Discussion Thread -- OCTOBER 2020 -- 300 Word Writing Challenge (#39)

[Ian Fortytwo]

Ian Fortytwo: Advanced technological concepts from exploratory science fiction come together to result in a memorable character with whom the reader can easily empathize, despite great differences from the ordinary person. This smoothly written work manages to be both intimate and far-reaching.

A fantastic review of my winning story.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

That's a very good story, @Peter V! And a good lesson - never worry about the other entries.
I really like how gentle your story is, CC

 

[Peter V]

That's a very good story, @Peter V! And a good lesson - never worry about the other entries.
I really like how gentle your story is, CC

Thanks CC. I enjoyed writing this one

 

[Parson]

@Peter V .... Fruits de Mer .... In the end all life comes from the sea, and sometimes those gifts are obvious and priceless.

 

[Parson]

@JadeW .... Untitled .... In Physics every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In human interactions where forgiveness is not an option, cold deadly actions often are.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Peter V: Seamlessly blending post-apocalyptic fiction with myth and fantasy, this deceptively calm story engages the reader through its focus on the personal side of the extraordinary. An event which is simultaneously ordinary and miraculous causes us to realize that small pleasures can serve as an anodyne for great losses.

JadeW: With a relentless sense of growing fear, this exercise in Lovecraftian cosmic horror builds slowly, so that the effect of its terrors is maximized. by combining this with the motive of a single individual, it can be seen that the greatest evils lie within us.

 

[Peter V]

Thank you @ Parson and @ Victoria Silverwolf once again for your dedication to reviewing every entry. Truth be told, it is one of the highlights of the whole process.

 

[Ursa major]

As there are more than 24 hours to go before this challenge is closed to new entries, perhaps (in light of the not-quite-as-late-as-usual posting of my entry) I ought say:

Don't Panic!​

I also ought to point out that while my entry doesn't look as if it was inspired by the picture, it definitely was...

...and the proof for this is spelt out, in black and white (give or take that it's written in different colour), in the entry....

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Well mine ain’t working and life is crazy

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Starbeast: With the suspense and excitement of a pulp magazine thriller or old-time movie serial, this action-packed adventure yarn provides plenty of thrills. The many twists and turns in the plot serve as a reminder that there is no more important question in fiction than "What happens next?"

Ursa major: The structure of this sly satire of bureaucracy and legalisms creates a sense that it serves as an all too accurate reflection of our own societal foibles. By taking the form of an official document, it draws the reader into its own mordant version of reality.

The Big Peat: Folklore and music come together in this romantic ballad of star-crossed lovers. Through the use of a poetic form that melds free verse with more formal structures, the resulting work seems to be both modern and timeless.

 

[Parson]

@Starbeast .... Island of the Silver Ship .... Just when you think you've found your fortune or a safe harbor, fate is just about to bite you in your nether regions.

@Ursa major .... An Editorial Change .... A story that brings to mind indulgences, theses. and rational clap trap.

@The Big Peat .... Lonely the Sky, Lonely the Sea .... A poem of love and longing for what might never be.

 

[scarpelius]

I manage to put something together, as usual this was a crazy month at work (maybe one day I will put down on paper the dramas unfolded when developing software).

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

scarpelius: A sunny sense of joy fills this lighthearted tale of an unlikely friendship. Even when a crisis threatens, the reader is pleasantly assured that nothing really bad can happen to the two mismatched buddies.

chrispenycate: This poetic meditation upon the horrors of battle and the challenges of peace draws the reader in with its subtle rhythms and telling imagery. The fact that its formal structure is discernable only upon close inspection gives it a sense of gravitas appropriate to the subject.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Surely we need some sort of reference to the picture in the story? even if it is just to say, think I'll have a bath?

Nope. It’s entirely up to the writer’s imagination where the image takes them.

Anyhow, a wild stormy day here and a quiet shop let me have another try at this. I think the story would benefit from a few extra words (like a thousand....) but I managed to halve the first attempts and submit something!

 

[Cat's Cradle]

It's very good, Jo. I think we'd all be happy for those extra thousand words to appear one day, CC

 

[Jo Zebedee]

It's very good, Jo. I think we'd all be happy for those extra thousand words to appear one day, CC

They just might... tyx

 

[chrispenycate]

The moment I saw the image it screamed 'verse' at me. Unfortunately I'd never constructed a piece of verse as long as 300 words before (oh, all right, I still haven't - the theme wasn't quite long enough, and there's already some padding I'm ashamed of) - I'm no poet. I was really wondering if I'd have anything finished enough to post.
Thank you Victoria for noting that it has a structure - I'm old school, and somewhat over formal, so my occasional versifications always do, but constructing one this big? That has to finish in a rhyming couplet? Now I'd better start reading the other entries, or my vote won't be ready on time, either.

 

[Luiglin]

The moment I saw the image it screamed 'verse' at me. Unfortunately I'd never constructed a piece of verse as long as 300 words before (oh, all right, I still haven't - the theme wasn't quite long enough, and there's already some padding I'm ashamed of) - I'm no poet. I was really wondering if I'd have anything finished enough to post.
Thank you Victoria for noting that it has a structure - I'm old school, and somewhat over formal, so my occasional versifications always do, but constructing one this big? That has to finish in a rhyming couplet? Now I'd better start reading the other entries, or my vote won't be ready on time, either.

I'm of the same mind. Did on 300 in verse and since then my brain has refused to offer up any further.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Writing 300 words of verse is not an easy thing to do. I have full admiration to anyone who attempts such a feat.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Well I'm in, but I struggled this month and didn't give myself enough time to polish it up


See how I'm getting my excuses in early so I don't feel bad about lack of mentions and votes