Discussion -- November 2017 -- 75 Word Challenge

[Bashfull]

Thank you, Parson, for the affirmation and welcome.

 

[chrispenycate]

I saw the theme and genre and immediately had an idea, so mapped it out rapidly. Unfortunately I'd estimate five to six thousand words, which puts me waiting for somebody wanting it for a Sekret Santa - no way I can bonsai that down, even to a three hundred. Ah, well, back to annoying my muse…

 

[Shyrka]

Whilst not on quite such a grand scale as @chrispenycate, both of the ideas I've toyed with have so far proven impossible to squeeze in under the limit.

 

[Talysia]

I hadn't meant to enter so early, but the combination of a bit of free time and an idea that wouldn't leave me be was impossible to resist. It helps that I got lucky with the word count, too. I bet that won't happen again for a while.

 

[Shyrka]

The Magic Spectacles, @Victoria Silverwolf – A classic case of ‘be careful what you wish for’, this melancholy tale shows that sometimes it may be better to live happily in ignorance than see the world as it truly is.

Where the Ugly Things Are, @Ashlyene – When the carnival rides themselves are sentient, you better be careful: they may be monstrous but they’re great fun and, if you want to ride safely, best not offend them.

The Second Coming, @Bashful – Combing a familiar urban-legend, an Old West freak show and a dexterous twist, this inventive tale shows that not everyone sees the world (or other worlds, for that matter) in the same way.

All Night Long, @dannymcg – A classic tale of horror as old-world meets new frontier. Sometimes the band plays on not for sentimentality, but for survival.

The Midnight Carnival, @Talysia – A brief, tantalising glimpse of an Old West rich with mystery and magic where the carny folk really are from another world.

 

[Parson]

@Talysia .... The Midnight Carnival .... Gives us a sweet love story that hints at being other worldly at best or alcoholic at worst.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Mine's kind of dark (sorry Parson!!). This should be a very interesting month, for stories!

Note to self: finish final edit before posting story...

 

[Joshua Jones]

Thanks, @nixie, for taking my idea for humans as freak show exhibits. Clearly your fae powers include clairvoyance, and are too powerful for mere mortals to endure. And, the fact that your work is FAR superior to my paltry efforts only proves your nefarious intent.

Oh well, I have another idea, and I don't believe there are any other fair folks who can read my mind to steal it from me .

(By the way, how are you not writhing in pain or howling mad after spending time in my mind? Your writing skills had to have taken a hit also, but it doesn't show...)

 

[Parson]

@Luiglin .... If there's something strange in your circus tent... make sure you call someone who can handle the problem and entertain as well; the Manitoubusters.

@Cat's Cradle .... Fifty Dollars in Gold Per Head .... reminds us that there are some sights worth seeing at a high price, and some you would want to forget if you can. But whatever you do don't disrespect the ringmaster.

@Cathbad .... Quick-Shot Challenge Carnival Game .... Sometimes losing is much more painful than you suspect.

@nixie .... All the fun of the fair .... No matter how many rides and how many treats you have, there's nothing to compare to the freaks.

 

[nixie]

Thanks, @nixie, for taking my idea for humans as freak show exhibits. Clearly your fae powers include clairvoyance, and are too powerful for mere mortals to endure. And, the fact that your work is FAR superior to my paltry efforts only proves your nefarious intent.

Oh well, I have another idea, and I don't believe there are any other fair folks who can read my mind to steal it from me .

(By the way, how are you not writhing in pain or howling mad after spending time in my mind? Your writing skills had to have taken a hit also, but it doesn't show...)

Oh that was you, I wondered why I kept hearing freak show, tentacles in my head yesterday. Don' do it again it distracted me from work

 

[Joshua Jones]

Oh that was you, I wondered why I kept hearing freak show, tentacles in my head yesterday. Don' do it again it distracted me from work

In all seriousness, it is uncanny how similar your story is to what I was working on. The only significant difference was that I was going to have a woman be the exhibit, and make a comment like "I travel 390 million miles to Europa, and I am still objectified." And, seriously, great job on your story.

