DISCUSSION -- JULY 2018 300-word Writing Challenge (#30)

Hair Apparent is a great title, Shyrka, and fit your story superbly...there could not have been a better title for that story.
I appreciated the title after finishing your entry the first time, but didn't note my appreciation in this discussion thread. I used to post more in discussion threads; I think, in general, they used to be used more than they are now. But it's a good story, and I loved the title.
 
Yes, it did seem to me that even by recent standards the thread this quarter was very light in content.

Post more, people!
 
Congratulations to The Judge.

Huge thanks to Stable / RJM Corbet / Graymalkin / nixie / chrispenycate / Abernovo / Cat's Cradle / mosaix / Shyrka / Ursa major for the votes that have given me double my past best result.

Thanks to The Judge for the honourable mention.

This story arrived pretty much as is (except longer) just after I saw the picture, so I kept the long version for this year's anthology and produced an edited version for this competition.

I've got a couple of 'high sorcery modern' worlds I write stories from, this one being the one where the fey realms co-exist largely unseen and an agency akin to the MIB has the thankless task of keeping them hidden from humanity, for inherited reasons both silly and sincere.
 
Congratulations Your Hon.

All those years <cough> of the robe de demoiselle d'honneur jaune and here we are, another month with you usurping the true bride (that would be yours truly) and stomping over the lilies I'd selected for the church and marrying my own suitor.

SHENANIGANS!! :D:D

On a serious note, congratulations for real; when I read your entry (hoping the muse had deserted you this month prior to your posting) I suspected I was reading the winning entry. As has been mentioned upthread - it was a great exercise in worldbuilding and suggesting a depth and breadth of history that seemed more than 300 words.

It was interesting to read of the story's origins, too. I had Kali firmly in mind on my read-throughs but I doubt the South East Asian Diaspora isn't too far removed from your ghurkas. Incidentally, I see the odd ghurka on a Thursday or Friday when I pass the Chelsea Pensioners Barracks on the way to teach at the RAD.

My shorlist and votes are as follows:
Hoops
Victoria Silverwolf
Spoots
Cathbad
Stable
Shyrka
The Judge
Littlestar

Funnily enough I also ummed and ahhed about whether my third vote went to you or Littlestar, and in the end I went with Littlestar because of my sort-of obsession with Dorian Grey and OW.

My suprised, grateful thanks go to those who shortlisted me and for the votes from: @HoopyFrood @The Judge @TheDustyZebra @Abernovo @Robert Mackay @Vaz and @Graymalkin.

I'm especially grateful for Robert's leniency in giving me a vote even though he routinely tells me at the LonChrons that he hates the font I use for my challenge entries. :D

Well done all who entered and managed to vote.

pH
 
All those years <cough> of the robe de demoiselle d'honneur jaune and here we are, another month with you usurping the true bride (that would be yours truly) and stomping over the lilies I'd selected for the church and marrying my own suitor.
Lilies at a wedding?! No wonder you keep getting stood up at the altar! :p

It was interesting to read of the story's origins, too. I had Kali firmly in mind on my read-throughs but I doubt the South East Asian Diaspora isn't too far removed from your ghurkas. Incidentally, I see the odd ghurka on a Thursday or Friday when I pass the Chelsea Pensioners Barracks on the way to teach at the RAD.
Yep, Kali occurred to me, too, hence the arms and the "Lady of Death", but that was only late on when the story was in its final form, so didn't count as inspiration. Though, thinking about it, Dan Simmons' Song of Kali is sitting on my living room table waiting for me to take it up again -- I started it months ago -- so it's very possible my subconscious picked that up, too, as I was walking to and fro trying to get the story together.

My sister was in the army at the time of the IRA bombings. The ruling came down that the women were no longer allowed to do guard duty so Gurkhas were brought in to protect the all-woman base, which was immensely reassuring for all concerned.

And thanks for the shortlisting! I'll forgive you for not voting for me -- LittleStar's Dorian Gray story was so good, I'm happy to have come second to it.
 
Congrats TJ. A really great, well realised world and character. That’s where my vote came from. I look forward to perhaps reading more of it one day :cool:

And a huge thank you everyone who voted for me and gave honourable mentions and shortlistings. This has been my best turn out probably for about a year. And some of the nicest comments I’ve ever had for one of my entires made my day.
I’ve been in a bit of a slump writing-wise, with challenges and WIPs, so it’s nice to think I might hopefully be on the way out of it :giggle:
 
Congratulations Your Hon.

I'm especially grateful for Robert's leniency in giving me a vote even though he routinely tells me at the LonChrons that he hates the font I use for my challenge entries. :D

pH

Not only are you continuing to insist on using a serif font on a screen, but you had extensive use of italics, which is also a red flag to me.

Tells you how good I thought the story was that I still voted for it. ;)
 

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