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

[Parson]

@M. Robert Gibson .... The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry .... M Rob reminds us to never expect we know the end of the story until we have read the end of the story.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Gosh, this month really was a challenge for me. Back to verse for me, as I often struggle to make myself coherent in 75 words in a short story. I have full admiration for all of you who do.

 

[scarpelius]

Hmm... I see @Ursa major already posted his entry. Does it means the thread is going to be locked or do I still have time till midnight?

 

[The Judge]

He does post early sometimes -- I suspect in order to raise late entrants' collective blood pressure!

Anyhow, don't panic! The thread will be open to midnight GMT, so several hours yet.

 

[scarpelius]

Thanks @The Judge.
I'm in. I come up the idea several days ago, but hadn't got the time to finish it.

 

[Ursa major]

I suspect in order to raise late entrants' collective blood pressure!

Would I do something like that...?

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[The Judge]

And I'm in, too. And it's pure coincidence I'm following scarpelius's spoiled broth...

I see I'm number 35, and with most -- all? -- of the usual suspects having entered, it looks like we won't be hitting 40, let alone the magic 42, but then it's not over till it's over, and all's well that ends well, so we'll just have to make the best of a bad job, though every cloud has a silver lining.

 

[scarpelius]

And I'm in, too. And it's pure coincidence I'm following scarpelius's spoiled broth...

I would never spill my broth, no matter what

 

[chrispenycate]

My sheet says we're missing AstroZon, Elckerlyc, Maya13, Stable, Starbeast and Vince W of the usual suspects. And TDZ, but she's been away for a couple of months already. Joshua Jones? DEA? I don't think we're going to make it - looks as if they're all going on a summer holiday.

 

[nixie]

I wasn't going to enter, I'll apologise now for the complete drivel I've just posted

 

[Ursa major]

My sheet says we're missing [...] Maya13

Maya13 posted an entry a couple of hours ago.

 

[chrispenycate]

I wasn't going to enter, I'll apologise now for the complete drivel I've just posted

And nice to see you.

 

[The Judge]

I wasn't going to enter, I'll apologise now for the complete drivel I've just posted

*contemplates administering a SLAP to someone...*

 

[The Judge]

And I'm in, too. And it's pure coincidence I'm following scarpelius's spoiled broth...

I would never spill my broth, no matter what

Apologies, scarpelius! Your complete innocence of broth-spilling and -spoiling is hereby recognised! For some reason I read your name on Maya 13's entry! (It's been a long day...) The broth-spoiler is indeed Maya 13.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

paranoid marvin: Many make sacrifices that go unnoticed.

Ursa major: The history of invention is not always recorded with full accuracy.

scarpelius: Diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

Maya13: Small changes in a device can lead to large consequences.

The Judge: Too many wits spoil the thought.

nixie: There is no limit to the perversity of inanimate objects.

 

[Ursa major]

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The challenge has now closed to new entries.

The poll is now open at the link below:

POLL -- August 2020 75-Word Challenge -- READ FIRST POST!​

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[Victoria Silverwolf]

Vote goes to Parson for an all-too-relevant fable.

 

[Parson]

@paranoid marvin .... Be Careful What You Wish For .... P. M. tells the tale of woe for those who mine black coal.

@Ursa major .... Build a Better Mousetrap… .... Ursa brings us a competition whose winner might not be all that clear.

@scarpelius .... Mr. Cogs ate so many apples... .... Scar does a neat steam twist on a proverb that he has made more true rather than less in the twist.

@Maya13 .... Revenge is a dish best served hot .... As M-13 brings her broth to a boil and her vengeance is cooled.

@The Judge .... In Which the Rather Too Numerous Cook Family - Initiate the Launch of One of Her Britannic Majesty's Space Ships - Whilst Employing Pithy Aphorisms .... Her honor wins for the most British of titles and explains the end of the British space program and all in 75 words (plus or minus the title).

@nixie .... New Fangled Machines .... Nixie makes literal what I always thought was allegorical.

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And Beautiful day! A vote from @Victoria Silverwolf --- thanks so much!

 

[BT Jones]

Goodness me, so many puns this month. Choice picks below, shortlist in bold. But I had to go for Luiglin. In a month heavy on groan-worthy humour, he let called upon the most underused of organs stowed in that midlands tower.

@Luiglin – A classic sci-fi / fantasy parable about the love we can’t live without.
@Cat's Cradle – A beautiful but also sadly depressing tale about persecution and discrimination and how ever-present it is / will be.
@Astro Pen – Quirky and vivid.
@RMetrics – Welcome to the forum. An intriguing debut.
@AMB – I’m not sure I entirely got this but it was a good read.
@Bren G – Adorable.
@Danny McG – Ah, the classic Danny McG dark twist.
@Victoria Silverwolf – Only you could make such a beautifully articulate pun like this.
@Guttersnipe – Tin Man meets steampunk.
@mosaix – If you’d asked me what I might have least expected to be mentioned in a steampunk challenge about proverbs, I’m even sure I’d have thought of liquorice allsorts! Ha ha.
@Perpetual Man – Oh my goodness. I groaned. But I also loved the story.
@BrightSparrow – Sage indeed.
@Parson – A classic fable about the dangers of AI.
@M. Robert Gibson – A cracking tale and a leftfield twist.
@paranoid marvin – A great little poem.
@The Judge – Ludicrously, absurdly enjoyable.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Thank you for the kind words, and the listing, @BT Jones!