 

[Shyrka]

What's the verdict word count-wise on slang contractions like 'you betcha', 'glad ta meetcha'? Are they acceptable as a single word or would they could as two?

 

[The Judge]

Ah, we'd have to think about those, Shyrka, and I imagine that we'll look at each one on its merits, so one might be accepted as one word while another one we'd see as two. Are those contractions the actual ones you want to query, or are they just placeholders for the moment? Let me know exactly what you'd planned on saying and I can go back to the other mods and we can discuss them. (PM me if you don't want the actual words shown here in advance of the story.)

 

[Shyrka]

"meetcha" is the one I was considering. It's not actually critical, as I was below the word count before I thought of trying it, but I was curious to know nonetheless, as it's quite flavoursome.

Whilst we're on the subject, what about a hyphenated name like 'Jo-beth'? I'm using that one currently (which can also be written as JoBeth, according to the internet, so I have a backup plan!)

 

[The Judge]

Right, I'll ask the others about "meetcha" and get back to you.

We're actually in the middle of a discussion about hyphenated names! At present it looks like we'd accept them as personal names -- ie names of people -- but we've yet to reach a decision as to whether we'd extend that further. Oddly, though I don't think we've ever come across the situation with a person's name, we're harsher on words with capitals in the middle, as it's too easy for someone to sneak in a lot of words UnderCoverOfOneLongWordAndStillMakeTheClauseLegible inawaythatwritingwithoutanycapitalswouldn't, so we've tended to count even things like planet or equipment names such as StarBurst as two words where Starburst would be one. That's something else that's currently under review, though. (Gosh, this gets complicated at times!)

 

[Shyrka]

Gosh n' darnit, all 'o these goddamn slang words causin' such a ruckus...

Guess I'll hold fire!

 

[Shyrka]

If there's something strange in your circus tent... @Luiglin – When you run an arcane carnival you have to deal with unusual sorts of pests… and pest control.

Fifty Dollars in Gold Per Head, @Cat's Cradle – This tale of grave-robbing showcases a new kind of ghoulish freak show that folks are literally dying to star in. Strictly for the morbid.

Quick-Shot Challenge Carnival Game, @Cathbad – In this game skill and speed against a wooden gun-slinger, the winner takes all… including your life.

All the fun of the fair, @nixie – This charming tale of a father-daughter day out deftly plays on our preconceptions. Get away from me, you two-legged freaks!

 

[Parson]

@jackwinabox57 .... LAST CHANCE AT "REDEMPTION PASS" .... lets us see where smoke induced thinking is clearer than the directions to the circus.

Interesting first go at the 75. Welcome!

 

[Bashfull]

The Magic Spectacles, @Victoria Silverwolf – A classic case of ‘be careful what you wish for’, this melancholy tale shows that sometimes it may be better to live happily in ignorance than see the world as it truly is.

Where the Ugly Things Are, @Ashlyene – When the carnival rides themselves are sentient, you better be careful: they may be monstrous but they’re great fun and, if you want to ride safely, best not offend them.

The Second Coming, @Bashful – Combing a familiar urban-legend, an Old West freak show and a dexterous twist, this inventive tale shows that not everyone sees the world (or other worlds, for that matter) in the same way.

All Night Long, @dannymcg – A classic tale of horror as old-world meets new frontier. Sometimes the band plays on not for sentimentality, but for survival.

The Midnight Carnival, @Talysia – A brief, tantalising glimpse of an Old West rich with mystery and magic where the carny folk really are from another world.

Thanks for this encouraging blurb, Shyrka. It really is a challenge getting an idea into 75 words. What would I be like with haikus?

Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don’t make sense
Hippopotamus

 

[Parson]

@Bashfull .... Okay, you might want to converse using haikus. It's possible right here on this site.

https://www.sffchronicles.com/threads/36825/