DISCUSSION THREAD -- January 2022 -- 300 Word Writing Challenge #44

[Luiglin]

Congrats @Phyrebrat

Thanks to The Judge, Victoria Silverwolf, Daysman for the votes and for the mentions folks.

I tried something different this month folks. As January's 75 had a theme was Connections, I decided to connect that to the 300. So, my 75 "Different sides..." followed the point of view of the groom while the 300 "...of the same coin", the bride. Different tales, same situation.

 

[Peter V]

Many congratulations @ Phyrebrat and commiserations / congratulations @ Astro Pen. Both excellent entries and both worthy of winning. I did something I have not done in a tie breaker before, in that I switched my vote, having originally voted for Astro Pen but not Phyrebrat (who came in fourth for me first time round). Having taken time to re-read both entries several times, I found Phyrebrat's had grown on me further, to the extent it got the nod by the narrowest of margins. Maybe my mood just had a slight leaning to the darker tone at that time.

My effort got scant recognition (but thank you for the four votes), even though I was quite happy with it. Maybe people thought it was in bad taste, I don't know, but I have no intention of putting it up in the improving 300's to find out, as I am not in the best frame of mind to be dismembered just now.

However, to continue a theme, I have a 75 I am thinking of posting (it will be that or nothing) which is so dark, it will not doubt condemn me to nil point ignominy. A shame really because it has my favourite title of all the 75's I have written. I might post it solely for that

 

[Ursa major]

the protagonist's name, Merle, was meant to foretell her true nature since it's an old name (from the C15th, from Latin via old French) for the blackbird.

There's been a pair (a series of pairs) of blackbirds in the back garden for as long as it's been a back garden** and they're called Blackie and Merle.


** - The original Blackie appeared as soon as the digging started (1976), hopping about quite fearlessly as the earth was turned over, providing him with easy pickings.

 

[BigJ]

Congrats to @Phyrebrat on the victory, and to @Astro Pen for making it a close run thing.

Thanks for mentions from @Starbeast, @M. Robert Gibson and @The Judge.

For my own story, I took no small amount of inspiration from a sea shanty called "Lowlands Away" I first heard playing Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag years ago. Given the tepid response, perhaps I should have let it percolate a little longer!

. . . which is so dark, it will not doubt condemn me to nil point ignominy.

Far and away the most votes I ever got in one of these challenges was for a story that was far and away the darkest I've ever posted, if memory serves. Then again, I got zero votes this month, so what do I know!

 

[Mouse]

Congrats, Ass of Brat!

 

[Rafellin]

Congrats to @Phyrebrat

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Well done @Phyrebrat and @Astro Pen

 

[Phyrebrat]

Hello all,

A bit later than I had planned but life and broken washing machines got in the way (I've been doing my laundry by hand in the bath for six weeks and finally got a new one but... the simple task of installing was pointlessly overcomplicated and now it's dead).

Anyway, a big big thank you for the votes from:

nixie
Mouse
Parson
The Judge
Abernovo
BigJ
Cat's Cradle
The Big Peat
Elckerlyc
BT Jones
AnRoinnUltra
Christine Wheelwright

For getting me to the tie-breaker stage, and all of those who voted for me in the tie-breaker. I'm just glad I beat @Mouse - it'd be a travesty if that little piece of work managed to be the star and the subject of this challenge. (In all seriousness I thought the tie would be between that piece of work and astro pen.)

Going on elsewhere in the writing challenge threads is a discussion of voting practices etc, and I had to pray someone hadn't noticed the punctuation error in mine (I'm not sure it's a huge infringement, but it's not consistent with the other punctuation). Part of this is because I posted much earlier than usual. I like to sit on a story for a couple weeks before I fresh-read then post with any new edits. However, as the picture was so 'iconic', I anticipated a very similar story might be posted, so I posted earlier than I'd have liked.

What I was disappointed about was the genesis for this story wasn't even in the one I posted! A couple months ago, my dad had really made me laugh over sunday lunch (I'm from a once-large Geordie family; if you know the culture, dinner times are boisterous and lots of teasing and jokes...) when we (my sis and I) were visiting them. He told me that 'Yuh mother didn't want to marry me.' 'Shut up, Alan, yes I did.' 'No she didn't, the ***** walked doon the aisle backwards'. Of course, that got twisted in my mind as a bride who was getting married to someone she didn't want to, so when I saw that piece of work's photo for the challenge, I was delighted. It wasn't till a couple weeks after posting the story, I'd forgotten to put the entire image of her walking backwards to the altar and got very frustrated.

As a result I was pretty down on my own story and was so happy when it started getting more than the odd vote. I have a personal aim for challenges which is to try and get 3 votes for the 300, and if I do a 75, to get 1 vote. I figure that's a good enough average if I can keep it up, so 14 makes me incredi-happy.

Commiserations and congrats to my running mate, Astro Pen. Good company to be with on the podium.

 

[Mouse]

that piece of work...

You're such a crapbag. You're lucky you're my divbruh.

 

[Abernovo]

Congratulations to @Phyrebrat. One of my original votes was for you, and I stuck with it for the tie-break.

Congratulations and commiserations also to @Astro Pen, for a deserved tie-break place. It was a brilliantly-written story, and it almost got my vote in the original round. If there had been 4 votes available, it would have.

 

[The Judge]

This quarter, we can hear Phyrebrat read his own winning story, as it's now on the March Chroncast -- full detail here Chronscast Season 1 Episode 3 - An American Werewolf In London with Richard Sheppard