DISCUSSION -- October 2017 300-Word Writing Challenge (#27)

[Talysia]

I may be rusty when it comes to the writing part of these challenges, but the one thing that hasn't changed is how hard it is to pick a winner. The quality is as high as ever!

That said, I was able to narrow it down to a shortlist and my three eventual winners, so here they are:

Shortlist:
Cat's Cradle
Cathbad
PeterV
chrispenycate
mosaix
Perpetual Man
Teresa Edgerton
LittleStar

Winners: Luiglin, Kerrybuchanan and The Judge.

Well done everyone!

 

[Peter V]

Lots to chose from and as always I am probably unfairly cherry picking just a few but really this was probably the hardest challenge yet to narrow own to three votes. Even now I feel I have done a disservice to some who equally deserve a mention or even a vote. There are some tales that I thought so good there was no way I was not going to give them one of my votes... and then I read on... and on... and it kept getting harder and harder to decide.



GRANDMOTHER'S GARDEN Ashleyne

Lost then Found Cat's Cradle

Mary's Boy Child dannymcg

I'll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come Luiglin

Pas Ce Soir Wruter

A LONG WAY HOME Kerrybuchanan ***shortlist

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow TitaniumTi ***shortlist

Changeling SPoots

Dial 'M' for... mosaix ***shortlist

Home From the Warp johnnyjet

Tidying-Up Teresa Edgerton ***shortlist

Unseen & Unsung Shyrka

Collectin' Coins AlexH

Suburban Legend Talysia ***VOTE

Untitled Bashfull ***shortlist

Convalescence? Dan Jones ***VOTE

Witch House LittleStar ***VOTE

Clementine the Cloaked ratsy

Model Citizens The Judge ***shortlist

The Wherewithal Ursa major

The Quick and the Dead TheDustyZebra


Well done to all - a truely outstanding selection for October

 

[Rafellin]

A lot of reading, but three clear winners:

1: Phyrebrat
2: Ihe
3: Luiglin

 

[Talysia]

Many thanks for the unexpected vote, Peter V - that was a welcome surprise.

 

[Ihe]

Goodness, it's taken me hours to read the entries! Not that I'm complaining--very enjoyable stories all around. Some I didn't understand too well, and others I found a bit aimless, but no significant faults, really. And I felt the overall technical level this time around was even better than the usual excellence, which is something!

To make my mentions and votes, I've looked not only for interesting concepts, but technical skills, purposeful writing, inner coherence, and nifty wrap-ups. Everyone in the challenge has been quite good. The following mentions/votes were all touching on shades of great, IMHO. Anyways, without further ado:

SHORTLIST
Joshua Jones, mosaix, Talysia, Dan Jones, Littlestar

RUNNER-UPS
Teresa Edgerton, Shyrka

VOTES
>Wruter (time-travelling shenanigans? Say no more, I'm in.) This story stirred the nerd in me.
>Vaz (I like ambitious characters overreaching. Elegant story, distilling a sense of decadent romanticism.) This story stirred the dreamer in me.
>The Judge (the concept was amusing, but what got me was the overall execution. The pacing and structure in particular were spot-on.) This story stirred the writer in me.

Good effort everyone.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

I need more *votes.

Short List:
C.C. - Lost then Found*
Wruter - Pas ce Soir*
SPoots - Changeling*
Teresa - Tidying-up
Luiglin - I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come

Long list:
Victoria - The Veil
TitaniumTi - Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Starbeast - In a bakery far, far away
TJ - Model Citizens

So many good stories.

 

[DragonAether]

I voted for luiglin, victoria and dannymcg, I also liked a lot Grandma's garden, but i had only 3 votes...

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

I've just realised I have a vote. many thanks, @Talysia

And thanks to Peter V for the shortlist and Cathbad for the mention.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

First, thank you Talysia and Kerry for making it okay to post thanks.

Thanks so much for the votes, Cathbad and Kerry! And thank you Talysia and Peter V for the listings!

 

[Danny McG]

Yay!
I got a mention and a vote

Thanks very much, how wonderful.

This has inspired me to actually cast some votes myself this month - (there's been so many "make people vote" comments elsewhere that I was gonna give it a miss to avoid controversy)

Done all three as 'stealth' votes just for a change

 

[Bashfull]

Yay!
I got a mention and a vote

Thanks very much, how wonderful.

This has inspired me to actually cast some votes myself this month - (there's been so many "make people vote" comments elsewhere that I was gonna give it a miss to avoid controversy)

Done all three as 'stealth' votes just for a change

Danny, you’re the first vote I’ve ever had! Thank you.

