DISCUSSION -- OCTOBER 2018 300-word Writing Challenge (#31)

[Cathbad]

As below, so above. @chrispenycate - The world, from a perspective we probably hadn't considered before. A piece of ichthyological philosophy that, frankly, has me questioning my circumstances...

 

[Cathbad]

Washed Up @Graymalkin - A story both philosophical and speculative. Arnold's auntie tried to tell him the seashell was special. Just how special, he didn't realize until she was gone. Not dead, just... gone!

 

[Mr Orange]

You might not make the 300-word challenge, but you've got a 1600-word short story in the making. Good stuff.

500 words now. still plenty of time. right?

 

[Karn's Return]

DEO: A clever little tale of caution on who to trust, and though two different people may have a common enemy, that doesn’t automatically mean they will become strange bedfellows. The poor mermaids, though…and there’s the reasons I never order the filet o’ fish at McDonalds.


Littlestar: Even the gods are not completely infallible, and we must tread carefully, for who knows what they will perceive as a misstep in their presence? There is some to be said about the value of work, after all, the tribe would not have fish to eat if nobody went out to gather them, but there is some to be said about play, too.


Chrispenycate: A tale of philosophy that has an ironic twist, in that it is saying that philosophy itself is ultimately useless in the grand scheme of things. There will always be the pyramid of power and place, and those at the top can be cruel and sadistic. That it is ultimately useless to think beyond your station is the lesson I am seeing here.


Graymalkan: I get the vibe of kelpies here again, though perhaps this is an interpretation to where they are a bit more…compassionate, or kind at least, than normal. Then again, kelpies are known to be tricksters to drag their victims below. But, who’s to say that they don’t actually give those they take a truly better existence?

 

[Karn's Return]

Not much time left, I'm afraid, Mr. Orange, if I remember correctly.


I may not be though...I really can't remember for the 300.

 

[Mr Orange]

i think i have 4 hours? and it's day time here so no need for sleep. should probably do some work though

 

[Cathbad]

Writing is work!

 

[Rafellin]

Writing is work!

Nope. It's pretty much everything except breathing.

 

[The Judge]

500 words now. still plenty of time. right?

i think i have 4 hours? and it's day time here so no need for sleep. should probably do some work though

Yep, just under 4 hours from when you posted last; around 3 hours 20 mins as I type this.

I've managed to get mine down from 380 to 302-ish, but as fast as I delete a couple of unnecessary words, I add another two which I'm convinced are indispensable.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Wow. I never thought I'd get it done, but three rewrites later and countless tweaks I decided enough was enough. Still not happy, but deadline looms.

On a not unrelated note, Shakespeare is great for titles isn't he?

 

[Cathbad]

With Man’s Blood Paint The Ground @M. Robert Gibson - "With great power comes... great consequence." A Prince uses a weapon to save his father. So powerful is the weapon, it can destroy both enemy... and wielder.

 

[The Judge]

I'm in.

I had the initial idea when I first saw Alex's lovely picture -- and I'm surprised no one else had the same thought as it's so much like a drawing -- but it's taken me until this afternoon to try and get a feasible plot out of it. Since that plot really wanted to be told in something around 1500 words, I'm not convinced what's down is intelligible, but it'll have to do!

 

[Mr Orange]

Yep, just under 4 hours from when you posted last; around 3 hours 20 mins as I type this.

and i'm in... it's not great and it's been slashed, but i'm in... i'm happy i managed to write something as i had the idea as soon as i saw the photo in the voting thread

 

[Cathbad]

Fishing @The Judge - Some people are artists, some fishermen. Here's a rare tale, indeed, where art is used as the bait for what the protagonist fishes for. And when she finally catches her prey, her reward will be great - and his demise complete.

 

[Cathbad]

Witches End @Phyrebrat - Gran was a mysterious lady, for sure. Long after she was gone, Sam discovers just how strange... and how powerful she really was.

The Yú Pool @Mr Orange - A young man searches for his dead brother. After an accident with his boat, he finds himself in a place not quite the one he'd just been - and his brother - very much alive - is there! But there is much more to this tale than is told, and the reader is left wanting more - much more!

Magic Circles @Ursa major - He thought he was a scientist. But he learned that science was but a portal to his real occupation. One must learn all about the world before one could successfully attain that occupation. Because magic is stupid.

 

[Ursa major]

The challenge has closed and the voting is now open.

To cast your THREE votes, use the link below.

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Please vote for your top THREE choices; note that all three votes must be cast AT THE SAME TIME to count.​

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[Mr Orange]

Thanks for the review @Cathbad. i had much more in my first draft but thought the mods might notice my excess 500 words... and there is something very interesting in your review which i might go into further once the votin's done

 

[Karn's Return]

I shall need to vote and finish up the reviews later. Probably shouldn't have undertaken reviewing the 300s...

 

[Phyrebrat]

I shall need to vote and finish up the reviews later. Probably shouldn't have undertaken reviewing the 300s...

I was surprised - and impressed - when I checked this thread after finally posting an entry and saw how many you'd done and how long your reviews were! At least if you get the urge again, it's another three months.

pH

 

[Karn's Return]

It'll depend on how I'll be feeling then. I'll keep doing them for the 75s as long as I don't mess up again, but it's rather harder for me to do so for the 300s, honestly, as I don't have very good eyes and reading the text on the site here can really be...a bit of a B to read, to be honest.


And don't get me wrong, I'll finish up reviewing the last of this batch of 300s, but for January, I don't know...