DISCUSSION THREAD -- September 2021 -- 75-Word Writing Challenge

[Luiglin]

Congrats @Victoria Silverwolf

Thanks to @TheEndIsNigh for the vote and for the mentions folks.

My first attempt - another descent into madness special involving someone drawing rules on paper to keep demons at bay - obviously didn't match the genre.

After that I could only come up with an idea of an orc 'banquet' and a social faux pas (pardon my elvish) of not passing the food in the following correct social dining rules of etiquette or good table manners for those who are not fancy. Only a couple of days later did I realise many may not even get the joke.

Standard etiquette these days is to pass food to the right, although originally it was to the left. So, despite being the centre of ire and disdain by the rest of his fellows, the poor orc was actually correct.

Edit: or maybe the Shaman was a traditional sort, you know the type, hanging elves for five days for the meat to mature, always chew with your mouth open, always mash you food up in your hands, all drinks need to be slurped.

 

[Bren G]

A big thank you to @BT Jones and @The Judge for your kind votes!

Also, the following for the mentions : @AnRoinnUltra, @Betok_Haney , @Phyrebrat , @Dan Jones , @johnnyjet, @Margaret Note Spelling , @M. Robert Gibson , @StilLearning @Parson !!

@Margaret Note Spelling - you mentioned that you had wondered what the Easter Bunny was all about, so I thought I'd explain. My story 'A Fairy's Tale' was one about fairy who's empathy compelled her to help a small dying child, but inevitably, her desired to help was constrained by the 'rules'.

The fairy was the Tooth Fairy, who, desired to feed the starving child with manna. The child's teeth had fallen out from the radiation and so, the Tooth Fairy to was summoned to take them and leave the coins in their place, just as she always did. But she rebels! The child doesn't need coins. She needs sustenance! And so, the Tooth Fairy tries to feed the child but is chastised by a 'colleague' so to speak, another mythical creature who enters children's domiciles and leaves thing for them - The Easter Bunny (Santa is one too!). The Easter Bunny cautions her that she is not to intervene in the child's life in any other way that she is commanded to. Sadly, the Tooth Fairy takes the teeth, deposits the coins, and leaves the child to die.

I wish I had about ten more words. I think this could've been clearer. But alas, don't we all?

BG

 

[Abernovo]

Congratulations, Victoria!

 

[Parson]

Congratulations @Victoria Silverwolf --- That was a gem of a story.

Thanks once again to @Luiglin and @Dan Jones for the precious votes. --- I thought I was so clever on my last sentence "He had discovered the secret 2Eden’s peace." but maybe the cleverness was only in my head. "the secret 2Eden's peace" seemed such a good word play.

 

[StilLearning]

A big thank you to @BT Jones and @The Judge for your kind votes!

Also, the following for the mentions : @AnRoinnUltra, @Betok_Haney , @Phyrebrat , @Dan Jones , @johnnyjet, @Margaret Note Spelling , @M. Robert Gibson , @StilLearning @Parson !!

@Margaret Note Spelling - you mentioned that you had wondered what the Easter Bunny was all about, so I thought I'd explain. My story 'A Fairy's Tale' was one about fairy who's empathy compelled her to help a small dying child, but inevitably, her desired to help was constrained by the 'rules'.

The fairy was the Tooth Fairy, who, desired to feed the starving child with manna. The child's teeth had fallen out from the radiation and so, the Tooth Fairy to was summoned to take them and leave the coins in their place, just as she always did. But she rebels! The child doesn't need coins. She needs sustenance! And so, the Tooth Fairy tries to feed the child but is chastised by a 'colleague' so to speak, another mythical creature who enters children's domiciles and leaves thing for them - The Easter Bunny (Santa is one too!). The Easter Bunny cautions her that she is not to intervene in the child's life in any other way that she is commanded to. Sadly, the Tooth Fairy takes the teeth, deposits the coins, and leaves the child to die.

I wish I had about ten more words. I think this could've been clearer. But alas, don't we all?

BG

I think we all wish for another ten words at some point when writing these!

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Well! This was delightful news to receive, particularly on a day when I spent five and one-half hours at the car shop having work done on one of our vehicles, including new tires, and then got a flat tire on our other vehicle while driving to work. (I'll probably have to get four new tires for it as well in the morning; eight new tires in twenty-four hours, for a new personal best.)

Many thanks to all for the kind words. I'll have to think about the next theme and genre for a while.

 

[BT Jones]

Congratulations Victoria.

I suppose I'd better explain my story, which went down like a lead zeppelin. It wasn't as cryptic as it maybe first appeared. It was just me being a very naughty boy and breaking the rules - my entry was seventy-six words long, exceeding the limit of the challenge, thus breaking the rules. And the final word was... seventy-six.

