DISCUSSION THREAD -- July 2022 -- 300 Word Writing Challenge #46

@Luiglin .... The lights shone .... A story which lifts up for us the gentle passing of generations in a most winsome way.
 
Raz2k13: A sense of the powerful link that binds close friends together fills this visionary fantasy. The fact that the result of the implied journey at the end is left to the reader's imagination allows one's fancy to run free.

Robert Zwilling: In this tale of a quest for something beyond the ordinary, we learn the important lesson that careful preparation is necessary to reach our goals. The conclusion adds a welcome tribute to the power of wonder.

chrispenycate: In this vivid account of a unique ecological system, the ability of the author to combine scientific rationality with poetic style is evident. By entering this new world of biological interactions, we can learn to appreciate the intricacy of our own planet's web of life.

Luiglin: This introspective fantasy takes us deep into the mind of an individual who experiences the depths of sorrow and the heights of joy. In a few words, the author manages to offer the reader an entire lifetime of a fully realized character.
 
Bren G: The poignancy of the fact that our desires can never completely overcome the limits of reality comes across powerfully in this psychological portrait. The mundane nature of the final revelation aptly portrays the world we must all face.

mosaix: In this adventure story set in a world very different from our own we find a striking example of the drive to obtain knowledge, no matter the cost. The irony of the quest depicted herein reminds us to be cautious when it comes to investigating the unknown.
 
Starbeast: In this rollicking parody of genre fiction we find a mixture of elements, from slapstick farce to wordplay, that amuse the reader. Surely we will never again be able to read of heroic adventures without a wry smile.
 
@Bren G .... Daydream Believer .... A story which kept threatening to turn into something really sappy sweet and then time ran out.

@mosaix ....The Explorer’s Obsession .... A story that makes one doubt that human exploration is actually a good thing.

@Starbeast .... The Dog Who Loved Me .... A story which made me wonder what you would get if you crossed James Bond, John Steed, and Scooby Doo. But I found I could just procrastinate and things would be fine.
 
therapist: The author creates a unique and carefully crafted hard science fiction story, in which the sciences are ecology and linguistics. In addition to its intellectual appeal, the work also offers thoughtful insight into the question of whether our actions are truly those of beings with free will.
 
I'm in. Cutting it a bit finer than I'd have liked. I got the title and opening line a couple of days ago, but it only started to come together on a jaunt down the Chichester canal yesterday, as I scribbled notes about moorhens and coots and their broods, not to mention all the vegetation and fishes, and I'd got the plot in my head, so I thought I'd be able to rattle off the story quickly this afternoon, no problem. That was several hours ago...

The scribbled notes came to 300 words on their own, so by the time I'd added the plot and backstory and linked everything together, I was looking at being a trifle over the limit for a 500 word Challenge. *hits head on laptop yet again*

So the flora and fauna and piscatory elements got culled, all save one. And if I don't get your vote for saving that one, @Phyrebrat, you are completely and utterly dead to me!
 
Phyrebrat: In this eerie and dreamlike fantasy we find multiple layers of symbolism, conveyed in vivid in evocative images. Careful reading is rewarded with a wealth of revelation.

Perpetual Man: An unusually convincing portrait of a slowly evolving dystopia is portrayed in this vision of a bleak tomorrow. The story's distant, objective style appropriate conveys the fact that an ending is also a beginning.

The Judge: The matter-of-fact tone and realistic details of this tale of magic make its miraculous events seem as familiar as our own world. A sense of true friendship and the need to honor it fills the narrative with true feeling.
 
@The Judge . Coincidentally we just spent a few days in Chichester. Loved the simplicity of the town layout, even I couldn't get lost!
Had a nice meal at the Lime Squeezy restaurant on South Street Visited the Fishbourne Roman Palace, The Weald and Downland Museum and the usual tourist stuff. Stayed at The Fox Goes Free at Charlton which I recommend as a classic pub both to stay and to eat if you are down that way.
 
Ha! I shall tag @HareBrain as he's a fan of The Fox Goes Free, and I've eaten there with him and Boneman 3 or 4 times now. (I cadge a lift with him, though, as the parking can be horrendous!)

My husband and I are members of the Weald and Downland, and I can't praise it highly enough -- we'd originally planned to visit there and West Dean Gardens yesterday, but with the races at Goodwood we thought we'd better steer clear, which is why we went for the canal trip instead. And Fishbourne is marvellous -- we pop in every couple of years or so to glory in the mosaics. (One of Lindsey Davis's Falco books is set there, which makes for an entertaining read.)
 
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In for a penny, in for a pound. With minutes to spare.
 
The Challenge is now closed to new entries.

The poll will be along soon.
 
As always thought, but not always mentioned, thank you to everyone for sharing your stories, and thank you to @Parson and @Victoria Silverwolf for the reviews.

Now for my votes:

@Astro Pen for a surreal portrait of mysterious love.

@paranoid marvin because sometimes important life lessons come at great cost.

@Jo Zebedee because it helps to focus on what you still have, one day at a time.
 
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@Jo Zebedee .... In my heart and my roots .... A story which brings a profound human insight that almost anyone can comprehend in a fantasy setting.

@therapist .... The Language of Laguna .... A story which reveals the power of language to change intelligence and the world as in considers and uses a lie.

@Phyrebrat .... Assisted Suicide .... A story which makes me wonder if Assisted Suicide is just a subtle way to say murder.

@Perpetual Man .... Prufrock .... A dark story of hopelessness gone wild and untamable.

@The Judge .... The Fireflies Dance .... A story of the faithfulness of companions which brings a transcendent life to their love.

@Ursa major .... Dazzling .... A story which lifts up the foolishness of trying to bring human concepts into an utterly alien world.

@Swank .... Instructables .... A story which makes the inevitable march of progress into a thing to be both admired and avoided.

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Sigh! I didn't get a story in again. This time the picture kept sending me into a labyrinth of ideas all of which came to dead ends. But clearly a lot of people were able to get a really good story out. I'll come back and vote another time.
 
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