Discussion Thread -- August 2018 75-word Writing Challenge

[Danny McG]

I'm jealous!! Only 18 words to cut???

Only 5 now but I'm struggling

 

[The Judge]

Hey! The Boss has entered!

 

[Joshua Jones]

Hey! The Boss has entered!

I can't recall the last time I saw him in a challenge. How long has it been?

 

[The Judge]

Well... never... Not for the 75s, though Brian did enter the 300s once, but that was back in July 2012. So put out the bunting!

 

[Cathbad]

Gawd! Now I foresee a problem. I loved Brian's entry. But if it ends up my favorite, will it be seen as brown-nosing if I vote for him?

Oh, wait... I really don't care what others think about that.

Never mind!

 

[scarpelius]

First time I am struggling with word count, the story wanted to expand into something much more descriptive.

 

[Parson]

@Ashleyne .... A BOOK JUST FOR YOU .... Ash has given us a story that makes us consider the value we attach to a book.

@Brian G Turner .... THE BOOK .... Brian??!!! helps us to consider the reality that comes to us from books.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I only went in to add an image, but the entry put one in my head.

I loved Brian's entry. But if it ends up my favorite, will it be seen as brown-nosing if I vote for him?

Better if I'm not listed to vote on in the first place - could upset the competition dynamics.

 

[nixie]

I only went in to add an image, but the entry put one in my head.



Better if I'm not listed to vote on in the first place - could upset the competition dynamics.

I wouldn't worry Brian, when it comes too voting there is no favouritism. Majority here go with the story that speaks to them most.

Unless you send cake.

 

[Shyrka]

The Book, @Brian G Turner – The hero of this fantasy story is given the rarest of choices – do you want to be in this story at all?

@Russiano – In a distant future where humans have long been extinct and our books crumble with age, our robotic descendants attempt – in vain – to emulate their ancestors.

@Anodyne – It’s often said that work of literature has a life of its own but, in this case, it’s more than just a figure of speech. The temptation is enough to drive you to distraction.

 

[Danny McG]

Well I'm in, mes amis, bookmark my story for voting day, merci.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I do like the twists in Anodyne and Cathbad's entries.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I do like the twists in Anodyne and Cathbad's entries.

Twists are so last month.

 

[Parson]

Well this month is off to a roaring start! We now have three first time posters this month (that's a lot even if there are no more!). One first timer has over 20,000 posts, but the other two are real newby's. Welcome aboard Russiano and Anodyne! and you've both produced an interesting story!

@Russiano .... Untitled .... Russ paints us a word picture of a world where the importance of human books and human sensibilities have been lost forever.

@Anodyne .... Untitled .... Anodyne has captured in a memorable way the temptation to drop everything and read that book laying beside you.

@dannymcg ....
The
Banshee
Of
Old
Kilkenny

Danny gives us a new and usuable idea of how to defeat a Banshee.

@Cathbad .... The Final Story .... Cathbad shows us a book whose power is largely unrecognized. I suppose that is true about any book in some way.

@Calliopenjo .... GRANDMA'S TREASURE .... Callioplenjo reminds us that one person's treasured book might not be comprehensible to someone else.

@D.A. Xiaolin Spires .... The Book of Shells .... D.A. tells us a tale of how a book can be used to solve a mystery.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

I'm in. I'm a lifelong cat lover (my wife and I once shared our home with seven kitties), so I hope I will be forgiven for this story.

Great seeing you in the Challenge, Brian! I liked your story, CC

 

[D.A. Xiaolin Spires]

Thank you for your reviews, Parson!

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Brian G Turner -- Took the reader far away, into another world. -- Holiday

Russiano -- Portrayed the mind of a machine in convincing fashion. -- Popular Mechanics

Anodyne -- Offered a wry look at the distractions of the road. -- Car and Driver

dannymcg -- Created an imaginative mixture of genres. -- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Cathbad -- Painted a vivid picture of the danger of curiosity. -- Psychology Today

Calliopenjo -- Revealed the mysteries that lie between relatives. -- Family Circle

D.A. Xiaolin Spires -- Offered a glance at the unexplained phenomena of the environment. -- National Geographic

Cat's Cradle -- Peered deep into the mind of another creature. -- Cat Fancy

 

[Parson]

@Cat's Cradle .... The Hospice Cat .... C.C. reminds us that Cats might just prove transhumanism prescient.

 

[Shyrka]

The Banshee of Old Kilkenny, @dannymcg – The harrowing screams of ancient spirits are no match for the laws of physics in this entertaining mix of sci-fi and folklore

The Final Story, @Cathbad – A thirst for knowledge is the undoing of a curious priest in this story of shadowy secrets and a book so good that folks are just dying to read it.

Grandma’s Treasure, @Calliopenjo – A strange, other-worldly book is discovered amongst a relative’s possessions. Taking what doesn’t belong to you rarely ends well…

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

TheEndIsNigh -- Allowed the reader to empathize with the pain of a very different being. -- The New York Review of Books