Discussion Thread -- JANUARY 2021 -- 300 Word Writing Challenge #40!

[Parson]

Well here we go. Looking for 3 votes among numerous contenders.

Short Listed

SOULLESS by @Jo Zebedee for a story so original and so weird, yet remarkably resonate with human nature.

Reflections in Obsidian by @BT Jones for a story which takes religion and souls seriously.

Mass Coverage by @mosaix for a story which is perfect parable for the pretentious idiots we all know.

To Everything a Season by @Phyrebrat for a story which is a gem for understated horror.

Another Toy Story by @Perpetual Man for a story which is the perfect anecdote or is it the perfect antidote for archeological hubris.

I found the picture too disturbing to write a story. I just couldn't get myself to consider it long enough to formulate a story.

Votes
Soulless
Mass Coverage
To Everything there Is a Season.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Votes go to:-

@Wayne Mack
@Jo Zebedee
@farntfar

Honourable mentions to

@Cat's Cradle
@Peter V

After posting I saw @Parson 's post. I too had trouble getting my head in gear.
Not that the picture disturbed me, it didn't, but for some reason inspiration failed.

 

[farntfar]

My votes went to
@Cat's Cradle
@The Scribbling Man
@therapist

although it was very hard to choose not to vote for
@Phyrebrat
and @Victoria Silverwolf instead of two of those.

Special mentions also to
@Edoc'sil
and @Marvin who must have struck a nerve with many of us.

My thanks to @BT Jones for the mention and INCREDIBLY @TheEndIsNigh for the vote.

 

[The Scribbling Man]

Thanks for the vote, farntfar

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks @Parson and TEIN -I suspect the pic is more up the creepy dystopia Street than yours, lovely Parson. I’m doomed when an angel turns up x

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

Thank you @Mad Alice for the stealth vote.

 

[johnnyjet]

My Long List, Short List, and *** Favorites ***:

*** SOULLESS - Jo Zebedee ***
I See a Red Door – farntfar
A Fright at the Museum - paranoid marvin
*** Valse Triste - Victoria Silverwolf ***
*** The Dying Breaths - Cat's Cradle ***
Reflections in Obsidian - BT Jones
The Monster Behind the Mask – Guttersnipe
Mosaic - The Scribbling Man
Pause for Thought – Daysman
Masks – Vaz
To Everything a Season – Phyrebrat
Beyond the Smoking Mirror - Peter V
Lost in Love - Bren G
Another Toy Story - Perpetual Man
Postcards Home from Merlyn’s Mage School on its Extended Field Trip - The Judge

 

[Luiglin]

Top 3 from me...

• @Edoc'sil - that is right up my ritual of the dead street, that is, had me chuckling
• @Jo Zebedee - you don't mess with those who don't care, they're that way for a reason
• @Daysman - "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil" seems quite appropriate

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thanks for the shortlisting johnnyjet, and another vote - thanks PM

 

[Edoc'sil]

So many votes! I really wasn't expecting this reaction, thanks a lot @Luiglin

 

[Bren G]

Runner's Up

@Edoc'sil - An inventive and original story that turns ritual on it's head
@Wayne Mack - The relatable, yet whimsical contemplations of a stranger in a strange land.
@Rafellin - A tale of mystery and primal reverence as we see that superstition still survives in space.

The Votes go to:

@Mouse - simply beautiful and engaging, and pleasure to read.
@Cat's Cradle - A thought provoking dialogue of West World proportions
@Victoria Silverwolf - an elegant dance of words that makes your mind frolic with vivid pictures and deep intentions

There's more there that I like for sure but had to draw the line somewhere.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Oooh lots of gruesome but I was in the mood to be made smile today, it seemed with votes to Daysman because it was clever and made me smile, Sule because I’m a sucker for a choose-your-own-adventure and The Judge because it made me smile and the hat sounded fine.

I also listed Edoc’sil’s fun take, Cats Cradle (romping home!), Perp (very original!) and Marvin.

