DISCUSSION -- OCTOBER 2018 300-word Writing Challenge (#31)

[The Judge]

I had the same reaction as Dan, in that many of the stories had the same feel so although they were good, some very good, making it onto my shortlist, I was most taken with those pieces which came from a slightly different angle (angle -- geddit!!). The bent-hook of my fishing rod therefore pulled up the following fishy (and non-fishy) tales:

Appello -- Nets​

Cat's Cradle -- Guanyan's Journey of Destiny​

elvet -- The Escape​

johnnyjet -- Fishermen​

LittleStar -- pray​

Peter V -- Careful What You Fish For​

Phyrebrat -- Witches End​

Shyrka -- The Drowned Kings​

stormcrow -- Sacrifice​

Victoria -- Noncombatants​

​

The first two votes were easy as I'd pegged them on first read -- johnnyjet for his fisher of bodies and souls, and CC for a poignant tale of star-filled grief. For the third, there was a good deal of jostling about, but in the end stormcrow won it for the sheer wonderful word play.

And Peter V gets the prize for the best title with that awful pun!


This was a rare entry from me where I just couldn't fit the whole thing easily into the 300 limit without sacrificing intelligibility or telling rather than showing, so I'm delighted the story nonetheless managed to emerge and please some members. So artistic fishing thanks for the lovely mentions/shortlistings Alex, Shyrka, CC and Phyrebrat and great panoramic hanging-scroll thanks for the wonderful votes Dan, Luiglin, Heijan (yep, 1500 words is definitely how long it really wanted to be!) and crystal!

 

[stormcrow]

@The Judge ; thank you so much for your vote - but probably more so for this "...for the sheer wonderful word play ..." - means a lot, that

 

[Ursa major]

And we have a two-way tie!

The tie-breaker poll will be along in a moment (or two).

 

[Starbeast]

MICRO LIST

@Dan Jones
@Luiglin
@Victoria Silverwolf
@Perpetual Man
@scarpelius
@David Evil Overlord
@LittleStar
@Ursa major


And a big WELL DONE to everyone!

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Of course we do

 

[Ursa major]

Here's a tie-breaker poll:

300-Word Challenge #31 - Tie-Breaker Poll.​

​

 

[Ursa major]

Here are the full results of the Ursa jury, with the stories in posting order within the categories:


Honourable Mentions:

• The Final by Perpetual Man
• Sacrifice by stormcrow
• Washed Up by Graymalkin

Runners Up:

• Guanyan's Journey of Destiny by Cat's Cradle
• Fishermen by johnnyjet
• With Man’s Blood Paint The Ground by M. Robert Gibson

Winners:

• Big Fish, Little Fish. by mosaix
• Fillet O’ Flesh by David Evil Overlord
• Fishing by The Judge

​

 

[scarpelius]

Thanks to @dannymcg, @Star Dust and @Daysman for theur votes and to everyone who shortlisted my story.

 

[mosaix]

Very difficult to choose between these two. This is going to take some time...

 

[The Judge]

Congrats to both our joint tie-break entrants for coming equal first in this round, and commiserations to CC and mosaix who were just pipped to the tie-break post. As Ursa says, this is only the 3rd tie-break in the 300 Worder history -- we had a 4 way tie in our first year which TDZ won (as she always does...), and Mouse won the last one in January 2013 (which I lost, as I nearly always do... ).

As for the tie-break itself, DEO's story made me laugh and would have been on a longlist had I made one, but Victoria's made my shortlist and was one of the real contenders for a vote, so she gets my vote now. And I see my vote has brought them level pegging. We need a nail-biter smiley!


And glorious fishing and painting thanks to Ursa for his vote for my story!

As I mentioned, and as Heijan divined, my piece wanted to be much longer. I spent a happy hour doing some research into Chinese art so I could use correct terms in the auctioneer's spiel, and was really sad to dump most of it since there simply wasn't room for the world-building and the story together, and barely enough room for the plot alone. There are times I really would like a 500 worder Challenge!

 

[Luiglin]

As I'd already voted for @David Evil Overlord before the tie break the choice was straight forward but congrats to them both.

Thanks to @Perpetual Man, @Dan Jones and @Phyrebrat (also cheers for the words PH) the votes and any mentions folks.

Also big thanks to @Parson for his consultancy

For the first time in ages I was really pleased with an entry. Although I did later think I made a huge mistake in one key plot point - to have that sort of exploration capabilities would they still have pencil and paper available in space?

 

[Perpetual Man]

It was a very hard decision, this tie-break, as I'd voted for both of them...

In the end I went for DEO, but there was only a mermaid's tail in it

 

[AlexH]

My vote for Victoria has made it 10-9. What if there's a tiebreak in the tiebreak? Who gets the first half of the book? Or would top half and bottom half be fairer?

 

[Ursa major]

My vote for Victoria has made it 10-9. What if there's a tiebreak in the tiebreak? Who gets the first half of the book? Or would top half and bottom half be fairer?

No: someone gets the half with the spine of the book, while the other is left spineless**.


** - Note that there is a current thread that discusses repairing failing book spines, so some solution there might be useful in this situation.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

As I'd already voted for @David Evil Overlord before the tie break the choice was straight forward but congrats to them both.

Thanks to @Perpetual Man, @Dan Jones and @Phyrebrat (also cheers for the words PH) the votes and any mentions folks.

Also big thanks to @Parson for his consultancy

For the first time in ages I was really pleased with an entry. Although I did later think I made a huge mistake in one key plot point - to have that sort of exploration capabilities would they still have pencil and paper available in space?

I suppose it depends if they went Russian into space

No: someone gets the half with the spine of the book, while the other is left spineless**.


** - Note that there is a current thread that discusses repairing failing book spines, so some solution there might be useful in this situation.

WHY WHY WHY would you bother with repairing a book spine.

Are there no fires?

Are there no rubbish collections?

 

[nixie]

I suppose it depends if they went Russian into space



WHY WHY WHY would you bother with repairing a book spine.

Are there no fires?

Are there no rubbish collections?

Sacrilege TEIN, book burning is a mortal sin, think yourself lucky bonfire night has passed, gives you time to repent or you'll be next year's guy.

 

[Karn's Return]

Oh, a tie-breaker poll. Haven't watched this thread since I made my votes, I'll need to see what's available.


Had to go with my boy DEO there.

 

[LittleStar]

Ooooh, tiebreak!

Well, Victoria was right up there on my short list, but DEO finished in my initial top 3. On fresh reading I’m still leaning that way. So DEO gets my vote here

 

[David Evil Overlord]

My vote for Victoria has made it 10-9. What if there's a tiebreak in the tiebreak? Who gets the first half of the book? Or would top half and bottom half be fairer?

I've been in a tiebreaker before, for a 75 word challenge. And the Judge and I tied in the tiebreaker, too!

But the prize was only bragging rights, so no books were harmed in the making of our tiebreaker that didn't break the tie at all.

 

[Danny McG]

I'm not bothered now about who wins, I have much more exciting tidings that I've only noticed.
I have a vote!
Thank you @Mad Alice. Brilliant