Discussion Thread November 2019 75 Word Writing Challenge.

[Daysman]

Broadband back up yet again but still no phone line... so, here's my top 5 in addition to my earlier vote for mosaix:

• @Victoria Silverwolf
• @MoominAhoy
• @dannymcg
• @Culhwch
• @Parson

Thanks to Parson & Victoria Silverwolf each for your spirited oneliners.

I thought this months might be fun, and though I kinda lost the plot, you all certainly brought it!

G'night!

 

[Starbeast]

Broadband back up yet again but still no phone line...

I thought this months might be fun, and though I kinda lost the plot, you all certainly brought it!

G'night!

Asset Management - Great drama. A saddened agent wishes he was at his daughter's birthday, and at the same time, he must complete his mission, or else.

I hope you get your phone working again. Sleep tight, and don't let the robots fight.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Operative Heijan Xavier warns the Agency not to mix business with pleasure.

Operative Parson reminds the Agency that boredom is a deadly enemy.

Operative chrispenycate advises the Agency to keep an eye on the one percent.

Operative HazelRah instructs the Agency to think before acting.

Operative LittleStar teaches the Agency about the importance of balancing life with work.

Operative Abernovo tells the Agency about the human side of the business.

Operative Perpetual Man shows the Agency the tragic consequences of small mistakes.

Operative ctg enlightens the Agency as to the vital element of surprise.

Operative The Judge alerts the Agency as to the critical nature of secrecy in all matters.

Operative TheDustyZebra orders the Agency to consider psychological weaknesses.

Operative Artoriarius commands the Agency to take extreme measures when necessary.

Operative Ursa major informs the Agency as to the critical nature of a good memory.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

My vote goes to reiver33.

 

[Alex The G and T]

I was thrilled to see that you entered the challenge. Excellent spy story you wrote. Any idea about a title yet?

Oh, thank you, Beastly one, for noticing. Yes it's been a while. I've been distracted. In fact it's been so long, and I was so enthralled with the meat of the adventure, that I forgot that a Title might be useful. I read my own bit three more times and I still can't figure a title odd enough for it.

****

Meanwhile, as for favorites, the coded puzzle pieces seem to have gone over my head. I was drawn to sidewise references.

@D3athw4lker 's Austin Powers, @sketch_livingstone 's very old girl band pop song, @elvet 's Marilyn Monroe.

@Cat's Cradle reminds me that I need to start wearing ear buds, blaring Heavy Metal, when I go shopping. Gawds, I can barely abide regular Musak; the seasonal tripe makes me want to flee, screaming.

@Shyrka , your Cad didn't get what he deserved. No happy endings for that blighter, sez me.

On a completely different note, purely subjective, I guess I'll vote for @Marvin because it's just so horrifying.

 

[nixie]

Oh, thank you, Beastly one, for noticing. Yes it's been a while. I've been distracted. In fact it's been so long, and I was so enthralled with the meat of the adventure, that I forgot that a Title might be useful. I read my own bit three more times and I still can't figure a title odd enough for it.

There is no escaping this party

 

[Zoe Mackay]

Unusual genre!

I voted for Victoria Silverwolf - I think that kind of thing's complicated to pull off, and it's difficult enough normally to make a story in 75 words, to put a puzzle in as well is a trick worthy of the great Swedish magician Lennart Green.

Mentions to:
Pedro De La Mar - really nailed a Le Carre-ish atmosphere.
Shuffle 093 - Loved the theme focus - this felt like a birthday story with a spy-telling, rather than a spy story with birthday incident
The Judge - For a really novel take on the theme.

 

[nixie]

@Alex The G and T or you could have The Party is not Enough.

I'll leave quietly

 

[MoominAhoy]

Thank you so much @Daysman for the mention, truly appreciate it

 

[Alex The G and T]

Great ideas, @nixie. How about "On Her Majesties Party Service."

"Octoparty." "The Party who Loved Me" ... Okay, okay, now it's just getting silly..

 

[nixie]

I do like Octoparty.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Tight race! I voted yesterday for Victoria Silverwolf. Loved that one from the moment I read it. A really unique, fun take on the Challenge, and it really packed a wallop as the first entry. Here is my short list:

reiver33, mosaix, Shuffle093, Starbeast, The Judge.

A fun set of stories to read, well done all!

A HUGE thanks to @Perpetual Man for the vote! Thanks, PM - I really hadn't expected any this month. Also, thank you to Alex the G and T for the mention.

 

[Star-child]

Thanks much to @Marvin!

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Mentions to:
Pedro De La Mar - really nailed a Le Carre-ish atmosphere.

Many, many thanks Zoe for your mention and you’re absolutely spot on about the atmosphere I was aiming to create

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Well done all, challenging month.
My vote goes to @Margaret Note Spelling for creating a beautiful moment of nostalgia.
Worthy mentions:
@elvet
@Shyrka
@Ursa major

 

[RJM Corbet]

... RJM Corbet and ... for being differently special

Cheers Crispen. Thank you

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

Might we end up with a tie this month?

 

[The Judge]

Hmmm. Quite a few of the stories this month seemed a bit same-y to my eye -- always a peril with a narrow theme -- so I was looking for things that were slightly different, though one or two were so different I didn't understand them...

Anyhow, my not-so-secret shortlist is:

Cat's Cradle -- Stop, Please -- I'll Tell You Everything​

Culhwch -- The Gift​

Heijan Xavier -- Love Is Poison​

jackwinabox -- RECIPROCITY​

Marvin -- All in a days work​

mosaix -- Once A Spy...​

reiver33 -- By Any Other Name​

Star-child -- You Are Cordially Invited ...​

The vote came down to a cold war epic between a disillusioned commissar from Culhwch and mosaix's birthday girl (both of them being spied upon I realised as I typed this) but in the end Culwych (clearly going undercover ) won it for his story's world-weary voice.

And Danny gets the special award for the funniest title (and for referencing a great spy novel!).

I nearly didn't enter this month as inspiration was so long coming, but I'm glad I cobbled something together, and gladder still it got a little notice. So suitably Dead-Letter Dropped Birthday Thanks for the lovely mentions/shortlistings Star-child, Vince, nixie, Chris p, elvet, Zoe and CC, and humungous ciphered and coded birth day thanks for the wonderful vote Hugh!

 

[Marvin]

Honourable mention for:
@mosaix
@elvet
@HazelRah

Vote went to:
@Star-child

Loads of good stuff as usual. A lot of surprise parties!

Many thanks to @HazelRah @The Judge for the listings
and special thanks to @Alex The G and T for a very welcome vote. I had almost given up hope this month.

 

[Shyrka]

After a bit of a mad scramble to read them all I voted for @Culhwch's wonderfully-atmospheric cold war-esque thriller. The gritty melancholy it invoked seemed almost perfect. Simple, but effective. Top marks!