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

[Pyan]

Thanks for the shortlisting, @Parson!

 

[Bowler1]

This feels like a pitchfork moment for Phyrebrat, but moving off my sofa is about all I can manage right now.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Reading the entries :- Is there so little hope for us all in the short time we all have left?

Anyway :-

@Cat's Cradle

Menchies:-

@Astro Pen
@reiver33
@Dan Jones - close second

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thanks for the shortlisting Parson.

 

[Daysman]

Last top 5 of 2021, including vote:

• @Cat's Cradle (vote)
• @Astro Pen
• @Victoria Silverwolf
• @Dan Jones
• @The Judge

Thanks to @Parson and @Victoria Silverwolf for your comments!

Thanks to @sule for your shortlisting!

Thanks to @paranoid marvin for your vote!

Well that's Xmas done — roll on the new year!!!

 

[Hugh]

I thought @Cat's Cradle's entry particularly good, and the repetitive element very apt for the subject matter.

I didn't identify a runner up, but the following all caught my attention:
(in no order of preference)
@Provincial
@reiver33
@The Judge
@sule
@Dan Jones
@Phyrebrat
@AnRoinnUltra
@Victoria Silverwolf

Meanwhile my own entry heads for the double bagel. Never mind, I enjoyed it, and it's great to have this monthly competition to stir the subconscious juices.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

First, thank you, The Judge, for the inspiring genre/theme pairing.

I don't have much time today, so here are my lists:

Honorables:
Astro Pen, Phyrebrat, worldofmutes, Artoriarius, paranoid marvin, Dan Jones, sule, Moonbat

Finalists:
Victoria Silverwolf, Hostile Takeover
I loved this wicked (in the good way) and very original take on a Dickens classic. The ending was exactly right, and the writing just terrific.

The Judge, An Alternative Christmas Carol
I don't know much about poetry so my terminology may be off, but I love how this entry scanned (is that the metre?). The topic was of course perfectly timely, and I thought beautifully illuminated.

I went back and forth, but by a reindeer's whisker The Judge's entry pipped Victoria's. Well done, both.


Thanks so much to Victoria Silverwolf, nixie, paranoid marvin, sule, Wayne Mack and Parson for the wonderful listings.

I'm honored to have received the votes of TheEndIsNigh, johnnyjet, Hugh, Artoriarius, Daysman, Ian Fortytwo and msstice. And thank you, as always, Parson and Victoria Silverwolf for the fine reviews of all the stories, and to those folks who complimented my story.

Best of luck with voting, the rest of the way, CC

 

[JS Wiig]

@Artoriarius - three stooges and a—should I say—carol

** @Parson - reliving the joy of Christmases Past through our children **

@johnnyjet - clever take on the classic

 

[Parson]

@Bowler1 & @JS Wiig Thank you both for the wonderful votes!!

 

[johnnyjet]

My Short List and *** Favorite ***:

Oh Christmas Tree - G.T.
*** Silent - Cat's Cradle ***
Star-Child – mosaix
Songbird - JS Wiig
Hostile Takeover - Victoria Silverwolf
Are There No Workhouses? Are There No Prisons? - Dan Jones
A Carol of Christmas Joy – Parson
A Simple Story – sule
The Seventeen Days of Salesmass – Moonbat
An Alternative Christmas Carol - The Judge

 

[Parson]

Thanks for the short listing @johnnyjet much appreciated.

 

[The Judge]

I hope everyone had a great Christmas weekend, with a cracker-full of great stories to read in between the festive feasting!

My shortlist:

Cat's Cradle -- Silent -- a bittersweet tale of how music, especially carols, can retrieve memories, but can't alleviate the pain​

chrispenycate -- Adeste Fidelis -- a love-letter to the camaraderie -- and cold! -- of carolling​

M. Robert Gibson -- The Twelve Lays of Christmas -- a comedy cleverly constructed from carols​

Mon0Zer0 -- The First Carol in Space -- a reminder through a carol of what is important and not only at Christmas​

Moonbat -- The Seventeen Days of Salesmass -- a carol pertinent year-long​

Phyrebrat -- Come December Five-and-Twenty -- carols lose their wintry relevance when man disrupts climatic elements​

Provincial -- A Flying Visit -- a surreal take on the uplifting effect of carolling​

Victoria Silverwolf -- Hostile Takeover -- an unpleasant empire grown from A Christmas Carol's Tiny beginnings​

Casting my vote was easy this month -- CC's poignant tale of memory and its loss captivated me as soon as I read it, with Victoria's revelation of the perfidy of the Cratchits coming second.

And a special puzzling prize for Parson for reviving an old custom so well!

Many conspicuous consumption carolling thanks for the lovely mentions/shortlistings nixie, Peter, Wayne, Daysman, Hugh and johnnyjet, and great celebratory chocolate and mince pie thanks for the wonderful votes BTJ, Parson and CC, and for the stealth votes reiver and Ambrose!

 

[Chuckobochuck]

Is it too late to submit? Also, where do you send submissions?

 

[nixie]

Is it too late to submit? Also, where do you send submissions?

Every month we have a 75 word challenge runs from the 1st to 23rd, the voting is open from 23rd to 28th. If you wish you can read this month's entries here DECEMBER 2021 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- READ THE FIRST POST!! and vote for your favourite here POLL -- December 2021 75-word Writing Challenge -- READ FIRST POST!

 

[The Judge]

Is it too late to submit? Also, where do you send submissions?

Too late to submit a story for this month, as the deadline was on the 23rd. You're just in time to vote, though -- if you go across to the Challenge thread, read the stories, and then follow the link on the last post, that will take you to the poll thread where you can vote. DECEMBER 2021 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- READ THE FIRST POST!!

But you don't have to wait long to have a go at the Challenges as there will be two more going up at the weekend -- another 75 worder on a theme and genre to be announced by the winner of this month's Challenge, and a 300 worder which will have an image to provide inspiration. In both cases stories are submitted straight onto the relevant thread as and when they are open. Do read the opening posts and the rules before submitting though, and if in doubt over word count, ask for help as we hate having to remove stories which are too long!


EDIT: nixie beat me to it!

 

[Provincial]

I voted for What A Racket - I needed a laugh! Thanks @paranoid marvin!

 

[Phyrebrat]

Is it too late to submit? Also, where do you send submissions?

Don’t worry. The winner sets the theme and genre for the next month’s challenge, so i’ll let you know when I’ve set it…

 

[The Judge]

Don’t worry. The winner sets the theme and genre for the next month’s challenge, so i’ll let you know when I’ve set it…

Poor deluded soul...

 

[paranoid marvin]

Every month we have a 75 word challenge runs from the 1st to 23rd, the voting is open from 23rd to 28th. If you wish you can read this month's entries here DECEMBER 2021 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- READ THE FIRST POST!! and vote for your favourite here POLL -- December 2021 75-word Writing Challenge -- READ FIRST POST!

Yes, if you have time please do read them and vote. Having a read of current entries will give you a flavour of the types of submission, and there is no requirement to enter in order to vote.

Btw there is also a 100 Word Anonymous Challenge over in the Workshop. In this one you PM the organiser (currently elvet) with your entries, who
then posts them anonymously. In this one you can enter as many times as you like.

Good luck for next month!

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thanks for the vote Provincial, I'm glad I made you laugh; I couldn't have wished to ask for more than that.

Thanks also to CC for the shortlisting.