DISCUSSION THREAD -- OCTOBER 2022 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge

[johnnyjet]

My Long List, Short List, and *** Favorite ***:

Oh, Leave Me Hope - Cat's Cradle
The Man Who Hated Fire - Victoria Silverwolf
*** Walled Up - paranoid marvin ***
When The Veil is Thinnest - Mon0Zer0
Catching the Scythe - Phyrebrat
A Sliver of Shade - Daysman
Hot Pursuit - bedyak
In The Shadows - Jo Zebedee
Last Dance Upon The Heath - Dan Jones
Darkness. The Devil’s Friend? - mosaix

 

[Bowler1]

It has been difficult to pick names out this month and I was heading toward a Starbeast long listing when I tightened up my selection yet again.

My super short listing is Starbeast, Mosaix and Hugh - good job to all of you.
PM gets my vote as I felt the last line ending had been nailed, so a very good job from me.

I have a vote from Ensign Shah (I'm glad to see your still here) and much appreciated. The vote spread so far is a real shot gun blast and spread of votes instead of one person scooting ahead and this means anyone can still win.

Did I mention that I am giving away free RAY GUNS or... pitchforks... for every vote sent my way. Ensign Shah now has a Star Trex themed side arm, how lucky can you get!

 

[mosaix]

I have a stealth vote from @Peter V. Many thanks.

 

[Wayne Mack]

A lot of interesting stories. I tended to favor the lighter ones, but

Oh, Leave Me Hope @Cat's Cradle​

​

got my vote for its Edgar Allen Poe feel. Others that I particularly enjoyed were:

The Man Who Hated Fire @Victoria Silverwolf​

Catching the Scythe @Phyrebrat​

By Dawns Early(ish) Light @Peter V​

All’s Well That Ends Well Part 2, or, It Was A Dark And Stormy Night @M. Robert Gibson​

Darkness. The Devil’s Friend? @mosaix​

Folly @Hugh​

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Am not really clued up on Gothic stories (though there's a human sized styrofoam Frankenstein's monster staring back as I type). Anyways, all good stuff. Five stood out to my eyes and interpretation.

Walled Up by @paranoid marvin That person learned their lesson good -thar'll be no more nasty putdowns in this tale.

Catching the Scythe by @Phyrebrat Knew this would be a good theme for, and entry from the author. Poetry. Got my vote.

A Marriage made in Heaven by @Bowler1 A well worked 75 worder ...the things you do for love.

Goodnight, Sweet Child by @JS Wiig Almost got my vote -they don't call em night terrors for nuthin.

Anno Domini 2022, 296th day by @scarpelius For the great opening line ...gonna rob that one

Thanks all for all the stories, and to the hardworking reviewers -fair play

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thanks for the shortlistings Starbeast and AnRoinnUltra. And very happy to have received two votes, so thanks very much johnnyjet and Bowler1!

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Oh, Leave Me Hope @Cat's Cradle

This is 300 discussion

Hey, leave Wayne Mack alone!!
Thanks so much for the vote, WM! Truly appreciated. (I've posted in the wrong Challenge discussion thread before, many of us have, so no worries.)

Also, big thanks to BT Jones, Christine Wheelwright, Peter V, Starbeast, and johnnyjet for the listings. So many good stories this month, I was very pleased to have gotten a vote and some listings. I will read through all the entries tomorrow and vote. Looks to be a very close race, good luck all, CC

 

[mosaix]

I have a stealth vote from @Peter V. Many thanks.

I now realise it was only a half stealth vote as @Peter V had previously posted a shortlist. Thanks again.

 

[Parson]

Just went and look and was gob smacked to discover that I have two votes!? Thanks to @Starbeast and @Artoriarius for the votes and thanks to everyone who has made mention of bit of poetry. It's been a while since I tried my hand at something like that.

 

[Daysman]

Enthralling stylings, comic deliveries, premature burials — must be the Halloween 75!

