DISCUSSION THREAD -- May 2020 -- 75-Word Writing Challenge

[Ursa major]

WHERE is my pink keyboard?!

The long wig is confusing me. Is that meant to be you or Danny...?

​

 

[Garfunkel]

Owls, eh?

Time to draw on my beloved Twin Peaks for inspiration...

 

[Danny McG]

Owls, eh?

It'll be a hoot this month

 

[Ursa major]

It'll be a hoot this month

Not to mention that's there's an opportunity for those who like writing about an "old-fashioned" search for a marriage partner...

...to wit, to woo....

​

 

[Parson]

 

[Daysman]

Okay, so no idea what that was about, but it's posted.

G'night all !

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

For those having problem figuring out what the genre is (it is a rather old sub-genre of SFF, with some more recent offshoots) here is one explanation:

So You Want to Read Weird Fiction: Here's Where to Start | Penguin Random House

It could be that you're in the mood to dust off some old Edgar Allan Poe classics. Perhaps you've ventured into the world of H.P. Lovecraft and now want to expand those dark horizons. Or maybe you just...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

Lovecraft himself is, of course, a good example, also Clark Ashton Smith, and much of Poe would fit. But there are newer writers (yes, even newer than New Weird authors like China Mieville and Jeff Vandermeer). For instance, I recently read a series by Ruthanna Emrys, based on the Lovecraft mythos, but with some original touches of her own.

For those wondering about the theme: "night owl" is an idiom for those who do most of their living by night (insomniacs, vampires, those who work the night shift, etc.), but of course the words can be interpreted literally and I expect we will see a lot of stories with real owls.

 

[AMB]

Huh. By that explanation a fair few of this quarter's 300 word stories might be weird fiction.

 

[Calliopenjo]

OK. I'll see what I can do with this one. I promise not to forget this time.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Daysman: Sometimes it's hard to get used to the quirks of our roommates.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Joking aside, I’m a huge fan of weird fiction. The short stories of M.R James and Arthur Machen occupy this genre and many Bradbury.

One of the great things about weird fiction is the absence of explanation; in many ghost stories for example, there is often the tropes of settling an unsolved crime or murder, but weird fiction suffers no such stricture. It just is.The HP Lovecraft podcast often bemoan promising weird fiction that ties things up neatly and edges towards mystery or horror.

My favourite is Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to you by James and Machen’s The Terror or The Red Hand.

HTH.

pH

 

[Parson]

@Daysman .... Harry @ Midnight .... There is a midnight visit that's expected or not or is or not.

@Victoria Silverwolf .... The Reign of Darkness ,,,, On a world far away magic is powerful and darkness is now eternal.

*** Please forgive my reviews this month. I knew I was in trouble when I was reading about the genre and it was considered bad form to have any conclusion, except that there is a continual increasing sense of foreboding. I will likely miss the stories by a mile.

 

[Karn's Return]

Yeah, I looked the term up the other day, and I must say...I do think I'd be feeling Poe on this one. Lovecraft is alright but his time was during a period I really didn't care for...


Still having a bit of a hard time here, wondering what to do about it...

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

BT Jones: The objects we create can often reflect themselves, as well as their creators.

 

[HoopyFrood]

My favourite is Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to you

Absolutely one of my top favourite stories, it is creepy and weird as heck!

 

[Danny McG]

I'm in, Huzzah!
I tried to combine someone being awake all night with an owl, you can see the outcome

 

[BT Jones]

View attachment 63491

I was just thinking that we need a 'Groan' emoji. This would be perfect!

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

dannymcg: It is difficult to keep one's true nature hidden.

scarpelius: Our deepest fears are the one we cannot fully understand.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Joking aside, I’m a huge fan of weird fiction. The short stories of M.R James and Arthur Machen occupy this genre and many Bradbury.

One of the great things about weird fiction is the absence of explanation; in many ghost stories for example, there is often the tropes of settling an unsolved crime or murder, but weird fiction suffers no such stricture. It just is.The HP Lovecraft podcast often bemoan promising weird fiction that ties things up neatly and edges towards mystery or horror.

My favourite is Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to you by James and Machen’s The Terror or The Red Hand.

HTH.

pH

Yes, I agree. Weird fiction does not need to tie up all the loose ends and explain everything; that's what your own imagination is for. M.R.James was very good at this, often telling stories from the perspective of the narrator , who is only human and can only tell you what he has seen or been old; there may be an historical background, but it is up to the reader to determine how much is true and how much is in the imagination of the teller. Oh Whistle is a very good story, but I think my favourite is either The Mezzotint or Casting The Runes. In the latter story, the description of what the protagonist finds under his pillow one night pretty much encapsulates weird fiction for me - read if you dare!

 

[Mouse]

Yeah, I wanted it to be challenging but not super difficult or restrictive.

Saying that, I have no idea what I'm going to write.

BT Jones's story - I've been mentioned in a few 75 word stories now, especially back in the day. Do I win some sort of prize for that?