Anonymous 108 Word Challenge Discussion

[M. Robert Gibson]

The humanity inability to reproduce is not obvious. "Human 2.0 manufacturing equipment" can also mean organ replacement manufacturing. You humanize the robots too much, giving them the fear of dying. One robot can malfunction and develop a twisted logic, but you can't spread this to an entire population of robots.
Also, I had no idea about Luddites.

Thanks for this, it's always nice to get feedback

One problem I sometimes have is that once I get an idea into my head I can't drop it, even if I suspect it's not working. Probably something to do with deadlines looming so not much time to revise or start again with a new idea :-(
I think another problem I have is that I don't have any beta readers, even for the challenges

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Also, I had no idea about Luddites.

Ah! My original idea, in a nutshell, was instead of humans smashing machines, the machines smashed humans for the same reasons as the original Luddites.

What's the writer's equivalent of 'back to the drawing board'?

 

[scarpelius]

One easy way to bring the reader on the same wave length with you is to use direct links, e.g. for Asimov's law you could say Limb-Unit was an Asimov series and automatically everyone will think they are obeying the 3 laws. Instead of "Human 2.0 manufacturing equipment" I would have used "Artificial Womb Unit".
Subtlety is nice, I like it myself, but for this to work in 75-100-300 challenges you need to rely on reader knowledge/experience/education. Even for British and American readers these are very different, not to mention the rest of the world.

 

[Parson]

Congratulations again @Peter V .... Scrap Yard was a brilliant story. Sounded to me a lot like a Transformer's story.

The minute I heard the phrase "Tampering with the machinery is punishable by law." I immediately thought a woman trying to fend off unwanted advances. (Is that bad to admit? .... I put it up to the "Me too" movement, which has me wondering if there are more than a handful of men worthy of the name.) But of course "machinery" is not a way anyone would refer to themselves. So a robot and then to list the "advantages" dealing with a robotic courtesan would entail. Then the way the man was acting was creeping me out; so he had to be a "creeper." So there had to be some reasons. I had in mind high rise buildings, like the Seattle Space Needle, so it all came together. I was so pleased to receive a vote, but was surprised when 2 people said they voted for the story but only one vote was registered.

 

[jackwin]

Very good Peter V. Your story was just compared to a multi billion $ movie franchise. It was 1 of my favorites.

 

[mosaix]

What's the writer's equivalent of 'back to the drawing board'?

Back to the keyboard?

 

[jackwin]

Back to the keyboard?

Book your mind, Mind your book?

 

[scarpelius]

Mind the book.
Ahahahaha...