I thought I was being very clever, but no votes and only one mention (thanks @Phyrebrat!) will teach me better than to mess about with the rules in the future. Even the mods didn't spot it!

PS @Parson when I said I wanted to break some sacred rules, and kept saying I could count on you, this is what I was referring to!

Yeah, Dan, that one totally stumped me as well. As I discovered recently, its very hard for people to read through 30-40 entries and delve into the nuances. Unless it makes sense on first read, most people (myself included) just move on. It is the finest line to tread.

 

[Dan Jones]

Yeah, Dan, that one totally stumped me as well. As I discovered recently, its very hard for people to read through 30-40 entries and delve into the nuances. Unless it makes sense on first read, most people (myself included) just move on. It is the finest line to tread.

You're absolutely right. You have to make a good first impression or you're out of the running.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

@Bren G

All was understood. Though I think you over egged the pudding with the radiation which wasn't required IMHO.

Leaving that out would also have given you the extra words you craved.

-----------

(Controversially) I was surprised that @Victoria Silverwolf 's entry won as (although well crafted and with a suitably surprising ending) pregnant popes were covered way back in the 9th centuary.

Pope Joan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[The Judge]

Congratulations, Victoria. An emphatic win!

 

[paranoid marvin]

Well done Victoria, a double digit vote count is rarely seen.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Congratulations, Victoria.

He said, hoping no one noticed he got here too late to vote.

And thank you to everyone who shortlisted my tale.

 

[Starbeast]

Congratulations Victoria Silverwolf
@Victoria Silverwolf


@paranoid marvin Thanks for the mention. You made my day.


Given a Ruling
@Victoria Silverwolf
@Cat's Cradle
@Betok_Haney
@Guttersnipe
@chrispenycate
@paranoid marvin - I enjoyed your story too.
@Mon0Zer0
@Phyrebrat
@nixie
@mosaix
@David Evil Overlord
@BT Jones
@JS Wiig - Reminded me of the beginning of a story, I wrote long ago.
@Luiglin
@Daysman
@M. Robert Gibson
@Moonbat
@Abernovo
@Ursa major​

 

[HareBrain]

Even the mods didn't spot it!

It's true, the word-count pixie was away with the fairies, or on mescaline or something. It won't happen again.

Dan has already been informed, but I'll put it here too -- we've had to hand down a one-month 75-word challenge ban for deliberate rules infringement, even though there was an expectation of getting caught.

 

[Dan Jones]

Ain't no prison can hold me!

 

[Phyrebrat]

You’re kidding us, right? What a sense of humour …

To think we’re trying to encourage participation and then this… for a joke.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

@Dan Jones

Well it's not as thought there wasn't a massive clue at the end.

I thought it was a perfectly acceptable breaking of the rules given the topic.

Especially as the actual story didn't seem to have any reference at all to the subject other than to deliver the fateful last words.

Hey ho.

Couldn't he be let off with the usual slap or flogging (76 lashes obviously). Keel hauling - a bit extreme maybe.

 

[paranoid marvin]

It's a tough one for the mods. Dan's was a brilliant interpretation of the theme, and if I had fully understood his entry, it would have - at least - made my shortlist. Wherein lies the problem; what happens when an entry that breaks the 75 wordcount wins the Challenge?

It perhaps would have been better to have referred to a moderator before posting, and maybe a dispensation could have been given?

 

[Dan Jones]

@Dan Jones

Well it's not as thought there wasn't a massive clue at the end.

I thought it was a perfectly acceptable breaking of the rules given the topic.

Especially as the actual story didn't seem to have any reference at all to the subject other than to deliver the fateful last words.

Hey ho.

Couldn't he be let off with the usual slap or flogging (76 lashes obviously). Keel hauling - a bit extreme maybe.

It's a tough one for the mods. Dan's was a brilliant interpretation of the theme, and if I had fully understood his entry, it would have - at least - made my shortlist. Wherein lies the problem; what happens when an entry that breaks the 75 wordcount wins the Challenge?

It perhaps would have been better to have referred to a moderator before posting, and maybe a dispensation could have been given?

Thanks both. It's a strange feeling that so many people enjoyed my story after I explained it, but it got almost nothing during the challenge. Surely, as someone has pointed out, the ignominy of such scant recognition is punishment enough?

But I jest. I'll take my medicine, and throw my efforts into the 300 for this month.

 

[mosaix]

You’re kidding us, right? What a sense of humour …

To think we’re trying to encourage participation and then this… for a joke.

I thought it was a joke (the ban I mean).

I know Dan broke the rules but it wasn't even as if he took a vote from another story. Obviously, it's up to the mods to decide but I'd be surprised if there was anyone else who entered in September who thought a ban was appropriate.