Discussion thread -- November 2015 75-word Writing Challenge

[Ursa major]

This month's challenge is now up -- and up for discussion in this thread -- and challenge entries can be posted here.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Electric chickens. That is all. (And, ooooh, Dan, that pink and orange is a bit hot on these old eyes!)

 

[Parson]

I believe that the theme must be time travel or else we are all too late to the contest.

Contest ends at 11:59 pm GMT, October 23, 2015

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, October 28, 2015



But really "Absurdist Fiction?" I've never even heard of it. Off to Google.

Google:

Absurdist fiction is a genre of fictional narrative (traditionally, literary fiction), most often in the form of a novel, play, poem, or film, that focuses on the experiences of characters in situations where they cannot find any inherent purpose in life, most often represented by ultimately meaningless actions and events that call into question the certainty of existential concepts such as truth or value.[1] Common elements in absurdist fiction include satire, dark humour, incongruity, the abasement of reason, and controversy regarding the philosophical condition of being "nothing."[2] Works of absurdist fiction often explore agnostic or nihilistic topics.

Oh my! this sounds sooooo, not my kettle of fish!!

 

[holland]

Is this the record for the fastest first entry?

 

[Ashleyne]

Not sure whether I fully understand the genre, but that's the story I dreamt up, and that's the one I'm sticking with.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Great choices, DG! It's very rare, but nothing popped spontaneously into my head when I read the selections...I'll have to think about this one, which is exciting! Looking forward to the challenge, CC

ps -- and good work, Holland and Ashleyne! You were both so fast!

 

[Dan Jones]

Morning folks.

First up, good spot @Parson - maybe one of the mods can alter the dates to something more manageable. The dangers of posting last thing at night before falling asleep I guess.

In trying to decide this month's genre I visited my local library, which enabled me to make the following shortlist.

Horror
Crime
SFF
General Fiction
Gay
Reference
Large Print / Braille

So that didn't help. Then I came up with the quite brilliant idea of choosing the genre of Post-Colonial Erotica, with Cricket as the theme. The mods said that wasn't a good idea, though. A shame, as I'd already come up with a belter of a story called Howzat For A Good Length, Sheila?

Ah well. Some things perhaps the world isn't yet ready for. So I settled on Absurdism.

 

[Droflet]

 

[LittleStar]

Ooh, interesting choice of genre... No idea what it is, but interesting choice. Is two bananas using asparagus as fencing foils considered absurdist?

*Quickly runs off for a wiki search*



*Returns with two sparkly ideas that need to germinate*

So Wiki leads me to believe we might be in for a few stories that just don't mean anything. Things could get out of hand, one might even say... absurd.

 

[Ensign Shah]

Then I came up with the quite brilliant idea of choosing the genre of Post-Colonial Erotica, with Cricket as the theme. The mods said that wasn't a good idea, though.

Aw that's a shame! Perhaps you can all do that on a different thread.

 

[Droflet]

Yeah, DG, I'm up for it. Cough.

 

[Ensign Shah]

Great first entries @holland and @Ashleyne. B. Watts. Think this genre appeals to me... not sure what that says about me though.
Great choice @DG Jones.

 

[Juliana]

DG! Yikes!!!! I think I had a better shot at your post-colonial erotica!

Good thing I have almost a month to get my absurd on.

 

[Bowler1]

I have no ideas as yet, not a one. A very good challenge, but one I'll rise to, or sink to, I don't know which yet.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Morning folks.

First up, good spot @Parson - maybe one of the mods can alter the dates to something more manageable.

Already did that last night. . I didn't want to miss a 75 by way of being a month late.

 

[Luiglin]

This should be relatively up my street but as ever when it's forced it doesn't always work. Time for a spot of meditation, contemplating my navel and tantric tea making.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

holland -- Adverteasing

Ashleyne. B. Watts -- Fingerfooled

Luiglin -- Riddlemesster

Robert Mackay -- Novelletcetera

 

[Droflet]

I thought this one would be easy. It wasn't. Some of my first drafts were too grim to post. So, I took a different path. Meh.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Droflet -- Coyoteehee

 

[Droflet]

I like these shortened reviews, Victoria. Clever stuff.