Discussion Thread -- September 2018 75-word Writing Challenge

[Luiglin]

Cheers for the reminders folks. I've got a brew and perusing now

 

[Starbeast]

Whew! Just got my vote in, with a minute to spare. My Spy Car saved the day, although I got a ticket for speeding, but I made it.

I'll return with my list of favorite Spys.

@Calliopenjo - thanks for the vote bro.

 

[Ursa major]

but I wouldn't count stories which revolve around assassins, but with no actual spying involved, as spy stories

I'm having a bit of trouble getting my head around the idea that a story that invovles, for example, a spy shooting someone would not meet the challenge combination of Shot and Spy Story.

After all, the genre is "spy story", not "spying story", so having a spy as the main character should meet the criterion.

 

[Bob Senior]

My opinion, again. A story can and should be original !
I believe that I could write about Bat Man all day, a character that someone else invented and developed.
Bob

 

[Luiglin]

I decided to break @Peter V's cover and give him the vote - just for the last three lines. Of the the remaining two in the group code named Top3FromMe - @mosaix escaped my clutches through clever use of a toilet brush and a plastic duck while @nixie vanished into the crowd through clever use of instigating a flash mob by singing YMCA.

 

[Ursa major]

This was meant to be a secret, but with so many spies about, it was bound to come out. But before the results of the jury are revealed, I'd just like to tip my hat towards a story that managed to smuggle Kipling into the Challenge, i.e. A View to a Kitchen by Plucky Novice.


The following are in posting order within the categories:

Honourable Mentions:

• They seek him here... by dannymcg
• All's Fair by Victoria Silverwolf
• Shot and Stabbed by M. Robert Gibson
• Sleeper by Peter V

Runners Up:

• Cutting room floor by chrispenycate
• Tomorrow Always Comes... by mosiax
• The Viper by Stable

Winner:

• Licence Expired by paranoid marvin

​

 

[Jo Zebedee]

My opinion, again. A story can and should be original !
I believe that I could write about Bat Man all day, a character that someone else invented and developed.
Bob

So - we can only be original if we originate the character? Really? It seems to me that’s only one strand of originality.

I have a daughter. She writes all the time. It’s fan fiction. The characters are those she likes - the stories, secondary characters, plot lines, voice is all her own.

I have another daughter. She creates original characters. The stories, plot lines and voice is all her own.

Should I tell my younger daughter she’s less creative because she chooses to write original stories in a shared universe? Does her effort and passion count for less? Should I tell her she’s failing? Or should I applaud creation in all the variant ways it appears?

Is Romeo+Juliet (the film) not creative? Or West Side Story? Or Clueless? Forbidden Planet?

Not directed entirely at you, Bob, but all the comments in the thread knocking those who used fan fic or established characters. Who are we to choose another’s creativity.

Rant over

 

[Joshua Jones]

It never bothers me that entries may occupy the same universe as fictional (or actual) characters. With only 75 words to spare, one or two (eg James and/or Bond) can easily replace a dozen in explaining a scene; however if two stories were evenly matched, originality would probably be a deciding factor.

Having said that Bond is synonymous with spy/secret agent as Sherlock is with detective, Hoover is with vacuum cleaner etc etc. And can any story be truly completely original?

That is more or less where I am with it as well. I absolutely would pick an creative, entertaining or thought provoking story set in a borrowed universe over a boring story in a novel universe. But, if there are two stories which I find equally interesting, originality can be the deciding factor.

I am really surprised I didn't see a Bourne story in here somewhere, and there was part of me hoping Maxwell Smart would make an appearance... but you are right that, when people think of spies, Bond comes to mind.

 

[Ursa major]

The poll has now closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, mosaix!​

​

 

[Jo Zebedee]

The poll has now closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, mosaix!​

​

Huzzah! Nice one

 

[nixie]

Congratulations Mosaix

 

[Cathbad]

I knew I shouldn't've voted for him!

Congrats, @mosaix !

 

[Joshua Jones]

So - we can only be original if we originate the character? Really? It seems to me that’s only one strand of originality.

I have a daughter. She’s 13. She writes all the time. It’s fab fiction. The characters are those she likes - the stories, secondary characters, plot lines, voice is all her own.

Should I tell her she’s failing? Or should I applaud creation in all the variant ways it appears?

Is Romeo+Juliet (the film) not creative? Or West Side Story? Or Clueless? Forbidden Planet?

Not directed entirely at you, Bob, but all the comments in the thread knocking those who used fan fic or established characters. Who are we to choose another’s creativity.

Rant over

You know, they say if you steal one idea, it is plagerism, but if you steal many, it is research. Just throwing that out there for posterity...

In my mind, no, she isn't failing at anything by borrowing. If she wanted to sell those ideas as her own, then I would discourage it, but for the sake of enjoying writing... absolutely nothing wrong with that. The first short I wrote was a novelization of the opening sequence of Halo: Combat Evolved, and I encourage new writers to do that sort of thing to develop their skills without having to worry about the universe and characters.

My principle is, when all else is equal, the more original one gets the nod for my vote. Just like when all else is equal, the one which makes me think or say, "that's deep," will win out over one that is pure entertainment. It is just my preferences in stories, and even though I have my reasons, I don't pretend that those who vote differently are wrong or that I am somehow objective in all this.

So, I would encourage your daughter to keep doing exactly what she likes doing, and one day, she may be as skilled as her mom.

 

[Luiglin]

Congrats @mosaix!

 

[Joshua Jones]

Oh, and congratulations @mosaix! A great story and wonderful twist on an iconic scene. I look forward to your choices for next month!

 

[Phyrebrat]

Congratulations Mosaix. A tearaway win from the get go, the rest was just formality.

@Jo Zebedee - Re originality or whatnot- nobody’s saying anything to you about what to say to your daughters and neither would we, and I don’t see anyone knocking anyone else in this thread (apart from me knocking a serial non-voter, that is. ) I think we’re just expressing our biases. And that’s okay, right?

My position isn’t so much on originality with fanfic but on the ‘unfairness’ (I think ‘helpful leg up’ might be more accurate) of using an already-built world. For example any story about Doctor Who that mentions the time lord going into his spaceship (dimension-ship??) comes with the ready made appearance of such a ship. It’s a blue Police box, right, and we all know it’s larger on the inside and travels through time and space. Imagine getting that information in 75 words and also writing a story.

It’s just plainly obvious that using an existing franchise gives you a sense of milieu that otherwise must be created from scratch.

Sure, original fanfic exists, but the genre was spy fiction anyway.

We all have our own takes and to get put out by someone’s personal voting criteria (not you, Jo, I just mean in general) seems either pointless or entitled.

pH

 

[Cathbad]

seems either pointless or entitled.

I'm entitled to be pointless!!

 

[Phyrebrat]

I'm entitled to be pointless!!

You do it so well, though dahhhling

pH

 

[Calliopenjo]

CONGRATULATIONS MOSAIX!

Thank you, everyone, for reading my story. I do appreciate it. To be honest, I had no idea what to do. I don't write much sci-fi because of the high intelligence level necessary to write that genre. Anyway, I hope all of you have a nice weekend.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

CONGRATULATIONS MOSAIX!

Thank you, everyone, for reading my story. I do appreciate it. To be honest, I had no idea what to do. I don't write much sci-fi because of the high intelligence level necessary to write that genre. Anyway, I hope all of you have a nice weekend.

Ahh, but Spy isn't SF -- it can be anything!