DISCUSSION THREAD -- 300 Word Writing Challenge #54 (July 2024)

[The Judge]

With the beginning of July we have a new 300 Writing Challenge!

The thread is drafted and just waiting for someone with more technical expertise than I possess to insert the inspiration image, but while you're waiting for it to appear start thinking stairways and columns... (HB is expecting a ream of Piranesi rip-offs, but personally, I'm hoping for lots of Wedgwood china!)

As ever, the Challenge thread itself will be locked until the 10th, allowing plenty of time for consideration, writing and revising, but this thread is immediately open for comment, thoughts and natter!

Good luck everyone!

 

[The Judge]

The thread, complete with image thanks to Ursa major, is now up!

300 Word Writing Challenge -- #54 (July 2024) -- READ FIRST POST!

The inspiration image for Challenge #54 is: Image credit: ChrisG THE CHALLENGE: To write a story in 300 words or fewer INSPIRED BY the image provided above in the genre of Science Fiction, Fantasy, or other Speculative Fiction In addition to receiving the Dignified...

www.sffchronicles.com

 

[Parson]

My granddaughter took one look at the picture and said "Creepy." So I expect that there will be Horror stories. But I'm not going to write a horror story.

 

[Rafellin]

Saw the photo, thought it would be difficult, then *whoosh* and a complete (non-Piranesi, non-horror ) piece arrives. Think it might be even less popular than my usual offerings , but I'll go with it.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Me too, Rafellin, exactly! (Even the "less popular" part.)

Really intriguing photo from ChrisG.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I didn’t get horror from it. I’m feeling something a bit more lyricalish or poetic might be on its way from me.

 

[Luiglin]

I got lonely, unloved, sterile, fake.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

That's how I felt till I got married. *buh-ding boom* (It's okay to joke here, right??)

 

[Astro Pen]

Never read Piranesi, Though it sounds to have something of The Magus about it.
I wrote my entry before checking Piranesi out. Naturally it didn't make a jot of difference to the inevitable outcome

 

[Elckerlyc]

It is not remotely resembling the image I got while reading piranesi, which I imagined as airy and lofty. But it seems like a place where you could get lost in its labyrinthine set of staircases.

 

[The Judge]

It's the 10th, so the Challenge thread is now open!

Let's see some stories!

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Astro Pen: This poignant tale begins with a striking, surreal, and allegorical image that draws the reader into the story immediately. All the more powerful, then, is its dramatic and realistic climax.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

It's always so nice to post those, and be done with them.

Good stories so far! I think it doesn't reveal anything important about my entry to mention that when I first saw the photo, I wondered if the stairway in such a place would have a banister to slide down... the story popped into my head right afterwards. I just didn't want to enter anything gloomy, so I went for goofy.

I look forward to reading the entries, good luck all, CC

 

[RTGR]

@Astro Pen - Eternal Flight - Sadness and joy, reflecting the positive side of life. Very good.

@Victoria Silverwolf - Our Lady of the Tides - Not everything is about money and not everything is about power. Sometimes it's about the little things.

@Cat's Cradle - Arms Askew in Altoona, Pennsylvania - The AI war in the current world and perhaps a near dystopian future.

@THX1138 - The Choice of Ones Eternity - Surprising. It made me reflect on how insignificant we are in the face of death and the universe.

@Guttersnipe - My Body is a Temple - Funny, showing how fleeting immediate feelings are.

@Rafellin - Idols - A truth in today's world with a touch of fiction.

 

[Parson]

Ho boy! I've just discovered I didn't have the Challenge Thread bookmarked. It may take me awhile to catch up with the stories.

@Astro Pen .... Eternal Flight .... This is a story which opens a kind of insight into a particular kind of affliction in such a way that you can almost feel the confused emotions.

@Victoria Silverwolf .... Our Lady of the Tides .... This is a story of surprising devotion and its surprising outcome. It makes me long for a different place and a different time.

@Cat's Cradle .... Arms Askew in Altoona, Pennsylvania .... This is a story that helps one to understand that sometimes the big picture is seen most clearly through the little picture. Sometimes you need to see the trees to see the forest.

@THX1138 .... The Choice of Ones Eternity .... This is a story which makes us reconsider what is modern, what is traditional, and how they interface with each life.

@Guttersnipe .... My Body is a Temple .... This is a story which made me rethink the attributes of war and heresy.

@Rafellin .... Idols .... This is a story that walks the fine line between economics and faith development. They are two social constructs and could be complimentary but might well be something else.

@RTGR .... Immobile .... This is a story which takes you by the hand and guides you in ways that you are not expecting in the least.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Cat's Cradle: The author entices with reader with good humor and an appreciation for advancements in everyday technology. Only when the consequences of such developments become clear does the story deliver its full impact.

THX1138: This powerful examination of the quest for immortality benefits from its realistic depiction of plausible technology. The theme of what fades and what remains is one well worth pondering.

Guttersnipe: This whimsical allegory of the way that human reason and emotion work together, or fail to do so, is use to strike a chord with every reader. Its universality adds depth to its playful mood.

Rafellin: This subtle tale of a world evolved from our own raises questions of societal trust and obligations. That there will always be some form of inequality is its inevitable theme.

RTGR: The introspective tone of this psychological tale powerfully conveys the unsettled mind of its narrator. The reader is drawn into the perspective of the protagonist, making the extraordinary seem real.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Appello: The author adds freshness to a classic pattern found in ancient mythology. Through the use of insightful characterization, the reader comes to accept the miraculous as believeable.

 

[RTGR]

@Appello - Hell Hath No Fury - Layers of power, selfishness, oppressive grandeur, and arrogance versus despised and mortal humility. The ending left a bitter taste.

 

[Parson]

@Appello .... Hell Hath No Fury .... A story which speaks of how devastating fate can be even when warned.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

AnRoinnUltra: In addition to a creative use of language, this playful tale skewers the common human tendency to want to go along with the crowd. With satiric wit, the author demonstrates how we often don't trust our own opinions.