DISCUSSION THREAD -- October 2022 -- 300 Word Writing Challenge #47

[Ursa major]

If you're navigating the Chrons looking for the latest 300-word Challenge, your search is over: just click here.

As always, the Challenge thread is closed until the 10th of the month, but this thread is open for discussion and comment.


Good luck everyone!

​

 

[The Judge]

And just as a reminder, there is no theme in the 300s, nor is there a need to "explain" the image, which is there simply to provide inspiration. But there is a genre requirement -- SF, fantasy or general speculative fiction, the latter covering everything from fairy tales to steampunk, with all points in between.

Good luck!

 

[Ursa major]

SF, fantasy or general speculative fiction, the latter covering everything from fairy tales to steampunk

And, in case Phyrebrat decides to brattishly set fire to anything in protest, also (speculative) horror.

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

And, in case Phyrebrat decides to brattishly set fire to anything in protest, also (speculative) horror.

Good. I feel a chilling tale of gothic horror coming on. Unusual for me.

 

[Phyrebrat]

And, in case Phyrebrat decides to brattishly set fire to anything in protest, also (speculative) horror.

Petit moi? I saw Her Hon’s. attempt at flushing me out like a prize grouse from the autumnal russet brush, but decided to ignore it. Instead I’ll sabotage her next Judge’s Corner segment on the Chronscast by adding long pauses and “urrrr’s” when I mix the sound files.

(I even forgot to vote for the pic)

 

[The Judge]

Oops! Forgot the date!

It is the 10th, so the Challenge thread is now open!

Good luck, everyone!

 

[Parson]

@Christine Wheelwright .... The Lady of the Light .... C. Wheelwright writes us a memorable and chilling story worthy of a spooky campfire on the shore.

@Rafellin .... The Witness .... Rafellin writes writes us a first person account of how to avoid insanity, or does he?

@Guttersnipe .... The Woman Who Looked Death in the Eye .... Guttersnipe writes us a story of hard resolve and a hard bargain.

 

[Parson]

@paranoid marvin .... A Wrecker's Lament .... P. Marvin writes us a story about the psychological cost of easy pickings.

@THX1138 .... Stay the Course .... T. 1138 writes us a story whose application is much greater than sailing.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Christine Wheelwright: Making use of the classic technique of a tale related to a narrator, the author creates a deceptively quiet mood of mystery and foreboding. The story's ambiguous conclusion supplies just the right touch of subtle eeriness.

Rafellin: By setting this imaginative story in deep space, the author makes use of the expectations of readers of science fiction to lead us in an unexpected direction. A sense of cosmic awe results, strengthened by the fact that not everything is explained.

Guttersnipe: With the mood of an authentic folktale, this allegorical fantasy causes the reader to ponder the meaning of its evocative symbols. Firmly in the tradition of a heroic quest, the story builds to a climax with multiple layers of meaning.

paranoid marvin: The scent of salt air and the whisper of sea breezes come to life in this tale of sinister doings among sailing folk. The eternal lesson that punishment follows crime is powerfully conveyed in supernatural fashion.

THX1138: By alternating section of conversational narrative with vivid flashbacks, the author creates a sense of tension and suspense. The way in which the past continues to haunt the present grips the reader's imagination.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

It's such a relief to not have to edit down from 500+ words. The first draft came in at 341, thank goodness.

To @ChrisG, love the inspiration photo. And good stories so far, everyone, CC

 

[Parson]

@Victoria Silverwolf .... Malador's Tower .... V. Silverwolf writes us a tale that puts me in mind of the starting scene of a great Fantasy,

@Cat's Cradle .... Aphids .... C. Cradle writes us a Science Fiction story that leaves us considering the questions of labor and slavery.

@Perky .... Odin's Chaos .... Perky writes us a story the brings the Norse Gods and Northmen to life while otherwise occupied.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Cat's Cradle: The subtle allegory that fills this imaginative science fiction story causes the reader to ponder the way that the very large and the very small are often reflections of each other. The main character's acceptance of the situation suggests that none of us may be truly aware of what goes on around us.

Perky: In this two-fisted, red-blooded saga of men and gods we find sufficient adventure to satisfy any craving for excitement. The unexpected conclusion brings legend and reality together in a most original way.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Bren G: The most remarkable thing about this elegantly crafted tale is the way in which it uses technological speculation to touch the reader's emotions. The main character is imaginatively and plausible depicted, and is well worthy one's empathy.

 

[Parson]

@Bren G .... Staring into the Abyss .... Bren G writes us a story which is filled with a poignant longing in a surprising character for meaning and purpose., It's a desire that's sustained with what seems to be so little input, but means so much.

 

[Parson]

@Jo Zebedee .... The Sentinel .... Jo Z. writes us a story that draws us into a mystery deep and probably ancient. But whose deadly consequence makes me want to run away yelling, "The sky is falling. The sky is falling."

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Jo Zebedee: The most remarkable thing about this compelling science fiction story is they way it builds, step by careful step, from the familiar to the extraordinary. In this way, the reader comes to believe in a conclusion of awe-inspiring dimensions.

 

[BT Jones]

Bam, 30 minutes for a 300 has to be a record. This one, at least, had been germinating for a little while on some brief notes I'd written a week ago. Out of interest, does anyone know which lighthouse it is in the photo? Or is that confidential, at least until the challenge is finished?

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

BT Jones: With a wry look at a familiar situation in science fiction tales of survival, the author casts doubt upon the practicality and desirability of the typical resolution of such situations. This tongue-in-cheek yarn offers a much more plausible conclusion.

 

[The Judge]

Out of interest, does anyone know which lighthouse it is in the photo? Or is that confidential, at least until the challenge is finished?

Not confidential at all. It's La Corbière, Jersey.

If anyone is interested, I've also got the real name of the orange fungus from the Image Poll, which I should have put up there when it finished -- AllanR confirmed "It is a mushroom from South America called Pan de Idio (Indian's bread) and it is edible right from the tree (light flavour, lots of water, like eating a peach)".

 

[Parson]

@BT Jones .... The First Lighthouse of Lost Earth .... BT Jones writes us a story of an earth where everything has changed and then with a wry wit makes us wonder if anything really ever changes.

@Daysman .... The Fitzgerald Contract .... Daysman writes us a story with a technical view to a practical question and wraps it up with a flaming ending.