DISCUSSION THREAD -- April 2020 -- 85-Word Writing Challenge

[BT Jones]

Well, I finally have something. Not sure whether it properly meets the theme (it's more inspired by the 300 worder, which I still haven't got anything for). All depends on the looseness of interpretation of "visit" and "another world". For me, it just about meets it from a certain point of view, but it might not be enough for others.

Trying to decide whether to publish and be damned or sit on it and hope another idea comes along. I'm struggling this month.

@AMB There's plenty of time yet! Sleep on it a while longer.

 

[BT Jones]

Well, I finally have something. Not sure whether it properly meets the theme (it's more inspired by the 300 worder, which I still haven't got anything for). All depends on the looseness of interpretation of "visit" and "another world". For me, it just about meets it from a certain point of view, but it might not be enough for others.

Trying to decide whether to publish and be damned or sit on it and hope another idea comes along. I'm struggling this month.

@AMB There's plenty of time yet! Sleep on it a while longer.

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I've finally entered my story I think it fits the bill.

 

[Parson]

@Ian Fortytwo .... I had visited this planet before .... Ian shows how our new world

@StilLearning .... The uninvited Universe .... Still L reminds us that visitors to a new world are actually uninvited guests.

 

[Parson]

@Kharn .... The Re-conquest of Baran, 204.M41 .... Kharn takes us to a place where retreat is impossible even when the earth moves under your feet.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Terrific story, Simbelmynë - well done!

 

[Astro Pen]

Nice one Simbelmynë, I liked that.
'Unmechanical'

 

[Parson]

@Simbelmynë .... A Garden in the Cells .... Sim reminds us of another world that many in our time and before have inhabited and survived in.

 

[Simbelmynë]

Thanks guys, had fun writing this one.

 

[Parson]

@Peeling .... Excursion .... Peeling writes a story that is the stuff of nightmares for teachers and children, but oh the possibilities there are on a new world.

@nixie .... We will always have dreams .... Nixie brings us to that beautiful world waiting for us at the end.

 

[Peter V]

Just read my entry & noticed I put my spare 85th word in the wrong place. About 2 minutes too late to edit.

I'd rather it was 86 words and removed

 

[Parson]

@Peter V .... Observation: Great Plague, London. Mission Ref 209-B. 08-15-1665 .... Peter reminds us that a new world is not always our intended world.

-- I don't discern a word horribly out of place. It works for me.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

M. Robert Gibson demonstrates the frustrations of over-regulation.

BT Jones presents the differing viewpoints of social classes far removed from each other.

Daysman offers a portrait of the inevitable changes wrought by time.

Ian Fortytwo observes a drastic change in world culture.

StilLearning ponders the possible reason for an unexpected encounter.

Kharn sounds a grim warning of the consequences of war.

Simbelmynë seeks for a desperate solution to the problem of loneliness.

Peeling shows how endings can lead to new beginnings.

nixie creates a way to confront the inevitable.

Hugh warns of the awkwardness of culture shock.

Artoriarius suggests a reason for certain historic decisions.

Peter V makes one aware of the importance of using technology correctly.

 

[The Judge]

Just read my entry & noticed I put my spare 85th word in the wrong place. About 2 minutes too late to edit.

I'd rather it was 86 words and removed

I think most people, at least first time round, will read it as you meant it to read, rather than what it actually says, so don't worry. (And in fact it adds a certain piquancy to the plot that way round! Who else has been there?!)

 

[Cat's Cradle]

I came to say the same thing as TJ, @Peter V. I think almost everyone will get the word order you intended, and I'd hope that one word wouldn't matter when it came to listings, and voting.

I've entered whole stories I wish I could have deleted, so not just 1 word, but 75. And there's always another Challenge just around the bend. But it'll be fine, hope you're past the worry, CC

 

[Elckerlyc]

One could (even) wonder whether this isn't a very sly method of pushing your story to the forefront... unfortunately betrayed by your story where your MC thought to be invisible, but was not.

 

[Hugh]

I had to read it several times before I realised what you were talking about.

Please postpone the ritual hara-kiri.

 

[Peter V]

One could (even) wonder whether this isn't a very sly method of pushing your story to the forefront... unfortunately betrayed by your story where your MC thought to be invisible, but was not.

Alas I am far too simple a fellow to stoop to such artifice and being a slave to perfection cannot easily dismiss my carelessness. Unfortunately being a slave to it does not lend itself to actually being it. Frequently!

 

[Peter V]

I must say I appreciate all the supportive comments, thank you.

I shall turn my hand to the 300 with more diligence. Now where is my muse hiding?

 

[chrispenycate]

Seriously it would be a amazing if those still around who took part in the first challenge participate in this one

So, I wound back my spreadsheet to the beginning, the big bang of challenges as it might be, and eliminated entrants with fewer than ten submissions over the ten years (BookStop with 9, chopper with 7, ctg with 4, Dang with 1, Dave with 2, dwndrgn with 2, emilymarie070750 with 2, Faraway with 2, Heoru with 6, Interference with 1, Jayaprakash Satyamurthy with 1, Leisha with 8, McMunchie with 1, mygoditsraining with 8, Peter Graham with 6, Quokka with 9, RCGrant with 3, Sephiroth 7 and Toby Frost with 1), who probably can't be bullied into joining in (particularly the ones who tried once and discovered it was work, so went away), and leaving out such as have already submitted for this anniversary edition, I get this list: Boneman, Chel, Culhwch, Devil's Advocate, HareBrain, Hilarious Joke, HoopyFrood, J Riff, Karn, Moonbat, mosaix, Parson, Precise Calibre, reiver33, Talysia, Teresa Edgerton, The Judge, TheDustyZebra, TheEndIsNigh, Ursa major and Wybren. Now, some of those are renown for their last-minitude, and would doubtless be joining us anyway, while others have discovered the egress, and are unlikely to be bulliable through the veil, several are still around and could possibly be persuaded to celebrate this milestone with an entry. After all, the record for entries stands at seventy-five, for seventy five words (in April 2012, and believe me, voting that month was not easy), could we not get eighty-five for the new, special 85 worder? Particularly with all these newcomers to our ranks? Is anyone in contact with any of these lost souls? Not that we wouldn't be happy to see any of those from the intermediate years, but there'd be about six hundred enties if everyone came back.

So, many thanks to Parson and Victoria for attempting to decode my overcomplicated versification…