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

[M. Robert Gibson]

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

I quite like this variant:

"Power attracts the corruptible."

 

[Elckerlyc]

Apologies @Provincial. Having reread my story I see that it is easy to interpret it in the way that you did.

I read it that way too. And I kept wondering 'why would they name the ship that way?' Not that it mattered to the story really that depended on the final line.


My thanks to @sule and @Peter V for the votes and @Provincial and @M. Robert Gibson for the mentioning of my story.

 

[emrosenagel]

Congrats, @Cat's Cradle! And to @mosaix for second, well done!

 

[Starbeast]

Congratulations Cat's Cradle
@Cat's Cradle


Fantastic Effort @mosaix


​

My Story: Bureaucrats getting a taste of their own medicine. Not to mention them hiding in a deep underground bunker, unable to go outside into a nuclear wasteland. But also running out of oxygen in complete darkness.

Plus a hint at the 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Hal 9000)

 

[Provincial]

Apologies Provincial. Having reread my story I see that it is easy to interpret it in the way that you did.

I read it that way too. And I kept wondering 'why would they name the ship that way?' Not that it mattered to the story really that depended on the final line.

Well, it’s comforting to know that my mistake wasn’t unreasonable, and that I wasn’t the only one who made it. But I do feel bad that you might have re-evaluated your story as a consequence. People obviously loved the pay-off - as did I, it really made me smile - and with only 75 words in which to tell our tales it is almost unavoidable that we make edits which have unintended consequences. Of course, you must also realise that some of your readers might never understand what you meant, no matter what. I have been told that it is impossible to write something in such a way that it cannot be misunderstood!

Perhaps that is where comic books have an advantage. The artwork can provide valuable additional context for the words, as well as telling the story by other means.

 

[mosaix]

Many, many thanks to the people who voted for my story: @nixie, @Pyan, @elvet, @Ursa major, @Luiglin, @Cat's Cradle, @Hugh, @Peter V, @Bren G, @emrosenagel and @THX1138.

Sorry to be so late in posting my thanks.

Apart from the confusion of naming the ship and the planet, it only became obvious to me after the edit time had elapsed that 'sunshine' should, of course, have had a capital 'S'! To those who didn't notice my error - a gentle slap on the wrist - to those who did and didn't comment on it - thanks for saving my embarrassment!

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Belated congratulations to both!

 

[BAYLOR]

Congratulations Cat's Cradle
@Cat's Cradle


Fantastic Effort @mosaix


​

My Story: Bureaucrats getting a taste of their own medicine. Not to mention them hiding in a deep underground bunker, unable to go outside into a nuclear wasteland. But also running out of oxygen in complete darkness.

Plus a hint at the 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Hal 9000)

Sounds like it has shades of Dr Strangelove. Cool .