DISCUSSION THREAD -- July 2022 -- 300 Word Writing Challenge #46

[therapist]

and then you realize you've only 25 words for the denouement

luxury

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Great collection of stories, and thanks for the inspiration artwork, Laura R Hepworth. Thank you Victoria and Parson for the fine reviews.

Here are my lists:

Honorables:
Victoria Silverwolf, A Walk in the Woods - an immersive tale with great atmosphere and a rewarding ending.
Peter V, Reunion - a fine story of loss, very moving with a terrific ending.
Aknot, Another Day On The Job - an exciting, fast-paced story of a marine’s frustrations on Mars.
paranoid marvin, What Goes Around - a truly unique, and fun take on the inspiration picture. Loved the setting, and the ending.
Chrispenycate, Symbionts - I really enjoyed the eco-world building here, and the story of mutually beneficial, yet unknown cooperation.
Mosaix, The Explorer’s Obsession - the search for knowledge seems to always trump the application of caution. Love the olde feel of this exciting tale.

Shortlist:
Stable, Ease - Beautifully written story of loss, and a sacrifice to regain what was lost.
Christine Wheelwright, Diplomatic Failings- Perfectly told space saga of things going horribly wrong at the diplomatic level. The story has a great ending. This could become a serial (not ‘cereal’!)!
Luiglin, The Lights Shone - beautifully written and structured tale that brought two characters to life, and told an intriguing tale of past, and pending adventures.
Starbeast, Agent Sasha Silverfox in The Dog Who Loved Me - wonderful story. This exciting tale of a top secret spy and her intrepid doggy had me smiling from start to finish. Also, ‘Shitake’ may be the best new swear word of the last 50 years.
The Judge, The Fireflies Dance - A lovely tale from TJ. Entrancing natural details help build the world, and the devotion to honor and the continuation of a way of life fill its atmosphere.

Votes:
Jo Zebedee, In my heart and my roots - One of those perfect stories. So incredibly moving. To find strength while suffering such loss, wow. A just-right ending, too.
therapist, The Language of Laguna - this is soo good. Love the space exploration setting, loved the Golden Age feel of the science, and the reveal - amazing.
Phyrebrat, Assisted Suicide - lovely writing, terrific atmosphere and my favorite closing line of the Challenge. Great little horror story.

This is getting too long, so quickly I want to send huge thanks to everyone who listed, or voted for my story. It's greatly appreciated, CC

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thanks for the shortlisting and the great comments, CC!

 

[paranoid marvin]

luxury

I can do it in 9.



Sadly, in the end they all died.


The End.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I can do it in 9.



Sadly, in the end they all died.


The End.

I’ll see your 9 and raise you 6.

Sadly, they all died.

The End.

 

[Ursa major]

To be less biologically biased, and thus allow the inclusion of entities such as AIs, robots, etc. (as well as being less sentimental), a three-word denouement:

They all ended.​

 

[JS Wiig]

What’s wrong with:

Happily ever after!

 

[Luiglin]

What’s wrong with:

Happily ever after!

Because even in fantasy, that never happens

 

[Parson]

Because even in fantasy, that never happens

Ha! In my fantasies I always live happily ever after.

 

[Luiglin]

Ha! In my fantasies I always live happily ever after.

As I said, I'm not a good writer

Edit: just to be clear, I was referring to my own fantasies

 

[The Judge]

A number of stories I didn't get this quarter though a couple I nonetheless shortlisted as I was so taken with the writing/imagery/ideas.

And here is my shortlist, a bit longer than usual, and that's after pruning a few off:

BigJ -- If you find yourself alone...​

BTJones -- A Kind of Immortality​

Cat's Cradle -- Chalky​

Jo Zebedee -- In my heart and my roots​

Luiglin -- The Lights Shone​

Peter V -- Reunion​

Phyrebrat -- Assisted Suicide​

Stable -- Ease​

Swank -- Indestructable​

therapist -- The Language of Laguna​

As to my votes, I picked Jo's tale of grief and resilience as soon as I read it, and I loved the mix of calm positivity and sense of loss in BTJ's long-lived botanist, but a number of stories vied for the third vote, and it ended up as a battle between Stable's sad tale of drugs-gone-wrong and Luiglin's storytelling grandfather, and after a coin-toss the vote went to Stable.


Many pike-breaching, kingfisher-blazing thanks for the lovely mentions/shortlistings paranoid marvin, johnnyjet, Chris p, Starbeast, Daysman and CC. And huge swan-singing, firefly-dancing thanks for the fabulous votes therapist, BTJ, sule and Victoria. And for the ninja votes pH (admit it, it was the pike wot won it!) and Guttersnipe!

 

[The Judge]

There were a lot of fine entries, though some, I felt, missed the theme

Without in any way wanting to criticise Wayne -- we all have our own criteria for voting, and no one view is better or more correct than another** -- just in case newcomers to the Challenges see this and worry, it bears repeating that unlike the 75s which have both, the 300 Worder has a genre requirement but no theme. We have the image which is there to act as inspiration, but we can take the story in whatever direction we want and bring in/use whatever theme we want.

Personally, I like to see a link between the image and the story, no matter how tenuous, so it's clear the story arises from the image in some way, but not even that is necessary as long as the genre is met.


** save mine, of course, which is faultless and always completely right

 

[farntfar]

Great work everyone.
My votes went to
@Cat's Cradle
@Stable
@mosaix.

Other stories that particularly pleased me from
@Victoria Silverwolf
@Astro Pen
@BigJ
@Christine Wheelwright
@paranoid marvin
@Jo Zebedee
@Starbeast
@therapist

 

[Astro Pen]

My internet is highly intermittent since this afternoon's storm. So not mush room for reviews.
Votes to
@BigJ
@VRlass
@Raz2k13
All of which shared a broad theme and moved me in various ways.

 

[Ursa major]

​

The poll has now closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, Jo Zebedee!​

​

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

Well done Jo! A worthy winner!

And thanks to everyone who voted for my story or gave it an honorable mention.

 

[THX1138]

Congratulations @Jo Zebedee!
And a well done to you to @Christine Wheelwright! It was a close one.

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

Biting my thumb at the sun, I sat in a coffee shop this morning with a hot latte, Portuguese tart and the 300s.

And the votes went to...

• @Aknot - nice grunt snapshot
• @mosaix - you can't get more gentleman explorer than finding a wall and firing cannonballs at it
• @Jo Zebedee - if you go down into the woods today...

Close calls @BT Jones , @chrispenycate , @Starbeast and @Perpetual Man

And yet only one of you voted....

I like the way you think @Ursa major. Getting a Portugese tart to vote in the SFF 300 challenge would certainly be kinky. You might want to point her towards the 75 worder though....if she charges by the hour.

 

[Stable]

To be less biologically biased, and thus allow the inclusion of entities such as AIs, robots, etc. (as well as being less sentimental), a three-word denouement:

They all ended.​

To be more biologically, and aquatically biased, a one-word denoument:

fin.

 

[Stable]

Congratulations Jo!

Thank you for the votes and mentions. There were more than I expected, so I am very pleased.

I don't know how well it came across, but I was aiming to evoke the pain that comes from hurting someone you love.