Discussion - January 2011 - 75 Word Challenge

[Starbeast]

Originally Posted by Bob S. Sr

Thanks to, Aun, Highlander, and again to Starbeast for the mentions, greatly appreciated, also to Perp Man for the great review.

Great funny ending.

Originally Posted by The Spurring Platty

Thanks Starbeast, Abernovo, TDZ, High Eight, and Perp for the mentions.

Another great funny ending. And you were tied for 1st place too (on my list).

Originally Posted by Brev

Firstly thanks to Starbeast, TheTomG, alchemist, hopewrites and The Spurring Platty for the mentions.

A marvelous poem.

Originally Posted by chrispenycate

Fifty entries - and only thirty two votes, with barely more than a day left? And many prominent figures, too

I agree Chrispenycate. Where are "the others"?

[springs]

Ty for the vote, Teresa, lovely to wake up to.

[nixie]

Apologies for not been around. I was moving house, have to say I was slightly panicking my internet wouldn't be on in time for me to vote but it was up and running yesterday and I managed to read through them all. Springs got my vote, I love dogs.
Juelz4sure and Highlander thank you for the mentions.

[Boneman]

I seriously think this has been the hardest challenge to find a winner for. Not surprisingly, I had 18 entries on my shortlist, which is almost exactly a third of the total. The diversity and sheer ingenuity of the entries makes voting so hard, and it's taken me ages to decide. I thought 'I can't print out that long a list' and I was going to shorten it, and print just the top five, but actually, I'm going to mention them all, because they deserve a mention. All of these stories could have made the top five, and it's only because I've got to choose one, that I use this artifice to make the shorter list:

Springs 1971
Abernovo
Reiver 33
Grizzgreen
Harebrain
Paranoid Marvin
Culhwch
Mouse
Starbeast
Mosaix
Moonbat
The Spurring Platty
The Dusty Zebra
Johnnyjet
Highlander
Hoopyfrood
The Judge
Ursa Major

And then to choose one from those five was impossible; but I read 'em all again. Then again. Now I'm going to have lunch and try and do the impossible and choose one...

Result: One cream cheese and pastrami bagel later, it hasn't got any easier. But, I'm going for Springs 1971 for no other reason than a) they all deserved to win, and b) it was impossible to choose between them and c) I only just realised the story was laid out in the shape of a cross (doh!).

Hopes: Impossible, from Cinderella? I hear Frank Sinatra...

[hopewrites]

now you have me humming "Impossible" from Cinderella.
way. to. go.

[Teresa Edgerton]

All you who haven't voted yet: Time's a-wastin!

[springs]

Ty Nixie, Culwych and BM. It's made my Saturday the best day of the week so far

[paranoid marvin]

Thankyou for the kind shortlists and mentions guys; this is possibly my favourite month for entries.

Springs was winning with an excellently crafted entry until Teresa rode into town with a beautiful tale beautifully told.

[The Judge]

Left it till the last minute again.

My shortlist:

Abernovo -- High Moon -- wonderful title!
chrispenycate -- A song of endings -- loved "For the farmer-murdered prarie"
HareBrain -- El Brujo -- creepy
hopewrites -- Mr. Daniels comes to town -- great last line
mosaix -- There's Always Something Left Over -- Kit Carson... groan...
reiver33 -- The Man From Paradise -- great first line
RSliwinski -- Pioneer Ingenuity -- loved the concept
Teresa -- Lessons My Granny Taught Me -- wonderful voice

After lots of pondering I had to go with Teresa, even though I love American Quilts...


Thanks for the hon mentions, guys, especially the nail-chewing one from HareBrain, and big thanks to Hex for the vote!

Originally Posted by TheDustyZebra

And TJ, your title says you've been hanging around with me too long.

It's all Ursa's fault...

[Ursa major]

It was an exceptionally difficult task to choose a winner. There are stories that didn't make Honourable Mention status this month that would have been close runners up in other Challenges. As usual, the entries are in date-of-posting order within each category:

Honourable Mentions:

• The Man From Paradise by reiver33
• Scary Stor(e)y on the Prairie by Hex
• A song of endings by chrispenycate
• The Yellow Rows of Texas by The Judge

Runners Up:

• Wagon Train to the Stars by AlcubierreWarp
• Hands up! by Boneman
• Wild Things by TheDustyZebra

Winner:

• Seventh Heaven by paranoid marvin.

[TheDustyZebra]

Thanks, Teresa, Boneman and Ursa for the shortlistings!

[Moonbat]

Howdy Y'all
I'm am one of the 'others' of which Chrispy speaks.
I usually votes earlier, but been a bit busy, and having saved up reading them all till the end it took a little longer to choose.

So here is my short list and my winner

Anyakimlin - Untitles
Boneman - Hands Up!
Culhwch - Skin deep
Mosaix - There's always something left over...
Anne Martin - Unfinished Business
TDZ - Wild Things
Hoopy Frood - Fair fight, now

There were so many good ones to choose from it was very hard, but it came down to Anya's and Cul's. In the end I plumped with Cul's, Anya's made me laugh more, but Cul's left me with the westworld image that I thought was really good.

Thanks for all the mentions, it was enjoyable to write this month, need to get my 300-worder finished in the next few days.

I don't think my vote make much difference (except maybe to Cul) unless there is a sudden flurry of late voting.

[AnyaKimlin]

wow thanks Moonbat - this has been a great month Now waiting for next month's.

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the mention, Boneman.



(And thanks for the accolade, O TJ the Acolyte.... )

[Teresa Edgerton]

Congratulations, springs1971!

And Rusty, the best dog in the whole west.