DISCUSSION THREAD, September 2019 75-Word Writing Challenge

[Ursa major]

The challenge has now been posted:

Here it is.



Theme:

First Alien Contact​

Genre:

Black Comedy / Dark Humour​

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[Cat's Cradle]

Ah well - you can't sleep, and this is what happens. Not sure I hit the genre hard enough (the humor), but I tried. Good choices, dannymcg. Should be a fun Challenge. Good luck writing, all, CC

 

[Danny McG]

Good choices, dannymcg

Maybe a bit too good, my brain's gone dead now!

 

[Cat's Cradle]

The Challenge is a few moments old - plenty of time!

 

[Parson]

@Cat's Cradle .... Space: Now with Free HBO ,,,, The Cat's humor points us to a mash up of T.V., fiction, and assumed reality. But analog TV was really the bomb.

 

[Luiglin]

Sorry, just couldn't resist. It won't win any votes but the idea made me grin.

 

[Parson]

@Cathbad .... Dinner Guests .... Cathbad brings us a surprise and a wry chuckle to First Contact.

@Ashleyne .... SKIBBY AND JOODER’S SQUISHY SITUATION .... Ashleyne has created a very weird world but even here a faulty assumption can make everyone laugh at someone's stupidity.

@Luiglin .... Prime Directive? .... Luiglin stirs together a little Fellowship of the Rings, Star Trek, and the Dark Lord for a story that left me grinning and shaking my head.

@Daysman .... Terms of Office .... Daysman left me hoping that his story was a prophecy and not a farce.

 

[Parson]

@elvet .... What a Sight to See .... Elvet brought me back to the days of my youth riding on the school bus when the #1 pop song played about something purple. Brought a smile then, and now.

@mosaix .... An Alien Walks Into A Bar... .... Mosaix reminds us of the difficulty communicating there really would be with an alien race even if language were not the barrier.

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My opinion is that this might be the hardest writing challenge many of us will ever face. Being funny on purpose is very hard! Reacting to a situation in a funny way is fairly easy (at least for me. Lots of time I do it without realizing it.). So far our authors are rising to the challenge in admirable fashion.

 

[Danny McG]

My opinion is that this might be the hardest writing challenge many of us will ever face. Being funny on purpose is very hard!

I realise that now. Five stories I've written so far that fizzled out because they weren't funny.
Why oh why did I choose this theme?

 

[Parson]

I realise that now. Five stories I've written so far that fizzled out because they weren't funny.
Why oh why did I choose this theme?

masochism?

 

[Luiglin]

I realise that now. Five stories I've written so far that fizzled out because they weren't funny.
Why oh why did I choose this theme?

They say that comedy is in the ear of the listener... which is not relevant at all seeing as this written.

 

[mosaix]

Why oh why did I choose this theme?

Good question!

I rarely post my contribution so early in the month. But an idea came and I knew, with the genre, that there would probably only be one so there it is.

 

[mosaix]

masochism?

That's self inflicted. Sadism gets the rest of us!

 

[scarpelius]

@mosaix I have to ask , did he crashed a Death Star?

 

[mosaix]

@mosaix I have to ask , did he crashed a Death Star?

I don’t think I’m supposed to answer that but ——————————-

Any mod thinks this should be deleted - please feel free.

Edit: I’ve deleted it myself.

 

[mosaix]

I don’t think I’m supposed to answer that but ——————————-

Any mod thinks this should be deleted - please feel free.

Edit: I’ve deleted it myself.

Thought I'd better delete it as there was a possibility, however minor, that it could be interpreted as 'explaining' the story.

 

[Peter V]

Well I am in.

I really thought I would be bailing on this one. None of the ideas I played around with for first contact appeared even remotely amusing and the quality of the existing entries was quite intimidating to be honest.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

I think Parson is correct - humor is tough, and for me, at least, more challenging than even genres I've never read before (they might be easier to fake).
But we're all pulling for each other, so at least the audience is friendly, and understanding. I've enjoyed the stories so far, and I really like the ending to @Cathbad's entry.

 

[Parson]

@Peter V .... Love at First Sight .... Peter reminds us that although we know love is blind and biological to some degree; the degree of pain might be quite surprising.

 

[Peter V]

Thanks for the review @ Parson

Nicely put

Hard as I found the challenge I am really enjoying the entries... great imagination and humour.