Discussion -- 75 Word Challenge -- APRIL

[Scott R. Forshaw]

All the best, Perp; I'm made up for you both. Good luck!

[Ursa major]

Originally Posted by Bowler1

I suspect tactics from the cuddly bear!

If you could give me a hint as to the nature of these suspected tactics, I'd be very grateful. (Purely in the interests of the wider dissemination of knowledge, you understand....)



* Sends best wishes to the Perp family. *

[Bob Senior]

Hey, Perp Man, and the Mrs.

GIT ER DONE !

All the best wishes.
Bob

[hopewrites]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

If you could give me a hint as to the nature of these suspected tactics, I'd be very grateful. (Purely in the interests of the wider dissemination of knowledge, you understand....)



* Sends best wishes to the Perp family. *

my assumption was that the late posters gained "freshness" when it came time for voting. voters have not had 'all month' to go over the story and nit pick at its finer details, and even multiple read throughs can not ditract from the freshness of something lately posted. the down side of course is that voters havent had 'all month' to go over and investigate every little nuance, and imbedded the story in mind and heart.

Which is why I abandoned all attempts at a posting strategy beyond "get the story readable, throw it up online and run away till my nerves calm down" which to be honest is the same strategy i have for threads i start and any kind of 'here is a piece of my soul' post i make.

*seconds*

[Bowler1]

Last day posts Cuddly Bear, will have freshness, maybe well honed and polished???

Mostly its me poking a stick at senior members hoping for insights, little pearls of information. You're not giving much away. There is no point shooting a question back at me, I'm a desperate Irishman grasping at straws. A bit competitive I admit, clearly....

[Ursa major]

In the case of most of my last minute entries, there wasn't time for polishing, and if they demonstrated freshness, it was usually because they'd just been written. Many's the time when the idea only came to me during the (late) evening of the 23rd, so the predominant emotion involved, at least at my end, has usually been desperation.

[Bowler1]

Thank you Ursa, I'll have to find another avenue for my little competitive me to go explore. My quest for the perfect strategy has just started, it will keep me off the street cornors anyway!

[springs]

The time I won, (amazingly, still haven't quite got over it), it was the first one up and I came up with the idea at about 1o'clock in the morning after a few too many glasses of sauvignon. I felt very Dylan Thomas about it all, really...

[Bowler1]

Well done Springs. However pure inspiration is not something I can copy, unless of course you bottled some? Hoping for a lightening bolt of inspiration to strike me sometime is not a strategy, if there is such a thing. There was no lightening bolt for me this month, I think it was a nice entry but no guaranteed winner. The joy of creativity, its never where you last left it, it keeps sneeking off on me!!

[Parson]

Bowler 1 --- If history is any indicator, there is no strategy for winning the 75 word outside of having a crackerjack of a story. The winner has been the very first one up. Karn's winner was posted possibly within minutes of the opening of the contest. The winner has also been a last minute post. The strategy is write a good story, polish it up, and hope.

Parson continues to wait for the news from PM and Mrs. Praying everything goes well.

[Ursa major]

My solitary winning entry was posted at 10:14 am on the 23rd. Only two further entries were posted, and the last one, TJ's, was posted before 7pm.

I suspect that my story's win had at least something to do with its slightly controversial nature, and little or nothing to do with the date of posting.

[Bowler1]

That was a short quest for the perfect strategy!! Inspiration then, not easy to fit that into 75 words as I have discovered. 75 Sounds like a lot, until after my first draft then its paring down. This month I really could have used 78, I made it fit 75, but I still miss those three words!

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Originally Posted by Parson

Bowler 1: Karn's winner was posted possibly within minutes of the opening of the contest.

Well, my winner was possibly due to the humorous twist at the end. That's one way to try to win the crowds, is to try to get a bit of a giggle out, haha. If pulled off well, I think comedy can muster votes.

[Perpetual Man]

Originally Posted by Parson

Parson continues to wait for the news from PM and Mrs. Praying everything goes well.

As always many thanks for the prayers.

All is quiet and slow, with a day that started with her being given the wrong medication, and ending with progress in the pregnancy advancement. There have been a few minor complications, leading mostly to frustration! It's one of those situations where everything just seems to be going as slowly as possible but could suddenly accelerate just like that.

It's obviously a lot easier for me than Mrs Perp, but Harry is finding it all very perplexing and upsetting.

[MemoryTale]

I'd just like to chime in with best wishes for Perp, or congratulations if I've posted this too late.

I'd also like to thank Karn and Springs for the comments, as ever wonderfully insightful people here

So many good entries this month, I may have to start offering bribes if I'm ever going to get my maiden win...