Discussion - February 2011 - 75 Word Challenge

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Originally Posted by Perpetual Man

Uhhhhh... deliberate mistake to see how many people picked up on it, or a word a page...

Whatever you want to tell yourself.

[TacticalLoco]

Well mine’s up.
Plus here’s a few of my favorites amid all the other good stuff submitted;

Mr. Forshaw, deeply creepy and very well done!
Alchemist (as usual) that was an evil laugh.
Hex, a good and fun surprise twist.
Crystal Haven, purest representation of the theme so far.
Boneman (also as usual) a simple epic love story. Perfectly done.

Always lots of other very, very good ones.

[Perpetual Man]

Originally Posted by Karn Maeshalanadae

Whatever you want to tell yourself.

You should have seen the first mistake I caught and edited, now that really would have been embarrassing...


Nixie – This has to be one of the saddest things I've read in a long while. It certainly tugs on the heartstrings, possibly because it feels so real; it is the kind of thing you can almost imagine happening, and it is an excellent way of showing the theme in an almost perfect manner. I did have to wonder though whether the friend really might return...

PM – A very clever little piece, I really enjoyed the premise - I like to think that the star going nova is Sol, but really it could be any star. The wording is simple and complicated at the same time telling what must be one of the most perfect little love stories I've seen Perhaps in some ways it could be seen as tragic, but it's not it comes across as beautiful.

Aun – Somewhere at some point a religion built around a messiah, sees that chosen one return, just as has been prophesied. Unfortunately, in some ways realistically 9as in you could see it happening in a corrupt society) the church that has been built around him has taken on a strength and meaning of its own, becoming a power in its own right, and even the return of the one they worship could well be a threat to that power.

Phoenix – This is one of those clever little stories that really works for, because I can simply see so many possibilities in it that it makes my poor little head spin. A man visiting the grave of the woman he married, could he be responsible for her death? Does he regret that she died? Taking the chocolates and removing the ones she hated seems to be a sign of love, or is he being spiteful and taking them all? I could go on for lines! Great stuff!

Tisiphone – Yet another superb entry, a slightly undefined character that could be a couple of things - husband, lover, child, pet - but none of it really matters, it catches the theme with an apparent ease, almost perfectly. The adoration that comes across from the protagonist is almost perfectly conveyed, you can see where he is coming from and just what he feels about his apparent replacement. Wonderful.

Mr Turtle – There is something almost divine in this next story, showing that a fallen angel does not have to be surrounded by those that might know what it is in order to attract attention when it passes. All the animals coming forward in a show of adoration is just a wonderfully constructed and magical piece. The actual death of the angel is caught perfectly, so well done with so few words.

daalex – I think that this one little piece demonstrates the meaning of true faith perfectly, encapsulating the theme with a simple ease. A single man stays where he is, carrying out his duty, his love, no matter what is coming toward him, knowing that his reward will be given no matter what happens or how he falls.

[Scott R. Forshaw]

Well mine’s up.

Very nice, TacticalLoco! A really good story. Well done.

[Glen]

I wasn't sure exactly what speculative fiction was, so I looked it up.

Wikipedia says "Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature".

It is going to be some challenge to get all of that into 75 words - but I'll try.

[TheDustyZebra]

I think you made it!

[TacticalLoco]

Go for it Glen.
I can't wait to see what you come up with!

[hopewrites]

Fantastical is right Glen!! I have never been that dedicated to my hair, your princess should get an award...

[TacticalLoco]

Originally Posted by Scott R. Forshaw

Well, I'm glad someone did, Hex. Thanks! And, yes, I suppose you're right, HB, what was I thinking?

I understood it. Your problem with the people around you is more likely that they can't see you as a writer. Happens all the time.

[Perpetual Man]

Like a Bullet Train leaving the station I manage to catch up with the comments.... for now. Could this be the month we break some records on the number of entries, or is everyone posting early?

David Evil Overlord – One of the things I really enjoy in a post apocalyptic tale is the fact that things that might seem common place to us would be totally different to survivors. And this is done with style here, simple and clever at the same time, it would be so easy to believe some ornate building could well have been a temple or place of worship. And of course if something ‘forgotten’ was found beneath the structure how easy it would be to use it to consolidate a powerbase!

Memory Tale – There was something simple in this story as well, something that really inverted the idea of what a hero could be. In my interpretation of the story the main character could well have been seen as a champion of the people, but sometimes it is what lies beneath the surface that makes a tale interesting and in this case we have to ask the question just what drives the hero. When heroic deeds are performed it is easy to see pure motives, but sometimes perhaps the person does those things because they are simply running from something else.