And still shocked to see so many votes for my little one -thank you all

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Yours had a terrific voice, Jo. I'm not surprised at all it's receiving so many votes. It was one of my favorites, but missed a vote by-this-much.
I cannot remember the last 300 worder we had with so many stories I would have happily voted for... it was painful passing by a few of them (and I'm introducing a new list to my regular ones). But here are my listings:

Honorables :
Edoc'sil, paranoid marvin, BT Jones, sule

Shortlist:
JS Wiig, farntfar, Wayne Mack

Wish-I-Had-More-Votes:
Jo Zebedee, Mouse, The Judge

Votes:
Victoria Silverwolf: 300 words of wonder. Beautifully written and charmingly tragic.
johnnyjet: so much heart, and such a fine, bittersweet story. Loved it.
Phyrebrat: Exceptionally original, and written with great voice. Fine piece.

I voted several days ago, so I'll not be changing the current standings. Great work, everyone - I enjoyed reading every entry.

Finally, I'm thrilled to have received this many listings and votes - thanks very much to everyone who has mentioned my story. Good luck in the final 1.5 days of voting, everyone, CC

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thanks for the mention Cat's Cradle, and thanks for the vote Lawrence Twiddy!

 

[Lawrence Twiddy]

So many good stories. I enjoyed them all so much my 'mental notes' as I was going along got to 9 or 10 favourites. So I had to go back and read through them all again which I thoroughly enjoyed as much as the first read through.

My votes were far from easy to cast, being new here I was in awe of all the writing and the extraordinary places the stories took me.

These are the three that topped the great list of stories for me:
A Fright at the Museum - paranoid marvin
Valse Triste - Victoria Silverwolf
The Dying Breaths - Cat's Cradle

 

[Daysman]

So… an ancient god of night and sorcery… not unusual 'round 'ere… though I had to convince myself the skull was plastic and a railside prop at a ghost train before I could consider it for more than a few seconds…

My favs and votes*:

• @Edoc'sil
• @Jo Zebedee
• @Rafellin
• @Victoria Silverwolf *
• @BT Jones
• @johnnyjet *
• @Phyrebrat *
• @chrispenycate

Seriously, thanks for the votes (@Heijan Xavier, @Victoria Silverwolf, @Luiglin, @Jo Zebedee) and mentions (@The Scribbling Man, @johnnyjet) and of course your well stated reviews (@Victoria Silverwolf, @Parson) — good to know I actually found a funny bone or two, lost in the dead of night…

So, that was fun! We should do it again! Maybe with fewer human remains?

Have a better one!

 

[The Judge]

A lot of teeth this month!

My shortlist, largely tooth-free:

Cat's Cradle -- The Dying Breaths​

johnnyjet -- The Automation Graveyard​

Jo Zebedee -- SOULLESS​

paranoid marvin -- A Fright At The Museum​

Peter V -- Beyond the Smoking Mirror​

Phyrebrat -- To Everything a Season​

Rafellin -- Stare Down​

Vaz -- Masks​

Wayne Mack -- Coffee Please​

Despite the humorous pieces which I enjoyed, I've gone for death in all three stories getting my votes this quarter. Unusually for me, two of them are horror stories with shocking endings, Cat's Cradle's callous, hypocritical android and Phyrebrat's abusive and horrific human, but they're balanced by Peter's lovely bittersweet story of love and reunion.


I was seriously short of inspiration with this quarter's image, so I'm pleased that Jack and J received any notice, so feather-filled thanks for the mentions/listings johnnyjet and CC, and great smoking mirror thanks for the wonderful votes Ian, Edoc'sil and Jo, and for the stealth vote Calliopenjo!


I dunno, I'm more convinced than ever that no one reads my posts. I put puns in, and I don't even get any groans...

I'm in. I had no ideas whatsoever with that mask, so have resorted to revisiting J Daw & Jack, but this time there are no hidden birds since I struggled to get the plot in, let alone sundry swift but aukwardly contrived sentences.

 

[Ursa major]

The poll has now closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, Cat's Cradle!​

​

 

[mosaix]

Congratulations @Cat's Cradle.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Whoo hooo! well done Cats