty was my dog last time we had weird western and I thought it's be fun to write a new adventure