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

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Marvin: The author maintains a delicate balance between two levels of narration in a story that is much more subtle than it appears to be on the surface. By making use of familiar tropes from imaginative fiction, this mixture of the fantastic and the everyday pays tribute to the power of dreams.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Whatever @Dan Jones was on when he wrote his entry, I want some...

 

[etaylor]

@Dan Jones has done the impossible. He has replicated, using a human brain, what you get when you feed an AI drawings of what people see while on acid, make it read Slaughterhouse Five, and then tell it to write a short story.

Good job sir.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

johnnyjet: In this combination of historical fiction and science fiction, the reader learns to hope for the best, even under the worst circumstances. An important additional lesson is that hope also demands trust and sacrifice.

Dan Jones: One is tempted to look only at the sparkling, variegated surface of this breathless madcap romp. By taking a second look, however, we discover a yearning for the imagined natural life, and the tragicomic impossibility of achieving it.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

ozmosis: In this tense and exciting tale of war and vengeance, we see how those who seem to be defeated can rise against their oppressors. Adding to the story's unique appeal is a touch of speculative technology.

 

[Peter V]

I just read the entry from @ Dan Jones

I am going for a lie down!

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Elckerlyc: The classic theme of travel through time is explored in an unusual way in this thoughtful story. In addition to painting a convincing portrait of a towering figure in history, it ponders the seeming contradiction between free will and fate.

 

[olive]

I needed a dictionary for @Dan Jones 's story. LOL

 

[Calliopenjo]

Yeah, same here. I like doing these. THey're fun. It keeps my motor going so to speak. Next time I'll try to get something in.

 

[AMB]

@Calliopenjo I think there's still time for this one, if you can get 300 words done in the next 20 hours.

 

[Mr Orange]

Well so far I have accomplished my goal of entering every challenge in 2020.

i'm in... not quite as rushed as the January 75 worder, but close.

after the chat above i thought i'd head off and read @Dan Jones 's but it's past 10pm here and it doesn't sound like a nightcap kinda tale... maybe i'll leave it for tomorrow.

 

[AMB]

Is the 300 word less popular these days, or are people just having difficulties this time round? I seem to recall in the past there being more entries by this point. That said, I've been gone a few years, so my memory could be faulty.

 

[Peter V]

Is the 300 word less popular these days, or are people just having difficulties this time round? I seem to recall in the past there being more entries by this point. That said, I've been gone a few years, so my memory could be faulty.

I have been a tad busy but I am going to try & come up with something in my lunch hour. I dont so much mind missing a 75 as there is always another one along shortly but if I miss the 300 it's quite a wait. And in all honesty, I prefer the 300 challenge

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Hey, @AMB. First, I like your 300 worder a great deal - it's very effective.

I've been doing the Challenges 6 years, and during that time there've always been more 75 worders posted than 300 worders.
Six years ago, it may have been something like 50-55 75 worders to 35-40 300 worders.
Now it's more like 36-45 75 worders, to 30-35 300 worders. (I am totally making up these numbers! But I think they're fairly close to the averages.) So in general, entries are down a bit, overall.

I think the discussion threads are down a fair bit, as well. But at times things really pick up, so hopefully the Challenges still have a bright, shiny future ahead of them. CC

 

[Shyrka]

It's tricky with the discussion thread sometimes. You're not really supposed to discuss the entries too much ahead of the vote so...

 

[Peter V]

I am in. Rarely do I post something without at least sleeping on it.

I will probably read it tomorrow and cringe.

 

[The Judge]

Just to confirm, discussion of stories is fine! The only thing that isn't allowed is an author explaining his/her story. So, for instance, I can speculate on Dan's story and give my theory of the synergy of intersectionality, post-modern existentialism and the inhaling of noxious substances, plus what exactly is happening in the story, but Dan can't talk about it and what it means, not should he respond to my witterings and say whether I'm right.

Otherwise, go right ahead and discuss!

 

[Star-child]

I don't know about anyone else, but I can write a 75 word story in 15 minutes if I've already been thinking about it. Finding time to make 300 words come together is more of a challenge.


I enjoyed @Dan Jones' story, but noted an unnecessary comma.

 

[Elckerlyc]

The only thing I dare say with any certainty about Dan's story is that someone certainly has been foiled! The question is who foiled who.

 

[AMB]

I have a tendency not to properly read any until submissions are closed, so they all benefit from the same number of readings, rather than the earlier ones percolating longer and potentially gaining favour through familiarity. Does make discussion difficult though.