Juelz4sure – Elves eh? Who would really want to trust them? There were quite a few things I really enjoyed about this story, the idea that the so called perfect folk could achieve their immortality with such a cruel practice was a good idea, but the small print made the story work perfectly. I’m not sure I would want to think about it too much, but thoroughly entertaining. The old elf got what he deserved!

crystal haven – The idea of counting pebbles on a beach triggered something deep inside of me, a memory of something, I think someone curse to count the number of grains on a beach, but this takes it in a different direction and gives it a wonderful metaphorical twist. Who would freely take to counting all the pebbles on a beach? Well someone searching for something more important than any imposition, or for true love. Very clever.

Hoops – A rather slick tale that catches the feeling of dealing with each problem as it arrives, rather than trying to stop those problems arising. But there is more than that, of course, for solutions found it seems more problems are created and we lose something in the process. The solution of being more alive with things as they should be, than with ingenuity creating sterility to the extent that the idea of death becomes better than living is an excellent idea.

Heoru – There was something very simple but intimately creepy about this entry. The way the scene was described was just perfect, beautiful almost. This little couple living together with such a perfect expression of love enacted year after year is just wonderful. But underlying that is the word widow, and then the close to the story... just who is putting the flowers there? Devoted to death and beyond.

Hope – Quirky, fun and mad are just some of the words that sprang to mind as I read this entry. It is an off the wall take of the theme, full of wonderful images. I’m not sure I will ever be able to go to the fridge again and just pluck some snack free, I’ll be too scared what they are thinking. Of course quiche would be safe, but i hate the stuff! Really different idea, clever, and unique,

Boneman – What could sum up the theme more than a man prepared to give his life in the place of the woman he loves? This is the way this tale comes across. Someone has been shot, and a suspect has been found guilty, although we know he did not do it. The last line saying that he did took the blame not only because he did not want the woman to die, but because he could not live without her is what raises the story to another level. (But you have to wonder if the woman could live without him?)

PolarityMan – In some ways this is the opposite side to the previous story. (Well in my interpretation anyway); for whatever reason two people prepared to follow one another into death, unable to live once their other half has gone. A well told tale, and a solid and well told interpretation of the theme.

TacticalLoco – There was so much to enjoy in this clever take on the theme. There is enough left to the imagination to really allow the reader to run with the story, and the construction seemed to be just about perfect. A husband apparently makes sure that his wife dies in order to claim her fortune, but he did not bank on her returning to make sure he gets what he deserves. Just desserts indeed.

Glen – An entire superhero/apocalyptic epic and a romance in just 75 words. Sometimes it is surprising at just how much people can squeeze into these things. There is a sense of fun here that comes across brilliantly, it adds to the pace of the tale which seems to be coming at you with super speed. Of course the dramatic overtones at the start are neatly set aside by the conclusion: all of this to ask a girl on a date. Brilliant.

[crystal haven]

Thank you, TacticalLoco, for mentioning my story - you've made my day!

And thank you, Perpetual Man. And I think it is wonderful that you spend so much of your time doing this.

[Phoenixthewriter]

Glen, that could be one of the best I've read from these entries. Hilarious! I don't know if it would have had the same appeal if I hadn't read your earlier post here about what it was you were supposed to write.

Nontheless, I like.

[nixie]

Nixie – This has to be one of the saddest things I've read in a long while. It certainly tugs on the heartstrings, possibly because it feels so real; it is the kind of thing you can almost imagine happening, and it is an excellent way of showing the theme in an almost perfect manner. I did have to wonder though whether the friend really might return...

Thanks Pep, and if you think about it you'll know what it is based on.

[AnyaKimlin]

PM you are so tempting me. Yet again I read what you wrote about mine and went scuttling back to remind myself had i written it lol

I will be strong and read them all together at the end though.

[Boneman]

Originally Posted by Perpetual Man

Boneman – What could sum up the theme more than a man prepared to give his life in the place of the woman he loves? This is the way this tale comes across. Someone has been shot, and a suspect has been found guilty, although we know he did not do it. The last line saying that he did took the blame not only because he did not want the woman to die, but because he could not live without her is what raises the story to another level. (But you have to wonder if the woman could live without him?)

If only I'd had another ten words, we'd have found out! Many thanks for the great review as always, Perp. How's the voice recognition stuff going? How do you put in speech marks? Does it give you a semi-colon when you want one?