DISCUSSION THREAD -- November 2021 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge

[Dan Jones]

Yeah, everybody, what gives?

Oh, you mean me, don't you?

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

FYBI I have a story in the challenge

Good stuff, that's the spirit What does FYBI mean?, the internet just shrugged it's shoulders when I asked. I thought your story was class in terms of writing structure, imagery and just the flow of the words -ashamedly I know there was a reference in there which went sailing off into the sound without my mind ...and the computer anthem entry was just deadly!

 

[Bowler1]

Thank you JonnyJet for the mention, appreciated.

I was between The Judge and Betok_Haney, but for the first time I have voted for the same person in the following month, and in the running too - well done Betok_Haney.

But honestly, that won't do.

Betok_Haney I clearly loved your 75 word entry and very similar to last month, but effective is effective I guess. But my vote comes with a price, and that will be a lynch mob, with me handing out pitch forks and lengths of rope. So if you win, start running, and you can have a great head start, no problem. Chasing down the guilty is easily half the fun, the other half of a successful chase might not go so well for you, but hey... that's life! You will have won the 75 word competition two months in a row so you might as well clock out at the pinnacle of success. So I'm rooting for ya... I do love a good mob tearing about aimlessly but filled with superior moral conviction, doing good by being bad.

If Judge wins, I'll have a stack of pitch forks going cheap, because she doesn't strike me as the running type.

 

[BT Jones]

Wow, had a senior moment and actually forgot to vote. Good job I checked the poll. And thanks @Bren G and @Valtharius for the votes, plus the mentions from others. Also nice to see a lot of seasonal spice in the comments section.

 

[Justin Swanton]

Hey guys…

GUYS!

FYBI I have a story in the challenge!!! WTH is going on with all my no-votes? Disgusting.

You should be ashamed of yourselves. Ashamed.

Well, y'see....your story was so good that I felt that pointing out how vastly superior it was to all the others would tread on some toes, whilst saying it was on a par with the other good ones would be telling lies, so the only way out I could see was to say nothing at all. What was I supposed to do?

 

[Betok_Haney]

@The Judge gets my vote with such a dark, and poignant, poem that envelops the theme of gratitude and flips it on its head. Excellent word-craft.

Others that stood out for me:

I really wanted to see how some folks would use gratitude in a military setting, and @G.T. nailed it. I could feel the pain, exhaustion and release in that little story.

@BT Jones tugged at the gratitude heart strings with John through acts of service (my personal favorite way to show gratitude).

@Mon0Zer0, thank you for a great story of family, connection and belonging, it was so beautiful.

Other stories that I loved included: @Provincial @Daysman @Venusian Broon @nixie @AnRoinnUltra @Perpetual Man

Finally, @JS Wiig words of gratitude echo my own - thank you to a great community!

 

[Betok_Haney]

Thank you JonnyJet for the mention, appreciated.

I was between The Judge and Betok_Haney, but for the first time I have voted for the same person in the following month, and in the running too - well done Betok_Haney.

But honestly, that won't do.

Betok_Haney I clearly loved your 75 word entry and very similar to last month, but effective is effective I guess. But my vote comes with a price, and that will be a lynch mob, with me handing out pitch forks and lengths of rope. So if you win, start running, and you can have a great head start, no problem. Chasing down the guilty is easily half the fun, the other half of a successful chase might not go so well for you, but hey... that's life! You will have won the 75 word competition two months in a row so you might as well clock out at the pinnacle of success. So I'm rooting for ya... I do love a good mob tearing about aimlessly but filled with superior moral conviction, doing good by being bad.

If Judge wins, I'll have a stack of pitch forks going cheap, because she doesn't strike me as the running type.

I'm confident that I won't need my running shoes this round, but...thanks?

*looks for a high castle from which I can practice my maniacle laughter with dark foreboding undertones*

 

[chrispenycate]

Well, that took a while - coghing and blowing my nose like an entire big-band horn section, But here is a short list - haven't sneezed on it, honest So, alphabetically :- Betok_Haney, My Final Gift, DF17 Untitled, JS Wiig, My Thanks to You , Perpetual Man, The Dictator: Deluded Justification, Phyrebrat, The Blur, therapist, Gratitude Day, The Judge, The [Secret] Anthem of the AI Servitors, and Venusian Broon, Note for Amy. With vote to JS Wiig, for concept.

