DISCUSSION THREAD -- April 2021 300 Word Writing Challenge (#41)

[Ursa major]

This Challenge is now open for entries.

 

[paranoid marvin]

This Challenge is now open for entries.

I think this is a great picture, something different to anything we have had in the past, opening up a wealth of possibilities and ideas.

I am really looking forward to what people come up with!

Needless to say, I've broken with the last few 300 challenges of not writing something until the last minute and have my story ready to go!

Wow, great first entry PM! This should be a very interesting Challenge.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

That's me in. Well done so far, Perpetual Man and Astro Pen!
Also, apologies, @Astro Pen, for posting my story so soon after yours (I'd usually let an entrant bask in the glory of their story being published for a few hours, before posting), but this might be my only time to post the story this weekend, and I just had to get rid of the thing, get it out of my head.

I'm looking forward to reading all the stories this Challenge. Good luck with your writing, all, CC

 

[Ursa major]

I'd usually let an entrant bask in the glory of their story being published for a few hours, before posting

That's nothing! I usually allow a good three weeks after the first poster's entry before I post mine.



Yes, that's definitely what I'm doing....

 

[JS Wiig]

@Perpetual Man what are the chances of us both using squid and nebula in our stories! Guess great minds think alike, eh?

 

[Perpetual Man]

@Perpetual Man what are the chances of us both using squid and nebula in our stories! Guess great minds think alike, eh?

Well one great mind and then there's mine....

 

[BT Jones]

That's nothing! I usually allow a good three weeks after the first poster's entry before I post mine.



Yes, that's definitely what I'm doing....

To be honest, @Ursa major, given you almost exclusively post the last story of any given round, I always pictured you posting your story, open mouthed in anticipation, stood next to a big red lever on the wall, which you promptly crank to end the challenge the second you hit post, to stop anyone else getting the last word.

 

[Ursa major]

That couldn't be more wrong.

The lever is NOT red!

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

Well I have entered my rising story. Thank you to my muse for creating an odd story.

 

[Parson]

@Perpetual Man .... A Challenge Answers; A Challenge Made .... Perp decides to let a mixture of words move like paint, interestingly, full of possibilities, but still quite formless.

@Astro Pen .... Blue .... Astro pens a theology filled with time and whimsy.

@Cat's Cradle .... CONTROL .... Cat pays homage to what appears to be the control of another. BBut could it just be love?

@JS Wiig .... Leaving Squid Nebula .... JS makes us sigh and wonder when the male of the species will ever listen to what they are told by the ones who love them.

@Rafellin .... Forge .... Raf tells us a tale of the long view and how worlds are changed.

@BT Jones .... An End to End .... BT points us toward a hard won tribute to an eternal punishment that morphs into beauty and justice. Hmm, or is it all a ploy for a Get Out of Jail card?

@reddishbird .... Phoenix .... Bird writes of the Phoenix and doesn't even drift into irony.

@Dan Jones .... The Travels of Sir Reginald Rigmarole, Part 94! .... Dan's tale of daring do, makes me wonder what he's daring to do, and what foil wrapper was discarded.

@Ian Fortytwo .... Recipe for Bread .... Ian cooks without proportions and so the portions are all outsized proportions, leading to a outsized proportion of catastrophe.

 

[Parson]

@Luiglin .... There is a damp patch on my wall .... Luiglin writes a story which drips into the realm of obsession.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Well, I'm in. And it's a completely different entry to the original one I had in mind.

Having quickly browsed through the other entries, I'm staggered by the quality and diversity of entries this Challenge has brought to the fore. This month is going to be very difficult to choose, and for every entry that gets a vote, there are going to be several worthy entries that don't.

 

[The Judge]

After overcoming the disappointment of it not being pyan's tinfoil hedgehog

I see you couldn't resist using it as joint inspiration!!

 

[Parson]

@paranoid marvin .... A Hollywood Ending .... It's hard to do proper detective work on an empty stomach. So, this must be a job for F. Gordon.

@johnnyjet .... Van Gogh's Jupiter Collection .... In the end art and sanity are both in the eye of beholder.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Perpetual Man: This poetic tribute to imagination and creativity serves as a fitting prologue for works to follow.

Astro Pen: The author manages to perform the difficult task of balancing vast scale with an appreciation for the individual.

Cat's Cradle: In this moving yet chilling tale, the intriguing surface of the plot also creates a fascinating, unseen back story.

JS Wiig: The tropes of space opera are used in a unique fashion here, to create an intimate account of misunderstandings.

Rafellin: The unflinching realism of this portrait of the brutality of war forces the reader to face unpleasant truths.

BT Jones: In this powerful look at guilt and remorse we experience both beauty and horror.

reddishbird: The author paints the cycle of life and death with words drawn from the spectrum of imagination.

Dan Jones: Beneath the madcap energy of this frenzied farce lies a sardonic look at a crisis we all face.

Ian Fortytwo: With tongue firmly in cheek, the author presents a memorable lesson in paying attention to simple things.

Luiglin: With the rigid logic of madness, the author draws the reader into the sad and frightening world of insanity.

paranoid marvin: Hidden inside this lighthearted comedy we find wry commentary on our cultural obsessions.

johnnyjet: An extraordinary blending of the past and the future is found in this fable of inspiration.

 

[Parson]

@Victoria Silverwolf .... Chiaroscuro .... an artist picks up a brush and without a word ideas can change present reality.
(Interesting choice of title. It makes me wonder what I'm missing in your story.)

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Daysman: An imaginative use of multiple speculative themes fills this subtle story of retribution.

Peter V: The ambiguous nature of what seems to be selfless altruism is explored in this suspenseful tale.

sule: The unusual format of this chilling account of an enigmatic menace results in great verisimilitude.

Wayne Mack: The tragic reality that one's best efforts are often ineffective adds poignancy to this work.

 

[Parson]

@Daysman .... writing on glass .... gives us the political equivalent to the dieting mantra "a moment to thy lips, forever to thy hips."

@Peter V .... Three months .... writes of the gray which surrounds the definition of the idea of something which is for the "good of humanity."

@sule .... Brief Dispatch Regarding the Viscid Border (2nd Edition) .... makes me wonder about the insight one can gain from an alternate history, and if it's really alternate.

@Wayne Mack .... Cassie .... reminds me of the words of Jesus: "A prophet is without honor in his own country."

@Laura R Hepworth .... The Soul of an Artist .... Laura waxes wise in her defense of moderation.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Laura R Hepworth: This insightful psychological portrait powerfully conveys the cost one may pay for one's passion.

 

[Parson]

@Phyrebrat .... Down There .... Sometimes the best place to be is down there in spite of any misgivings.