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

[therapist]

Congrats judge.

I wonder, too, if there is something of the same negativity bias which has led to the axiom that good news doesn't sell newspapers

I think this is a really fascinating topic. There have been studies done that prove we have a greater physiological response to bad news. This makes sense from an evolutionary/survival standpoint—we are rewarded for constantly being alert to, and spotting, danger.

Here's my take on stories: I feel we start to crave that uplifting ending only once we become emotionally invested. And with short/flash fiction that investment becomes extremely hard. Much easier to elicit an immediate feeling of schadenfreude.

 

[Provincial]

Here's my take on stories: I feel we start to crave that uplifting ending only once we become emotionally invested. And with short/flash fiction that investment becomes extremely hard. Much easier to elicit an immediate feeling of schadenfreude.

Your take on stories has the ring of truth about it - I am now going to try to write both negative and positive, upbeat stories for each challenge over the next six months to test your theory and to see if this tendency can be ameliorated or overcome. I won‘t submit more than I’m allowed to, though!

 

[Provincial]

Congratulations @The Judge!

 

[mosaix]

Congratulations TJ!

 

[Hugh]

And Congratulations @The Judge
No tiebreakers, a clear outright winner.

 

[Daysman]

Congrats @The Judge !!!

 

[Dan Jones]

Congratulations @The Judge! Now, if you wouldn't mind giving everybody else a chance, please...?

Also, thanks ever so much to nixie, Victoria, and sule for the votes. Much obliged.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Well done @The Judge
Just stuck a happy practice thread in the workshop to fill with uplifting stories (still not sure if it is easier/ harder to write one way or another -I think writers always seem to twist things so what seems dark/ gloomy might be the opposite, but am def no expert on the subject ...and it's probably up to the reader).
Practicing gratitude/ uplifting story thread

 

[The Judge]

Many, many Grateful Thanks everyone!


Now voting is over, I do hope members will explain their stories, as I missed the point of more than a few and I'd love to understand what whooshed over my thick head. I'd also encourage those who might be disappointed by their showing to use the Improving thread to get feedback, or if they prefer, just ask here.


By the way, if anyone thought the opening line of my AI anthem seemed a little familiar, since it popped into my head fully formed (together with a matching second line also ending "are we" and an original aabba rhyming scheme) I guessed I was ripping off something else, but it took me a couple of days to realise it was We Open in Venice from Kiss Me Kate. (In the end, as the "gratitude" lines offered more chance for story progression as well as rhymes I changed the scheme to abbba, so the similarity then waned, but that's where it started. So Cole Porter deserves the votes this month as well as my belated gratitude!)

 

[Artoriarius]

Congratulations @The Judge!

 

[Provincial]

Family Man

A sadistic, selfish father turns his son into a copy of himself and gets both his come-uppance and all the gratitude he deserves.



Does that cover any queries?

 

[The Judge]

Ah, that helps. I realised the son survived, but I wasn't entirely sure whether he'd killed his father or done something else to him.

 

[Dan Jones]

If you list which ones didn't make sense / fit the genre, maybe we could 'fess up? I thought my one was fairly obvious, but maybe not...?

 

[JS Wiig]

@The Judge congratulations! Really hit the mark this month!

 

[mosaix]

Thanks for the mentions/shortlists @M. Robert Gibson, @Dan Jones and @Phyrebrat.

 

[The Judge]

If you list which ones didn't make sense / fit the genre, maybe we could 'fess up? I thought my one was fairly obvious, but maybe not...?

Well...

I got the obvious main point that the writer was leaving his/her chip to this Caleb, so to that extent I understood it. However, I was confused about aspects of the background, but I'm conscious that's moving out of "Went over my head" territory into "Why on earth did you write it like that?!" so I'd better keep schtum!

Rather than me make a list, which might again look like oblique criticism of entrants, I was hoping that if plenty of people chimed in voluntarily it might satisfy other people's curiosity not merely my own, and also add further life to the thread to get us all talking of the stories and the inspiration behind them -- I loved Hugh's comment! -- which we're all loath to do while the Challenge is open.


By the way, if anyone ever does write multiple stories, as Provincial is promising to do, the spare ones can also be posted in the relevant Discussion thread once voting is over, and we can discuss them, too!

 

[Wayne Mack]

Congratulations to @The Judge for a very fine story.

I thank the following for their mentions of my attempt. I am glad you enjoyed it.
@Victoria Silverwolf, @BT Jones, @Simbelmynë, @Cat's Cradle, @Astro Pen

 

[Ursa major]

I do hope members will explain their stories

I thought mine was reasonably clear -- a version of "For want of a nail [...] the kingdom was lost" -- but do I need to explain the six-word one I didn't post with regard to the genre requirement? (I'd assert that its speculative nature was more than obvious.)

​

 

[Wayne Mack]

The genesis of "The Last Wheelchair"

I'm not sure how to open a discussion of my own story, so I'll just describe what led me to writing it. Prior to the start of the writing challenge, I had seen a discussion on writing stories without interpersonal conflict, Writing Nice Futures and I had noticed that my writing had become very dialog heavy. The goal I set for myself was to write a positive, non-dialog-based piece.

One evening, after the challenge had opened, I was on my daily walk about the neighborhood with my wife. It was the night before trash collection day and people had pulled their trash bins to the curb and alongside some of them were various items of everyday life. For some reason, the image of a man pushing a wheelchair to the curb hit me and I felt I wanted to understand what he might be feeling in the moment. Given my previous decisions, the most obvious emotion was out. This led to writing the first paragraph.

My second paragraph was a rather blatant attempt to sprinkle some science fiction flavor onto the story to cover the speculative fiction requirement. Admittedly, it was terse, but I did not want to steal word count from the first paragraph in order to enhance the second.

I probably did not really hit on the theme of gratitude, but I felt I touched on the emotions that are adjacent to and that would lead to gratitude. I let the story sit overnight, mad a couple of minor wording changes, and pushed it up to the site.

That is how my story came to be. I would be interested in hearing how others came to write their stories, as well.

 

[Phyrebrat]

My story was 3 moons for blurred eyes (tears) and one moon when the POV had stopped crying because he/she/they’d honoured their mother with the Candle Vigil.

I don’t like to prescribe too much ‘this is what it means’ to a lot of my flash and micro fiction because I try to write it in a way that works on imagery and tone to inform the reader who can then make it relevant to themselves.

For example there are 3 aspects to the moon (maiden, mother, crone) and each one represents a death and rebirth as new journey (of age). The moon is typically feminine and represents the unconscious and psychic hence the ‘weird’ element.

I know I write awkward stuff but I think it’s important to write for oneself (votes are great but who’d want to win with having written a bag-o-crap?).

Just in case any new members took my rants seriously, please know I was just messing around, trying to keep the disc thread alive with more than ‘thanks for the review’ posts.