My fave six inc. (vote):

• @paranoid marvin
• @Parson
• @Phyrebrat
• @Jo Zebedee
• @M. Robert Gibson
• @BT Jones (vote)

Thanks to @Christine Wheelwright and @sule for your votes, to @BT Jones , @Starbeast , @Hugh and @johnnyjet for your honourable mentions, and to @Victoria Silverwolf and @Parson for your consideration.

D

 

[Bren G]

Interesting voting patterns. Must be a full moon!

My Shortlist was much longer than usual. Lots of great stories. I was tough to choose one.

Oh, Leave Me Hope - @Cat's Cradle
Thy Maiden of Retribution - @BigJ
Walled Up - @paranoid marvin
The Man Who Hated Fire - @Victoria Silverwolf
The Lady Remains - @sule
A Storm of Ancient Evil - @Parson
Catching the Scythe - @Phyrebrat
By Dawns Early(ish) Light - @Peter V

I voted for - What be… with me? - by @VRlass . Top marks for alignment to the genre (as far as I understand it), but what really got me was the beautiful prose and word choices. It seems to be in harmony with the many strings plucking in my brain. I suspect this may have been a labour of love. Well done!

 

[Stable]

I didn't manage to write one this time sadly, but I did enjoy reading all the entries just now.

I voted for @Victoria Silverwolf

Honourable mentions go to Phyrebrat, Daysman, Peter V and Jo Zebedee.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

That was a struggle!
i shortlisted Christine, Victoria, Paranoid Marvin. VRLass (Must have taken ages!), Ian42, Phyre (I’d have been disappointed if he’d have missed the gothic tones!) and Starbeast.
it came down to Christine and Starbest, both of which I loved (the humour made me smile) and, in the end, i went for starbeast‘s Hammer House vibe because nothing does gothic better than a good hammer vampire.

 

[VRlass]

Top marks for alignment to the genre (as far as I understand it), but what really got me was the beautiful prose and word choices. It seems to be in harmony with the many strings plucking in my brain. I suspect this may have been a labour of love. Well done!

Yeah I went crazy with this one.

Spoiler: Only for the ones who voted

As I said, my newest 300 is the only one that has no tricks so you may find some “Easter eggs” emerging from the composition.

Question for the challenge winners.
Is winning really that much more satisfying than getting single votes in 75?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Yeah I went crazy with this one.

Spoiler: Only for the ones who voted

As I said, my newest 300 is the only one that has no tricks so you may find some “Easter eggs” emerging from the composition.

Question for the challenge winners.
Is winning really that much more satisfying than getting single votes in 75?

I think the first votes are really important for validating ourselves as writers, especially when someone just ‘gets’ it. But wins are nice. Mostly I just enjoy the discipline of honing word counts and the craic.

 

[Elckerlyc]

As usual difficult to choose between all those different ways the stories go...
Mentions, shortlisted and vote are cast as follows:

@Cat's Cradle - Oh, Leave Me Hope
@paranoid marvin - Walled Up
@therapist - Guilt
@Parson - A Storm of Ancient Evil
@Peter V - By Dawns Early(ish) Light
@M. Robert Gibson - All’s Well That Ends Well Part 2, or, It Was A Dark And Stormy Night
@Dan Jones - Last Dance Upon The Heath

 

[Hugh]

Well, the voting's getting interesting...

I like it when the votes are so widespread - it must reflect on the competence of the stories and the diversity of taste of our voters.

And speaking of votes - many thanks indeed for the vote @THX1138 . A wonderful surprise. Many thanks also for the shortlisting @Bowler1 and the listings @Starbeast and @Peter V . All much appreciated.

 

[Wayne Mack]

Hey, leave Wayne Mack alone!!

No worries. I messed up and it was helpful to have someone flag it or I would likely never noticed. Thanks to @The Judge for making it all better.

 

[Luiglin]

Top three for me:

• @VRlass - an unusual chilling rhythm of a read
• @Daysman - nice bit of world building
• @M. Robert Gibson - a last line after my own heart

With the scores on the doors Ms Ford going to @VRlass.

 

[JS Wiig]

Tough one to choose from as always, many thanks to all the contributors and of course @Parson and @Victoria Silverwolf for their reviews!

In the end I voted for @Dan Jones for excellent prose and a demented desire to relive the past.