DISCUSSION -- APRIL 2017 300-word Writing Challenge (#25)

Ursa major

Ursa major

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The latest 300-worder is up.

As always with the longer form, entries can be posted from the 10th of the month (in this case April), but that doesn't mean no-one can talk about the challenge until then.

And as ever, the image is only there to provide inspiration; your story does not have to reference it, even indirectly.
 
OK, the last 300-word entry I did was sorta kinda depressing. This one has to be happy, but my problem my muse is leading me to depressing. I gotta think of a way to change that.
 
Idea. Pops into my head. It's a great idea! A yuge one! Never a better one! Just you wait!

Oh.

Darn.

I forgot what it was now...

~goes back to the proverbial drawing board~
 
I've been reading previous 300 word entries to see the standard expected.
Scarily slick and polished, how can first-timers go up against that lot?
It's somewhat off putting IMO
 
dannymcg said:
It's somewhat off putting IMO
Click to expand...

We understand, believe me, but don't be put off. I've only been entering for a year or so and, whilst it seemed a bit daunting at first, the challenges have been a great impetus to just write. That, ultimately, is the main stumbling block, at least for me.

Don't feel you have to come up with some perfect idea first either - just start and see where it goes. Everyone's way of working is different but some of my favourite entries have come from just writing a few words that sounded interesting and following where they took me. The end results have often been completely unexpected and far better than I could have imagined.
 
dannymcg said:
I've been reading previous 300 word entries to see the standard expected.
Scarily slick and polished, how can first-timers go up against that lot?
It's somewhat off putting IMO
Click to expand...
Well, you've made a big mistake there in your very first sentence. That "the standard expected" is wholly wrong! We don't expect anything. We do hope a lot of things, though. We hope members like the images. We hope members relish the challenge of writing flash fiction. We hope they have fun actually writing. We hope they enjoy reading the stories other members produce.

We like stories which have a beginning, middle and end. We like stories which are properly punctuated. We like stories without spelling mistakes. We like well-drawn characters, and wonderful imagery, and great plots. In fact, we like all aspects of good writing. But we're not standing here with a checklist booting stories out because we think they fall down on one point or another! (We do -- with great regret -- boot out stories which are over word count, but that's another issue.)

So what if you're a first-timer? We were all first-timers once. And you're never going to be an old hand at the Challenges if you never set foot in one. (Er... think I've just mixed my metaphors there. :confused:)

Think of the Challenges as a large swimming pool. There are some people who want to be at the Olympics who are ploughing up and down the lanes in a professional manner, but there are far more who are just swimming to the best of their ability -- perhaps trying to go a bit further or a bit faster each time they enter the water -- and others who are just having fun, splashing about in the shallow end, or leaping into the deep end, or serenely floating on their backs looking at the ceiling! It doesn't matter. The Challenges are here for all of us. And unlike a real swimming pool, there's no limit to how many people we can have entering, and no one ever gets in anyone else's way! So go ahead and jump in!
 
Yeah, I intend having a go. Just a bit of stage fright. There again I've been scribbling out stories for a good while now but strictly for myself - trying to get a story that I like all the elements of as opposed to whatever elements another author wrote.

I have a 300 word story now, unfortunately its slightly over 900 words so a lot of chopping infodump bits out this weekend
 
I have the rough draft done. When I go back over it, I have to find the extra 134 words to get rid while cleaning it up a bit.

And to the newcomer, don't worry. Let your character tell you the story. Save the essential bits and post that while keeping the other bits in case the need to expand comes about.

Take a deep breath and exhale. Relax.
 
I am thinking about trying my hand at this for the first time also. As a fellow newcomer, I can understand how intimidating it is to enter into this competition. There really are some talented writers here, but I have also observed in the short time I have been involved that many people here are quite gracious and are also seeking to improve. For me, this combination is what caused me to want to contribute. The real prize of a contest like this is having this amazing writers reviewing your work and helping you improve.

So, my advice to the fellow newcomer is to let your love of writing and desire to be the best writer possible be your motivation. At least for me, that perspective caused me to seek out skilled writers to contribute to my learning, rather than be intimidated by them.
 
Danny, the other thing you could do while you're pruning your current story down, is have a go at a previous 300 worder, and when you're happy with it, post it up in the Improving thread -- strictly that thread's for actual entries in an old Challenge, but we're happy to make exceptions for newbies wanting to practise.

Joshua -- hello and welcome, by the way! -- I think I read that you'd already been practising with old Challenges, so if you wanted feedback on one or two of them, you're more than welcome to pop them up in the Improving threads, too. (Just to confirm, though I'm sure you both know, it is only entries/attempts at Challenges which are finished which can be given critical feedback -- so entries for the current ones will have to wait until all voting is over in their respective threads.)
 
The Judge said:
Danny, the other thing you could do while you're pruning your current story down, is have a go at a previous 300 worder, and when you're happy with it, post it up in the Improving thread -- strictly that thread's for actual entries in an old Challenge, but we're happy to make exceptions for newbies wanting to practise.

Joshua -- hello and welcome, by the way! -- I think I read that you'd already been practising with old Challenges, so if you wanted feedback on one or two of them, you're more than welcome to pop them up in the Improving threads, too. (Just to confirm, though I'm sure you both know, it is only entries/attempts at Challenges which are finished which can be given critical feedback -- so entries for the current ones will have to wait until all voting is over in their respective threads.)
Click to expand...
Thank you for your flexibility. I have mainly worked on 75 worders as a break from the novellas I am working on (Hard SF universe, with military, political, crime, everyday life, and other sub genres) and as practice, so I would love to have a couple reviewed. I will try to get one or two up later today.

Thanks again!
 
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