 

[Starbeast]

Firstly, a huge THANK YOU to Erin Presley-Froemke, for the wonderful photo.

Second, an immense APPLAUD for reviewers @Victoria Silverwolf & @Cathbad

I need more *votes.

Long list:
Victoria - The Veil
TitaniumTi - Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Starbeast - In a bakery far, far away
TJ - Model Citizens

So many good stories.

I highly agree, everyone did a great job of writing. Thank you for the listing, Kerrybuchanan. You made my night shine bright.



Finalists & Votes

@Ashleyne - VOTE - Beautiful
@Cat's Cradle
@Ihe
@Cathbad
@dannymcg - VOTE - Tremendous Drama
@Luiglin
@Joshua Jones
@mosaix - VOTE - Creepy Cool
@johnnyjet
@Teresa Edgerton
@Dan Jones
@ratsy
@Ursa major
@TheDustyZebra



Re-Edit - @dannymcg - I just noticed a "Stealth" vote by you. I'm almost speechless. THANK YOU!!!!

 

[Danny McG]

Thank you Starbeast and also to you DragonAether, two votes now!!
Two - best ever that I've scored.

 

[TitaniumTi]

Yay! A vote. Thank you, Victoria. And thank you for the mentions, Peter V and Kerrybuchanan.

Once again, I found it a difficult choice, with so many appealing stories.

Listings:
Lost Then Found @Cat's Cradle
Mary's Boy Child @dannymcg
I'll be sitting when the evening come @Luiglin
The Veil @Victoria Silverwolf
Pas Ce Soir @Wruter
In a Bakery Far, Far Away @Starbeast
Tidying Up @Teresa Edgerton
Suburban Legend @Talysia

Votes:
Grandmother's Garden @Ashleyne
Up the Garden Path @Peter V
A Long Way Home @Kerrybuchanan

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Wow! Thank you, @TitaniumTi

 

[Cat's Cradle]

I had intended a list of my ten favorites, but it proved impossible to cut things down that far. I think Erin Presley-Froemke's wonderful picture inspired a really good challenge, and I'm leaving off stories I'd have happily included in a longer list. So, here my top...eleven, twelve...thirteen stories:

Honorable mentions:
dannymcg, Peter V, chrispenycate, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, DelActivisto, Teresa Edgerton

Shortlist:
Victoria Silverwolf, Wruter, Kerrybuchanan, mosaix

Votes:
Ashleyne - A lovely story. Wish life really worked like this.
SPoots - So wonderfully creepy; a well-told tale.
The Judge - My favorite of the challenge. Just worked on every level for me.

Thank you Starbeast for the mention! Looking forward to seeing how the voting plays out. CC

edit - Oh! I've just noticed a listing - thank you TitaniumTi!

 

[chrispenycate]

So, after much rereading, and pruning, and changing and going back, and… my short list was reduced to:- Bashfull, Calliopenjo, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, dannymcg, Luiglin, mosaix, Phyrebrat, SPoots, The Judge, TitaniumTi and Victoria Silverwolf - a mix of ancient and modern. My votes went to dannymcg, The Judge and Victoria, with no spectacular reason - perhaps an image that remained after the rereading had leeched out the colour.

Thank you Cathbad, Cat's Cradle and Talaysia for the mentions, and Hoverdasher for the previously unmentioned revue.

So, better continue processing the votes' list - always more complex when there are multiple votes allowed…

 

[mosaix]

Thanks for the votes, Starbeast and Nixie!

 

[Danny McG]

Wowsers!
Three votes and four mentions - amazed by this!
Thanks everyone, didn't realise even seven people had read my story, let alone voting.
Thanks again all



(Magic ducks are starting to quack)

 

[Starbeast]

Once again, I found it a difficult choice, with so many appealing stories.

Listings: In a Bakery Far, Far Away @Starbeast
Tidying Up @Teresa Edgerton
Suburban Legend @Talysia

I found it tough to choose too. So many great writers, including NEW MEMBERS. Thank you very much for the listing, TitaniumTi. You made my day, bro.

Thank you Starbeast for the mention! Looking forward to seeing how the voting plays out. CC

You're very welcome, Cat's Cradle. I liked those names you created for your story too.

Thanks for the votes, Starbeast and Nixie!

You're tremendously welcome, Mosaix. I enjoyed that one-sided phone conversation. Excellent.

Wowsers!
Three votes and four mentions - amazed by this!
Thanks everyone, didn't realise even seven people had read my story, let alone voting.
Thanks again all

(Magic ducks are starting to quack)

Always remember, my talented friend, people may not say a word about your story, but believe me, we read everyone's tale. And we're always watching you too.

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