Thanx nixie and Dan Jones - that was one of the darkest pieces I've ever written, and I wasn't exactly expecting much in the way of positive reactions.

 

[JS Wiig]

@chrispenycate wow thanks! Most unexpected and very appreciated!

 

[Parson]

Overall, I was saddened to see the number of stories about twisted gratitude. In a world filled with a lot of "What have you done for me lately thinking," being hopeful and grateful for so many good gifts seems to be the right thing to do, and I was hoping to see a bunch which explored that. I guess that's just me.
Okay, away I go to pick favorites

-----

Shortlisted:
Don't forget to say 'Happy Thanksgiving' to the toaster by @AnRoinnUltra because it made me laugh and think about "Artificial Stupidity."
Long Live the Emperor, Most Gracious and Merciful by @Valtharius because I love good Chron's insider stories.
John by @BT Jones because doing the right thing is simplicity itself and it is great when that is appreciated.
Thanksgiving Day, Pluto, 2121 AD by @johnnyjet for reminding everyone that sometimes service is recognized by gratitude.
Inquisitive by @chrispenycate because it's a dark, dark, but historically sound story about warped actions, warped expectations, and what must have been intentional, institutional, malfeasance.
The [Secret] Anthem of the AI Servitors by @The Judge because it is so wonderfully original and memorable. It's an erudite rendition of a taunt song.
Gratitude Day by @therapist because of its well placed sarcasm on the attempt to make gratitude mandatory.

Gracious this just doesn't get any easier.

3rd runner-up .... John by @BT Jones
2nd runner-up ... Gratitude Day by @therapist
1st runner-up ...... Thanksgiving Day, Pluto, 2121 AD by @johnnyjet
Vote ........................ The [Secret] Anthem of the AI Servitors by @The Judge


Special Award: A virtual hug for @Phyrebrat. His story is a "Blur."

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

I was hoping to see a bunch which explored that

Good point; wonder if that theme was a bit like an 'open goal', and lots of writers seem to veer away from more obvious targets (says someone who has a very basic knowledge of literature ... just seems to be the way).

 

[paranoid marvin]

Many thanks for the shortlisting B T Jones.

For me this month it was an easy choice. BT Jones 'John' was a heart-warming tale beautifully told; the joy in serving others is gratitude enough for one such as John. I'm very pleased that others thought so too.

The runners up goes to DF17 with an action-packed entry really well described - and a twist at the end.

 

[Bowler1]

*looks for a high castle from which I can practice my maniacle laughter with dark foreboding undertones*

Well, at least we know where to find you, and when I say we it seems to be just me. I'll hover about the base of your tower for now and live in hope of a flash mob forming, but it looks like the Judge has it unless Phyrebrat gets into the running - it's not over until it's over.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Don’t worry.

Her Hon. will sadly fail at the last fence. I’m her Beecher’s Brook; the Doctor Beeching to her provincial railway; the Priti Patel to her … okay, no politics…

ETA: for new members who may not know the rules; as TJ won the 300 she’s not allowed to win the 75 and if you vote for her you get a temporary ban and other horrid things.

 

[Bowler1]

Phyrebrat mate, can I interest you in a hardly used pitchfork?

 

[Phyrebrat]

Does it come with a burning windmill?

 

[Provincial]

Overall, I was saddened to see the number of stories about twisted gratitude. In a world filled with a lot of "What have you done for me lately thinking," being hopeful and grateful for so many good gifts seems to be the right thing to do, and I was hoping to see a bunch which explored that. I guess that's just me.

It’s a lot easier to come up with a dramatic plotline about twisted gratitude than about the genuine variety, so buff up your hope and write off the preponderance of negativity as laziness.

 

[Bowler1]

I'm confident that I won't need my running shoes this round, but...thanks?

*looks for a high castle from which I can practice my maniacle laughter with dark foreboding undertones*

Does it come with a burning windmill?

Too right it does, property destruction is a must for a mob. If we can talk Betok_Haney down out of his castle then with three of us, we'd officialy be a mob.

 

[Ursa major]

Does it come with a burning windmill?

If you wave your arms about -- and given your profession, I expect you would do this with the requisite precision -- we can always set you alight to achieve the same effect.

 

[nixie]

Wish I knew @Phyrebrat liked fire, I didn't have a guy for this year's bonfire.