DISCUSSION THREAD -- July 2024 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge

[Parson]

A vote from @chrispenycate made my day. Thanks so much!

 

[paranoid marvin]

As soon as I read it, it was on my shortlist. StarBeast, Judge and otaylor challenged for top spot, but Parson gets my vote.

Thankyou to everyone who shortlisted my story, and especial thanks to otaylor for your vote

 

[Starbeast]

@AnRoinnUltra Thank you for your review.

Plus a ginormous THANK YOU for all of the listings and mentions. You all made my day shine bright.

Enders

@Lacedaemonian
@Provincial
@mosaix
@Daysman
@paranoid marvin
@Hugh
@Bren G
@BigJ
@The Judge​

 

[Provincial]

All my previous 75s and 300s are stored on laptop. Sometimes I read through them for inspiration and I think 'did I really write that?' - for both well and poorly written stuff.

Unfortunately, marking an indication of decline, it seems to me that my older stuff was superior.

I think you have reason for much hope. The older the story, the further you are from being the person who wrote it, if you see what I mean. You read your older stories much more objectively because the currents and ripples which influenced them have faded or changed, and your unconscious bias has faded or changed along with them. If you could read your recent stories with the clear eyes which you bring to your old ones, you would see that your new ones are even better.

Or so I think, anyway.

 

[THX1138]

Thanks for the mention @Bowler1!

All my previous 75s and 300s are stored on laptop. Sometimes I read through them for inspiration and I think 'did I really write that?' - for both well and poorly written stuff.

I do the same too. Most of my 75s are not the best, but every now and then I come up with a good. Keeps me on my toes. I feel that my 300's from #50 on are getting better little by little.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

A good month of stories! I always like when the genre is 'Open'.

Had to do a severe whittling of my list to get down to a reasonable size. So...

Shortlist:
Provincial, johnnyjet, mosaix, paranoid marvin, Starbeast, Big J, Ursa major

Fine stories all.

Finalists:
Victoria Silverwolf, Lacedaemonian, The Judge

I had a hard time choosing between these very good entries, but the one I read when it was first posted that resonates strongest with me these many days later is Lacedaemonian's rousing poem. I even looked up the meaning of unkende, and it was just right... made the poem that much more effective. Well done, Lacedaemonian, and well done all.

Many thanks to our fine reviewers.
I'm grateful to Provincial, AnRoinnUltra, nixie, Pyan and chrispenycate for the listings.
Good luck the rest of the way everyone, with listings or votes, CC

You have made my day, thank you.

 

[Daysman]

Another monthly challenge draws to a close - all had a very meta feel to it…

My faves and vote:
@Lacedaemonian (vote)
@mosaix
@paranoid marvin
@Parson
@BigJ
@The Judge

Thanks to @Hugh , @Bowler1 , @Peter V , @AnRoinnUltra , @chrispenycate , and @Starbeast for your listings and mentions, and to our growing band of reviewers (@RTGR , @Parson , @Provincial , and @Victoria Silverwolf ) for your unique perspectives.

D

 

[Lacedaemonian]

Thank you for the vote, @Daysman. Truly appreciate it. I just looked and was surprised to see other folk had voted for the poem. My thanks also to @Luiglin, @Starbeast and @Appello. There were so many great submissions this month and it means a lot to me that my work was appreciated.

 

[The Judge]

At the ending of this month's Challenge, while it's disappointing we had so few entries, the standard was as high as ever, so no easy endings when it comes to voting. But I've finally managed to end up with a shortlist:

BigJ -- Divorce in the 23rd Century​

Bowler1 -- Into the Light​

Cat's Cradle -- When it Failed​

johnnyjet -- The Greatest End-of-the-World Show on Earth​

Lacedaemonian -- The Great Unkende​

otaylor -- An Awfully Bad Way to Go​

Ursa major -- Immortality Attained​

Victoria Silverwolf -- The Final Cut​

After a great deal of going back and forth, Victoria's evocation of the Fates as Atropos ends everyone's life was just beaten by CC's poignant tale of loss and the end of divine connection, hope and life.

Many Hope and Determination Thanks for the lovely mentions/shortlistings THX1138, Hugh, otaylor, Chris p, CC, pm, Starbeast and Daysman. And mega Happy Ever After Thanks for the wonderful votes Provincial, Bowler, Peter V, Christine, nixie and Pyan!

Oh, ninja votes! Happy Ever After Thanks to you, too, johnnyjet, BigJ and DaCrazyKat!

 

[Ursa major]

Many thanks for the shortlisting, @The Judge.

 

[Parson]

Happy day! a vote from @paranoid marvin and a short listing by @Daysman.

-----

Now, I'd better go and vote myself. I think the time is close. I've just voted.

Shortlist

@Provincial .... Fin
@mosaix .... Life Cycle
@Bowler1 .... Into the Light
@BigJ .... Divorce in the 23rd century
@The Judge .... Denouement - A Life in Five Genres

In the end the story that really seemed to click with me was Denouement - A Life in Five Genres a brilliant piece of writing by Her Honor.

 

[Ursa major]

​

The poll is closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, The Judge!​

 

[THX1138]

Congratulations @The Judge!
And well deserved second place to @Lacedaemonian!

 

[mosaix]

Congratulations @The Judge!

 

[Hugh]

Many many congratulations @The Judge !

 

[paranoid marvin]

Congratulations The Judge!

And thanks so much to Ursa for your vote!

 

[nixie]

Congratulations @The Judge.

 

[Pyan]

Well done and congratulations, TJ!

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Congratulations, The Judge! And well done all who entered.
Many thanks to our reviewers for looking at our stories so closely, and then writing thoughtfully on them.

Thank you, TJ, for the vote - it's greatly appreciated. On to August!

 

[The Judge]

Crikey! I really didn't expect this from something I knocked out so very quickly -- perhaps there's a lesson there for when I spend ages obsessing over words and punctuation in a story that I think is great but which then gets zero votes!

Anyhow, thanks everyone, and more Happy Ever After Thanks, Parson, for your vote which slipped in last night!

Now to consider theme and genre. Perhaps it's time to revisit Tudorpunk...