Discussion Thread -- APRIL 2020 -- 300-Worder Writing Challenge (#37)

[Parson]

@Hugh .... Some things never change…. .... Hugh makes me chuckle as he points out that even on new worlds ..... some ....... things ..... never ..... change.

@Artoriarius .... Circulus Ignis .... Art reminds us how a new world is established when it's history is changed.

 

[Mr Orange]

My draft is complete and I have a question for the word-count pixies: MS Word has changed "two hundred year old" to "two-hundred-year-old" and is now calling this one word. is this correct as per the handbook? those extra three words would be very useful - it'll mean I only have 297 to edit out...

 

[The Judge]

Mr O, let us have the whole sentence (PM it to one of us if you want to avoid spoilers here!) and we'll have a conflab about it in the Staff Room. The reason being it might well be a compound adjective, but we need to see it in context to be sure.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Astro Pen: The possibilities of a wondrous new technology answer many questions but also raise new ones in this thoughtful SF story.

Rafellin: The playful and yet deadly serious nature of human interaction is highlighted in this two-character drama.

Guttersnipe: The danger of seeking our fate too intently comes across strongly in this eerie creation.

BT Jones: The price that must often be paid for survival in extreme circumstances is revealed in this mixture of past and present.

Bren G: The way in which ambition is most effective when best concealed is revealed in this clever tale.

Ian Fortytwo: The mysterious nature of time and space is pondered in this surreal prose poem.

Cat's Cradle: The seemingly supernatural power of art is deepened in this intriguing fantasy.

Karn's Return: The effect that literature has upon the human mind and spirit comes across in this allegorical story.

 

[Bren G]

Thus far, almost 5,000 words have been written in both writing challenges. That's enough for a short story.

Wondered, have you all tried to write one using the sequential contributions of individual authors? Could be fun especially if Pantsing is the rule of the day.

 

[Parson]

Many moons ago there was some talk about writing a book as a collection of 75's but talk is all there was.

I'm a little confused about the idea. Are you saying that I would make a story/book by stringing all my stories in all the 75's together? Or is the idea to publish a month's worth of everyone's stories?

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@Victoria Silverwolf .... Spectra .... Victoria develops a very interesting myth that sounds so credible one could almost believe it tells more real truth than mythic truth.

 

[Bren G]

Many moons ago there was some talk about writing a book as a collection of 75's but talk is all there was.

I'm a little confused about the idea. Are you saying that I would make a story/book by stringing all my stories in all the 75's together? Or is the idea to publish a month's worth of everyone's stories?

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@Victoria Silverwolf .... Spectra .... Victoria develops a very interesting myth that sounds so credible one could almost believe it tells more real truth than mythic truth.

What if say, you wrote the first 75 words, then I write the next, and then someone else chips in 75... and so on. We'd likely have to select the # of writers as finite so that each knows their role. ie. 1st person opens, last person closes and the middle ones will need to figure it out No predetermined plot either. I kind of recall Thieves World was something like this but that does way back..

 

[Menolly]

Hello everyone! Just joined the forum, looking for some distraction from covid related stress. Wonderful to read all your stories, amazing work! I'm adding one of my own, first fiction I write since, well high school. And I don't want to dwell on how long ago that was... Anyways, hopefully it's worthy, it definitely has been fun writing. And then cutting it down in half to fit the word count... but still fun!

 

[Parson]

@Menolly .... Butterflies in the Attic .... Menolly gives us a peek into a new world that sounds quite lovely.
Welcome to the 300 word challenge! Nice story.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Menolly provides a glimpse into another world that casts a bright light upon our own.

 

[Parson]

@johnnyjet .... The Man Who Promptly Forgot What He Looked Like the Moment He Walked Away from the Mirror .... Johnny tells us a tale of in which the curse of a King is defeated .... or is it?

 

[Phyrebrat]

Thus far, almost 5,000 words have been written in both writing challenges. That's enough for a short story.

Wondered, have you all tried to write one using the sequential contributions of individual authors? Could be fun especially if Pantsing is the rule of the day.

Funnily enough I have a scrivener project which is all my 75 and 300 worders (only the ones I liked) in case one day when I’m independently wealthy I might offer them out.

But already (Humblebrag alert) my friend is a lecturer at Boston uni in the states and has been using my 300s as resources for their creative writing Degree. She asked me if I wanted to see any of the readings essays and I kinda do but kinda don’t. Sadly it doesn’t seem to have much swing with Hodder and Stoughton

 

[Parson]

But already (Humblebrag alert) my friend is a lecturer at Boston uni in the states and has been using my 300s as resources for their creative writing Degree. She asked me if I wanted to see any of the readings essays and I kinda do but kinda don’t.

Quit dithering and do it. This is a chance that a lot of people never will get.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Quit dithering and do it. This is a chance that a lot of people never will get.

I’m weighing up whether or not ignorance is bliss. But September is the soonest I will be able to see them as the papers won’t be published till then.

pH

 

[Parson]

I’m weighing up whether or not ignorance is bliss. But September is the soonest I will be able to see them as the papers won’t be published till then.

pH

I guess that leaves you time to do more weighing and waffling.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I have something. It’s ridiculously dark.

 

[Danny McG]

I have something. It’s ridiculously dark.

Go for it Jo, I've got possibly the darkest one I've ever scribbled, I'm only doing some final messing about with a paragraph that clashes a bit so (hopefully) I'll be posting it over the weekend.
Let's see who's got the darkest!

 

[Elckerlyc]

I still don't have any ideas for a story. But I haven't looked for my muse in the dark corners. Perhaps I should.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Go for it Jo, I've got possibly the darkest one I've ever scribbled, I'm only doing some final messing about with a paragraph that clashes a bit so (hopefully) I'll be posting it over the weekend.
Let's see who's got the darkest!

Money on it, Danny ...?

 

[Abernovo]

I have something. It’s ridiculously dark.

You? Writing something dark? I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you. The only thing which could shock me more would be to learn that you'd written about nuns....

*runs*