DISCUSSION THREAD -- MARCH 2023 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge

Congratulations @Phyrebrat on a resounding victory!

Thanks to @therapist, @johnnyjet, @Yozh, and @Daysman for the mentions/listings/whatnot, and a very special thanks to @Lawrence Twiddy and @The Judge for the votes. I think the story I had in my head was a bit much for 75 words; I'm glad enough of it survived the cutting to get the response that it did.

I'd been ruminating on an idea about humanity destroying the Earth in a nuclear war and then a teenager hitting reset on the simulation, when I stumbled on the recently released music video for Lost by Linkin Park, which is a previously unreleased song they'd recorded for their album Meteora from 2003. It was an emotional track and a real nostalgia hit, especially knowing how the frontman Chester Bennington took his own life six years ago, and that whole thing got stuck in my head, particularly after I found a stat saying that something like 70% of people who survive a suicide attempt never attempt again.

Couldn't get the thought out of my head, so I put it on the page. Stole the concept of Harry Potter waking up in a spiritual King's Cross after Voldemort "kills" him (but instead of Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, we have . . . Bob), added a dash of tragedy resulting from one's perceptions not matching reality and tried to end it on a hopeful note.

It's funny how a 75 worder can be anything from a setup to a deliciously awful one-liner pun, to a microcosm of a part of the human experience, and how depending on the month I might vote for either one!
 
Congratulations to @Phyrebrat

Thank you for mentions and shortlisting @emrosenagel @johnnyjet @THX1138 @Peter V @Hugh and @Cat's Cradle.

@Peter V I hope I can discuss my story now, because the voting has ended. I thought about that, if the coffee was satisfactory or not, for about a week. My first idea was to end it with "you're not so useless afterall" but that is too wordy. Easier version, that I think would convey the message would be "He smiled". But, being me, I love a twist on the end. A possitive ending is something expected in this situation. "He frowned" would do the trick. Because, coff-o-tron is just a robot and it cannot go beyond its settings. If the settings are to make a bad coffee, it won't improve it no matter how much it tries. (is that even a twist, btw?) Honestly, I was not happy with either outcome. He smiled or he frowned didn't feel right. They don't give what I want to put in there. I really wanted to use "not so useless afterall." but here comes the limit. So I just decided to go with open end, let the reader decide. I will put this in the improving post, see if I can change it, get the ending there.
 
Congratulations @Phyrebrat well deserved. Imagery was fantastic and the story was a compelling spin on something that is often thought of as a blessing.
 
Wooo. Go me! About time you lot recognised extreme, offensively excellent excellence when it beats you round the head.

I have not posted my shortlist yet and will post properly later but Wednesdays are a 3-school day for me, and @Dan Jones is being a right bugger insisting I edit the Excalibur podcast for release this week, so I’ve not had chance to post it yet. Or thank people by name.

But a temporary thank you to all
 
Congratulations Phyrebrat, great story! Well done, Victoria Silverwolf, for keeping it close till the end. My two faves this month. :)

Thank you, The Judge, for the listing. :) Two Challenges next month, so yay!
 
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