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

[Dan Jones]

Blimey, I had no idea my "Brown Russian" would be so controversial. Thank goodness I didn't go with my original idea of a Brown Dutch...

 

[mosaix]

We seem to be a little short on entries...

 

[Parson]

@Bren G .... Princess Priscilla’s Glorious Day .... Bren tells us of a story on consequences considered and consequences accepted to the honor of a Princess.

@Elckerlyc .... Careful What You Play .... Elec schreibt eine SF-Version von Frankenstein's Bride mit einem viel weniger blutigen Ende, das mir viel mehr Spaß gemacht hat als das original. ---- Poor Google Translate is getting a work out!

@Perpetual Man .... Ascension .... Perp leaves me with the question if your life takes an awful turn is it in fact an ascension?

 

[The Judge]

We seem to be a little short on entries...

Yes, it's a shame we lost two entries for being over word count, but even with them we'd have far fewer than I'd have hoped for such a wonderful photo.

With luck and a following wind, one more at least should go up in the next hour or so -- I've just got to lose some words. (Rather too many for comfort and easy editing. Glum.)

Meanwhile if anyone knows anyone who could be nagged... There's still the best part of 5 hours left!

 

[The Judge]

Well, it took a bit longer than an hour, thanks to my inveterate habit of editing by removing two words then adding four more, but I'm finally in.

Once again, not the story I expected. Which is just as well, as the original idea probably would have taken another 500 words or so to resolve!

 

[Parson]

@The Judge .... Wedding Dressing .... Her Honor writes a story of skill, appreciation, non-appreciation, love, and eventual forgiveness, while at no time reminding me of any story I've ever read.

*The title made me think you were headed toward one of my mom's favorite jokes: She would say "We're having honeymoon salad tonight?" and when the victim would ask "What's that?" She'd reply "Lettuce alone."

 

[Ursa major]

​

The voting is NOW open.

To cast your THREE votes, use the link below.

Please vote for your top THREE choices; note that all three votes must be cast AT THE SAME TIME to count.​

​

 

[Abernovo]

And I got in with about 2 seconds to spare, although it seems to have done a bit of a number on my spacing.

 

[Parson]

@Ursa major .... A Big Step For Damsels .... Ursa has us asking the question: "If something is terrible and it is improved; does that make it even worse, or is it better?

@The Big Peat .... Darkness Sought .... TBP has a solemn warning that if you think you control a bride, you're wrong; likely dead wrong.

@Abernovo .... Something Old, Something New .... Abe reminds us that a marriage is a covenant which all must enter in, or it is little better than nothing.

 

[Bren G]

@Bren G .... Princess Priscilla’s Glorious Day .... Bren tells us of a story on consequences considered and consequences accepted to the honor of a Princess.

@Elckerlyc .... Careful What You Play .... Elec schreibt eine SF-Version von Frankenstein's Bride mit einem viel weniger blutigen Ende, das mir viel mehr Spaß gemacht hat als das original. ---- Poor Google Translate is getting a work out!

@Perpetual Man .... Ascension .... Perp leaves me with the question if your life takes an awful turn is it in fact an ascens

Thanks @Parson !

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I voted for
@Victoria Silverwolf
@Mouse
@The Judge

 

[The Big Peat]

Blimey, I had no idea my "Brown Russian" would be so controversial. Thank goodness I didn't go with my original idea of a Brown Dutch...

I pity your tastebuds if the idea of bovril and vodka didn't strike you as out there.

editing by removing two words then adding four more, but I'm finally in.

There's another way to do it?

 

[WSDuffy]

I voted for:
@Mon0Zer0 , who did a fantastic job of putting us inside a character's head and showing a story of powering through trauma with a persistent and evocative metaphor
@paranoid marvin out of a group of several excellent ghost/haunting stories, this one really stood out and got tremendous menace and sympathy out of a brief interaction
@Parson there were several excellent straight up no frills romance plots, but this one hit me the hardest

A number of other close calls, particularly @Peter V and @Bren G (who I really can't justify not voting for) but I'm certain that they will get many of their own votes in this round.

 

[Parson]

An early vote is such a blessing! Thanks @WSDuffy!

 

[Rafellin]

Not quite as diverse a selection as I expected, but some fine work submitted.

Top o' the stack: @Astro Pen
Second: @The Judge
Third: @mosaix

Honourable mention: @paranoid marvin

 

[Stuart Suffel]

@Ursa major

This time round, there be quite a few very interesting stories - but a number of them which do not relate much, if at all, to the writing prompt.
So, how does one proceed, in this case, in terms of judging one's "top 3"? How much - if any, significance, should be attached to the stories connection to the prompt? Can the prompt aspect be ignored?

 

[Ursa major]

@Ursa major

This time round, there be quite a few very interesting stories - but a number of them which do not relate much, if at all, to the writing prompt.
So, how does one proceed, in this case, in terms of judging one's "top 3"? How much - if any, significance, should be attached to the stories connection to the prompt? Can the prompt aspect be ignored?

The first post in the Entry thread states:

write a story in 300 words or fewer INSPIRED by the image provided above in the genre of Science Fiction, Fantasy, or other Speculative Fiction

The picture may inspire people in any number of ways, at least some of them not being obvious to anyone else but the writer of a particular story, and that's fine. All you have to do is vote for the three stories that you think are the best.

 

[Dan Jones]

For the 300 worder the image is there to only serve as inspiration. It doesn't have to be directly referenced in the story. Of course this month several stories did just that anyway, which is fine. A few others only did so indirectly (like mine) which is again fine, and a couple of others not at all. Also fine.

There must be some speculative / SFF element but that's about it.

EDIT: ...and Bear got there before me. But yeah. What he said!

 

[Stuart Suffel]

Grand. That makes life easier!

So, for me it's

The Colors of Fireflies

Talk To Yourself…

A Tiny Odyssey


and honorable mentions

The Old Ways

Wedding Dressing

White (Lie) Wedding

The Night Stair

PRAY SILENCE FOR..

 

[Stuart Suffel]

We seem to be a little short on entries...

Maybe quantity, but definitely not quality!