DISCUSSION THREAD -- MAY 2024 75 WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

[Daysman]

Congrats @johnnyjet !!!

 

[mosaix]

Congratulations @johnnyjet!

Apologies to all for missing out on the voting. My plans for yesterday didn't quite turn out as I expected.

 

[Bowler1]

Congratulations Johnnyjet, well done lad.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Congratulations, johnnyjet! Really nice work.

Thank you for the vote, Ursa!
I'm gobsmacked to finish tied for second, very happy to share that with Bren G. Congratulations to Victoria, too, for third place... I thought Weapons of Choice might deliver you your third win in a row.

I wrote my story first, then took a moment to think of a title. I thought of the age-old dentists' advert 'Painless Dentistry', and laughed... of course my entry would be called 'Shameless Dentistry'. Anyway, well done all, and looking forward to the June Challenge, CC

 

[The Judge]

Congratulations, johnnyjet! Commiserations CC and Bren G!

 

[nixie]

Congratulations @johnnyjet.

 

[johnnyjet]

A big thank you for the votes from @Victoria Silverwolf, @THX1138, @Culhwch, @AnRoinnUltra, @Cat's Cradle, and @nixie.

Also thanks for the honorable mentions from @Lacedaemonian, @Christine Wheelwright, @Phyrebrat, @Waza, @Starbeast, @The Judge, and @Daysman, as well as for the commentaries by @Victoria Silverwolf and @Parson.

Now I need to come up with a new and exciting theme for next month. Ah, the pressure...

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

Congratulations @johnnyjet for a fine winning story. And, also, thanks for your vote!

 

[Lacedaemonian]

Congratulations, @johnnyjet an absolutely deserved win.

 

[The Judge]

Now I need to come up with a new and exciting theme for next month. Ah, the pressure...

PM me when you've thought of something!

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Well done @johnnyjet

As for my effort, I was sure it wouldn't get any votes or mentions - but surprisingly it did get some mentions, so thanks to @Hugh @chrispenycate @Starbeast @Daysman

Why didn't I think it would do well? Because I assumed the references to be too obscure. You see, the ingredients mentioned in the little incantation

Beggar’s buttons, tooth of lion,
Fox’s clote and snout of swine,
Happy major, and priest's crown.
Chop them up and drink it down.

are old names for dandelion and burdock.

• Lion’s Tooth, Swine’s Snout, Priest’s Crown: Dandelion Taraxacum Officinale
• Beggar’s Buttons, Fox’s Clote, Happy Major: Burdock Arctium Lappa

At least, according to this site:

Old Names for Herbs | Magickal Ingredients

shirleytwofeathers.com

and so without that knowledge, I assumed everyone would just think it a load of gibberish.

Thank you

Carry on

 

[Phyrebrat]

Congratulations @johnnyjet !! Thank you @Lacedaemonian for my vote.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

Congratulations @johnnyjet !! Thank you @Lacedaemonian for my vote.

Really liked some of your imagery. Always tough with the poverty of words.

 

[THX1138]

He does have good imagery.
The ones with poetry skills tend to do better at these 75 worders.

 

[Provincial]

Congratulations @johnnyjet !

 

[Phyrebrat]

Really liked some of your imagery. Always tough with the poverty of words.

He does have good imagery.
The ones with poetry skills tend to do better at these 75 worders.

Thanks guys. Not sure I agree about the poetic entries … I think for me they have to be more than a rhyme.

I might speak about my entry in the improvements thread simply because I’ve never been happier with a piece of flash fiction I’ve written. I wasn’t really in my own mind when doing it (I call it flow state) and apart from the idea of a merman seducing a another man to drowning and the feature of of sea oats, I had nothing.

 

[THX1138]

Not sure I agree about the poetic entries … I think for me they have to be more than a rhyme.

That's what I was trying to get at, not 75-word poems entries here, but the word usage and skills do come through in the visuals of the non-poetic entries submitted by the folks who also do poetry on the side. It seems to me that it makes for much better story tellers overall.

 

[Starbeast]

Congratulations Johnnyjet
@johnnyjet

Silver Medal @Cat's Cradle & @Bren G

Bronze Medal @Victoria Silverwolf

Star Wars Medal For everyone else!

​

My Story: Recently I've become a tremendous fan of the TV show, Steptoe & Son (I do understand that not everyone has seen the show). I was inspired to use the characters Albert & Harold, along with Lord of the Rings. I was trying to think of a dangerous plant, other than Venus flytraps or Triffids. Blood oranges sounded threatening and I liked titling my tale as Night of the Blood Oranges.

The blood orange is a variety of orange with crimson, near blood-colored flesh. It is one of the sweet orange varieties. It is also known as the raspberry orange

​

 

[Ursa major]

Perhaps, to enhance our poetic sides, we should have another "in the style of Kipling" challenge.


*dons protective clothing*

 

[Ursa major]

I love** blood oranges, which are now available for much longer periods than before (when, if you didn't keep an eye out for them, would be in and out of the shops before you knew it): I was eating them for quite a long period earlier this year.


** - Apart from their gorgeous taste, their flesh is so very soft to bite into, unlike the tough flesh of a navel orange.