DISCUSSION -- March 2018 -- 75 Word Story Challenge

Thanks so much for the listings, nixie and Stable! I hope to read, and vote, this weekend.

Shame we didn't hit 42, but 40 is still a lot of folks joining in.
 
Phyrebrat said:
Oh god, am I really that bad? :))

pH
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I now realise, pH, that my post could be read in two ways.

What I meant was that, as well as you, I was also constantly pestering the mods regarding hyphenation.

What I didn’t mean was that you were constantly pestering me. And BTW it wouldn’t matter a jot of you had been. :)
 
Bwahaha! I read it that way to start with, too, but I did realize (being privy to the questions when they're asked) that you meant you ask, too. :D
 
I had been working on a flash fiction piece that I hope will get picked to be included in an anthology. Key word: hope. Anyway, after gathering a bit of dust I went back to it and I think I got it figured out. Now comes the task of cleaning up the first draft, the crit, and then the beta read and then maybe by then it'll actually be a story. I hope.

I hope everyone here had a nice St. Patrick's Day filled with good fun and good cheer. Other than that, I have been trying to keep busy with doing crits for others.

So what does all this have to do with this group? Uhm... I dunno. lol.

Enjoy your day folks.
 
I struggled with this one - a few ideas bounced around but did not amount to anything I was remotely happy with. Ultimately I came up with the last line and made a story to fit. Unfortunately I thought of two fundamental things I should change with it but alas the hour had elapsed :(

Thank you scarpelius and Heijan Xavier for the votes and Hugh for the mention.

I thought the entries exceptionally strong, even by the usual high standards of this group and more so given such a challenging genre and theme (at least I think it was).

I enjoyed reading them all but these are my personal favourites. *are my "not so short list"

The Legacy scarpelius - Earth as a myth has always held a fascination for me. (Probably much of the reason I enjoyed the remake of Battlestar Galactica so much)

Prior to the Warranty Claim* Cat's Cradle - where did this idea come from? Its brilliant and perfectly imagined.

Final Battle Starbeast - I had to read this a couple of times to appreciate it fully but then realised how well it works and I really like the matter of fact nonchalance of the superhero protagonist.

The First Automaton on the Earth Luiglin I like this for its poignant and unexpected ending. RIP Mr Cavor.

Pretty When You Smile Joshua Jones revenge is a dish best served very cold and this soul clearly has a very cold smile.

Steam Punked* Parson - brilliant play on words of the genre in the title which fit the content superbly. Another sparklingly imaginative offering.

From Red to Blue* mosaix - Excellent and amusing take on an old classic - strong contender, especially considering The War of the Worlds was the first SF book I read. Great title too.

On The Cogship Regina Stable - I feel this evocative tale really captured the atmosphere of the genre.

Apology Accepted* Heijan Xavier - Effective but also chilling!

Per Aspera* TheDustyZebra - Really enjoyed this one. Fantastic last line so fitting of the genre.

Transmission Slip* AnyaKimlin - I thought TDZ had walked away with the last line crown until I read this. I read it out to my daughter immediately I was so taken with it. She was impressed to ;)

All at sea* The Judge - I knew deciding was going to be tough and then in the last few hours there was a deluge of quality offerings, this one not least among them. Clever and very funny.

Interstellar Travel? Ursa major - I don't think I have read so many amusing offerings in one month since I started frequenting these boards. This is another highly imaginative take.


And so to my decision... which even as I typed all of the above I was still unsure of but after much deliberation I am opting for Prior to the Warranty Claim great and unique content and perfectly structured.

Thanks all for your efforts; I don't know what I did with my days before I joined here. :whistle:
 
We want to reiterate, as we do from time to time, that the rules for the Challenges do not allow voting for yourself. Self-votes, while they cannot be physically removed from the poll, will not count in an entrant's final tally for purposes of winning, and will not be included in the charts that TJ or any others graciously compile for our statistical pleasure.

The spirit of the Challenges is one of working to improve our own craft, and encouraging our comrades-in-ink likewise in their endeavors, so while it's nice to get a vote, it's neither nice nor helpful to either of those things if it's your own.

And, of course, since votes are always in short supply, do feel free to hand out kudos to all the best stories that you couldn't vote for, spread the love, as appreciation is always ...err... appreciated.
 
TheDustyZebra said:
We want to reiterate, as we do from time to time, that the rules for the Challenges do not allow voting for yourself. Self-votes, while they cannot be physically removed from the poll, will not count in an entrant's final tally for purposes of winning, and will not be included in the charts that TJ or any others graciously compile for our statistical pleasure.

The spirit of the Challenges is one of working to improve our own craft, and encouraging our comrades-in-ink likewise in their endeavors, so while it's nice to get a vote, it's neither nice nor helpful to either of those things if it's your own.

And, of course, since votes are always in short supply, do feel free to hand out kudos to all the best stories that you couldn't vote for, spread the love, as appreciation is always ...err... appreciated.
Click to expand...

Guaranteed to get everyone jumping right to the poll and clicking on the votes beside each name to see who did it!

(Well that's what I did anyways - just had to see who it was :D )
 
Thank you, Hugh for the mention. And Peter V, a vote! Thanks so much (and also for the kind words; I never know where the stories come from - they just come;)). There were so many terrific tales this month, and I'm very pleased to make several lists. I'll vote soon, CC

edit - Peter V, congrats on your own two votes (two so far - hopefully more to follow!).
 
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Cat's Cradle said:
Thank you, Hugh for the mention. And Peter V, a vote! Thanks so much (and also for the kind words; I never know where the stories come from - they just come;)). There were so many terrific tales this month, and I'm very pleased to make several lists. I'll vote soon, CC
Click to expand...

A poetry spouting mechanical grave digger has got to the most unique interpretation of steam punk I'm ever likely to come across
 
My vote this month goes to Luiglin with The First Automaton on the Earth. I loved the last line, and with it being a tribute to one of my favourite HG Wells classics I was fairly sure it was getting my vote as soon as I read it. I really enjoyed this piece and have read it multiple times since.

My other favourites this month in no particular order:

Scarpelius - The Legacy
Parson - Steam Punked
Victoria Silverwolf - Population Problem (very close 2nd place)
TheDustyZebra - Per Aspera

Well done everyone (y)
 
My favourites this month:
  • Cat's Cradle - never trust a machine that speaks
  • Starbeast - Is it the end of Prof. A?
  • Luiglin - Ah, that Mr Cavor
  • Peter V - Low pressure front
  • Victoria Silverwolf - Deep
  • chrispenycate - compost
  • Bob Senior - Not the end of Prof. M
  • Stable - In for a surprise?
  • Shyrka - Packs in a lot of story, character and emotion.
  • TheDustyZebra - It can happen to anyone. Why am I in this room?
  • paranoid marvin - speeding
 
Well I've voted, shortlist & favourites* below. I'm not very familiar with steampunk beyond Dr Eggman in Sonic the Hedgehog, but that wasn't really a problem so much as the theme which I felt was missed or somewhat tenuous in a lot of the stories. So combined with typos and/or bad grammar, that left me the following to chose from:

Peter V
Parson
TDZ*
The Judge*
Teresea Edgerton

pH
 
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