Discussion Thread -- JULY 2020 -- 300-Worder Writing Challenge (#38)

Great Story @M. Robert Gibson .... it was a truly humorous take on such a trite line that everybody must have recognized it. Well done!

I can't say thanks enough to elvet, johnnyjet, Luiglin, holland, Ashleyne, Joshua Jones, M. Robert Gibson, Ian Fortytwo, MikeAnderson, BT Jones and CarBear for your votes.

To be this close with that story is a bit of a stunner for me. I almost never do anything Fantasy without being required. The story sorta wrote itself. I started with the line "It looks like fairies spread clear crystal glaze over sticks" and all of sudden my S.F. story was invaded by Fairies??!! But then when I named the alien species: "Desortian Stilla," I was on the track for "Stilla bear." It was a light hearted story which far surpassed my expectations. I'm glad so many people liked it.
 
Also, is this the first time every single entry has received at least 1 vote? What a superb round.
 
Congratulations, M. Robert Gibson, on the rip-roaring finish, and victory! It's a fine story, and that was some comeback.

Commiserations, Parson - yours is a really good story with a unique and fun concept. I was sure you would win a few days ago, but runner-up in this group is an amazing result, too. Well done.


Thank you to @BT Jones, @M. Robert Gibson, @Tywin, @johnnyjet, @The Judge for the listings. I'm thrilled by listings (and I hope I didn't miss anyone).


And a huge thanks to @nixie, @Perpetual Man, @Ashleyne, @Calliopenjo, @Astro Pen, @sule for your votes. Always an honor receiving votes in the 300 worder.

I so wish we could start another 300 worder right away, but it'll be 6 weeks or so, then we start all over - yay! :) CC
 
Regarding my story (and the alleged lack of a single pun)....

Chasse-neige is a piano study, the twelfth of Liszt's 1851 set of Transcendental Etudes. It describes a landscape being slowly and inexorably covered in snow. All I added was a pianist who'd sold his soul for fame and fortune and was reaping his just desserts (which sound like some sort of ice cream ;)). That's not the pun, by the way.

The actual pun (well, wordplay) is very well disguised, and I doubt anyone realised it was even there. But, if noticed and its implication understood, it tells of the pianist's fate: he is already dead (yes, for some of those sent there, Hell can freeze over...) and will be playing that etude -- he will have to plough** on playing that etude -- for eternity.



Just in case anyone was wondering what Chasse-neige sounds like (and/or how difficult it is to play), here's one of the seemingly hundreds of examples available on YouTube and elsewhere (in this case played by Boris Berezovsky):



** - In French, chasse-neige means snow plough.
 
Congrats MRG!! Definitely a Monty-Pythonesque tale! Congrats, too, to Parson on a magnificent score, and commiserations on having to wear the bridesmaid dress, but I'm sure the colour suits you!

I'm delighted to see that everyone had a vote this quarter -- it isn't the first time it's happened, but it's rare enough to warrant a big

WELL DONE, EVERYONE! ​

As we old-timers are always pointing out, everyone who takes part in a Challenge has succeeded, by the very act of writing the story within the constraints and then posting it.

I see I've another stealth vote, so many beautiful rock-birch thanks, Ursa!

-K2- said:
How very kind @The Judge ; placing me with some tall company there. Thank you so much for the encouragement :)
Click to expand...
Not kind at all! I don't put stories on my shortlist from the goodness of my heart, but because in my opinion they deserve to be there!
 
Before the opportunity goes cold, I'd better reveal the full results of the Ursa jury, which lists the stories in posting order within the categories:


Honourable Mentions:
  • Fated by Elckerlyc
  • COMING HOME by Callippenjo
  • Delusions of Control by Parson

Runners Up:
  • Expiration Date by Cat's Cradle
  • Emergence by Victoria Silverwolf
  • Surplus To Requirements by mosaix

Winners:
  • The Release of Wonderful Things by Phyrebrat
  • I Always Wanted to Say That by M. Robert Gibson
  • The Right Answer Seeks the Right Question by The Judge
​
 
Well, what can I say but o_O

When I logged off last night @Parson was still in the lead, so I prepared my runner-up speech ;)

But then I log on this morning and find the world has gone crazy. Sorry Parson, I was sure you were going to win it. There's just no accounting for taste.

Anyway, a big thanks to the voters
@mosaix @Ursa major @Starbeast @Tywin @Jo Zebedee @AMB @holland @Danny McG @Peter V @Daysman @MikeAnderson @Margaret Note Spelling @sule

More thanks to all who mentioned my effort.

And congratulations to everyone for outstanding entries

My entry used three well known tropes
tvtropes.org

I Always Wanted to Say That - TV Tropes

Kind of the meta-Stock Phrase. A character says a cliche line (or famous quote from a movie) in some appropriate situation and sends up the lameness of it by noting he was wanting an opportunity to say it. Sometimes phrased as "I've been waiting …
tvtropes.org tvtropes.org

tvtropes.org

I Come in Peace - TV Tropes

Okay, so you've had your first encounter with an alien race. They don't seem hostile, and might even be friendly. So, how do you let them know you don't want to hurt them? You say hello. You tell them you don't want to hurt them. The classic way …
tvtropes.org tvtropes.org

tvtropes.org

Take Me to Your Leader - TV Tropes

An alien spaceship lands on Earth. The extra-terrestrial walks out and finds a human. The extra-terrestrial makes the following statement: "Take me to your leader". Now a Dead Horse Trope, and never said seriously, or at least not without others …
tvtropes.org tvtropes.org

and as usual, I wrote it to amuse myself, never once thinking it would do as well as it did.

And with me winning the last 100 worder, I must be doing something right. I just need to win a 75 and I've done the grand slam (y)

Thank you all
 
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