DISCUSSION -- JANUARY 2020 300-word Writing Challenge (#36)

[elvet]

@Victoria Silverwolf I always look forward to your thoughtful reviews. Thank you.

 

[Danny McG]

I'm in, I enjoyed writing that one

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

dannymcg: The tension and rapid pace of this thrilling work of military science fiction heightens the reader's expectations for a powerful conclusion. The author does not disappoint, with an ending that serves as a thoughtful examination of cruelty.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Jesse Harris: In this dream-like vision of the far future and an unimaginably distant place, it is the small details that make it seem as familiar as our own reality. The sweeping imagination of the author is matched by universal theme of yearning for one's roots.

 

[Luiglin]

Got an idea but struggling to put finger to keyboard. Real world is forcing me to either watch telly at night or conquer territory in Warhammer Total War II.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Let it marinate until it's bubbling, then pour it onto the page!

 

[Starbeast]

I did a slow cook for 19 days. My computer kept blinking out.

However, I finally got a chance to post.

 

[Danny McG]

I did a slow cook for 19 days. My computer kept blinking out.

However, I finally got a chance to post.

Ha!
"The dashing Captain Starbeast"

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

mosaix: The author creates a fine sense of suspense by placing the narrator in an unfamiliar time and place, with a minimum of information. Through the use of this technique the open-ended conclusion fires the reader's imagination.

telpereon: The time-honored method of beginning a story in media res serves to make this tale of crime and punishment seem like a small part of a much larger epic. This sense of much that has already happened, and more that will occur, make it seem like life itself.

Starbeast: This tongue-in-cheek adventure across space and time makes the playful but important point that it is often the small things that really matter to us. The rest of the universe pales into insignificance compared to what we really love.

Daysman: The intellectual appeal of this tale of future and present is in the circular logic of its plot. The self-replicating nature of the premise causes the reader's mind to spin in a similar fashion.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Phyrebrat: The convincing yet perfectly clear 19th century style of this story brings its setting in a supernatural version of the past to life. In addition to being a chilling tale of terror, it can be read as commentary on important social issues.

AMB: In this poetic tribute to the rhythmic seasons of nature we witness the author's gift for mood and description. It also seems likely that an allegory about the transition to adulthood is intended.

 

[AMB]

Thank you fr the kind words, @Victoria Silverwolf

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

etaylor: In this historical fantasy, the use of vivid sensory details make a past that never was seem real. Through this technique, the fantastic content of the story becomes completely convincing.

 

[etaylor]

@Victoria Silverwolf - Thank you. But I should warn you... (Hopefully the gif shows)
.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

olive: This haunting, dream-like tale has a surrealistic quality to it, drawing the reader into its strange world in a quiet but powerful way. The fact that not everything is fully explained creates a sense of mystery.

 

[Luiglin]

Well the idea is still there but ended up being supplanted... strangely enough whilst having a coffee.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Luiglin: By meditating upon the very act of creation itself, the author transforms this self-referential tale into an introspective essay with which we can all identify. The use of a familiar, ordinary setting reminds us that there are no limits to the imagination, no matter the surroundings.

Abernovo: In this refreshingly optimistic vision of a future world, the use of speculative elements as background serve to draw one's attention to the story's consideration of gender fluidity. The fact that this is taken for granted by all concerned inspires the reader to hope for a better tomorrow.

 

[Abernovo]

Thank you for the lovey review, Victoria.

Okay, I'm in, after realising this was a story that I had to prevent from hitting a thousand words. Bang on the nose of 300. I'm hoping three or four of those words might even be decent. I'm never sure.

 

[etaylor]

@Abernovo I've noticed with several of these stories, even in writing mine, that there's some pain to this process. I could tell from your first several segments that this was something building up to something much more in your mind. Then that 300 word limit approaches like a brick wall and forces you to slam on the breaks.

It's an uncomfortable circumstance to have to write in. I would have liked to have seen more of this story.

 

[Abernovo]

@Abernovo I've noticed with several of these stories, even in writing mine, that there's some pain to this process. I could tell from your first several segments that this was something building up to something much more in your mind. Then that 300 word limit approaches like a brick wall and forces you to slam on the breaks.

It's an uncomfortable circumstance to have to write in. I would have liked to have seen more of this story.

Thank you. I don't mind the 300 word limit, as it makes me write cleanly and concisely. In this case, it was simply that the characters did blossom in my head in a way which could have supported a much larger story.

 

[Elckerlyc]

The 300 word limit certainly is a challenge. Nothing wrong in that. The first challenge, though, is finding the right story to tell. I had to dismiss 3 tries this month, simply because I couldn't tell them decently and properly in 300 words.
Luckily the 4th try, and totally different approach, was (nearly) bang on in first draft. Still shaving and polishing, but that's because I'm never satisfied.

But even so, the story begs for an extended version. There's always so much you must leave unmentioned.