The 2024 750 Word Story Challenge Support Thread

[M_K_Babalon]

Yes, 750s should not be discounted. My 750 entry from last year won the Readers Choice Award for Humor&Satire

Wonder how many Gods and Goddess acted on that. lol

 

[MillieDynamite]

@M_K_Babalon, it's an event or challenge, not a contest. But that's me being picky.

Readers don't like them, most people recant having low scores from them. I think the highest scored ones claimed to be low fours, so don't be getting your hopes up. This contest ain't really for the readers, anyway, it's more a writing exercise, a "wrote this for me" if there ever was one. If you're too hung up on scores, then don't do it-- can't really give a fuck about them to do this contest, it'd probably be a collective act of the gods to get a, or near a red h. They're just never enough for people.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Also, to brag a bit, my 750-word story from last year, Sex Serenade for Strangers G Major, has only 30 votes and 4392 reads but 4.7 ranking. Ain't I special, my shit don't stink.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

@M_K_Babalon, it's an event or challenge, not a contest. But that's me being picky.

I meant to say challege, [several] slips of the tongue thumb.

 

[MillieDynamite]

And now that I broke my arm patting myself on the back I'll get one bombed, I'm sure.

 

[Duleigh]

Readers don't like them, most people recant having low scores from them. I think the highest scored ones claimed to be low fours, so don't be getting your hopes up. This contest ain't really for the readers, anyway, it's more a writing exercise, a "wrote this for me" if there ever was one. If you're too hung up on scores, then don't do it-- can't really give a fuck about them to do this contest, it'd probably be a collective act of the gods to get a, or near a red h. They're just never enough for people.

I entered 5 seven fifty word stories last year, the average score for those five is 4.64 So I don't think it's the case that readers don't like 750 word stories, it could be they don't like the words that were used? Possibly the order they were put in? 4.64 is a touch lower than the average score of my full size stories but not that much lower.

 

[Priscilla_June]

I have no idea what to write about but I’m gonna give it a try!

 

[MillieDynamite]

Sit down at the keyboard and pound away, and see what appears on the page.

I have no idea what to write about but I’m gonna give it a try!

 

[MelissaBaby]

Wonder how many Gods and Goddess acted on that. lol

Just me.

 

[Priscilla_June]

Sit down at the keyboard and pound away, and see what appears on the page.

Being at 750 what comes to my mind is how clever i would need to be with few words.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Interesting challenge. Getting to exactly 750 words takes some nuance.
Got mine ready. I guess we'll see how this goes.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

Being at 750 what comes to my mind is how clever i would need to be with few words.

That's why it's a writing challenge. Writing short is just as much a skill as writing long. I've seen people say they can't do either.

 

[MillieDynamite]

It's best to write the story, being as sparse with words as possible but not watching the word count. Once you have your beginning, middle, and end, you check the word count. If it is short, add. More than likely, it will be long, and you'll need to do creative pruning. Think of it as shaping a bonsai tree.

Being at 750 what comes to my mind is how clever i would need to be with few words.

 

[Voboy]

I’m out. I’ve done a bunch of these over the years, enough to figure out that it’s not rewarding for me to produce them. The form just doesn’t seem to agree with me.

Have a blast, y’all, and happy writing!

 

[Priscilla_June]

It's best to write the story, being as sparse with words as possible but not watching the word count. Once you have your beginning, middle, and end, you check the word count. If it is short, add. More than likely, it will be long, and you'll need to do creative pruning. Think of it as shaping a bonsai tree.

Ahhh yes Daniel-san, I understand now.

 

[MyBareTorso]

This sounds tricky, but I'll give it a crack...never attempted this one. Not sure if I'm into the whole brevity thing...but we'll find out!

 

[ElectricBlue]

Interesting challenge. Getting to exactly 750 words takes some nuance.
Got mine ready. I guess we'll see how this goes.

Yes, it's a good writer's exercise. Readers don't quite get it as much, but you can come up with some crisp little vignettes. Plus, they don't take much time to write.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Yes, it's a good writer's exercise. Readers don't quite get it as much, but you can come up with some crisp little vignettes. Plus, they don't take much time to write.

I wrote mine in about thirty minutes. I’ve been editing and revising, with help, for two days.

 

[Duleigh]

This sounds tricky, but I'll give it a crack...never attempted this one. Not sure if I'm into the whole brevity thing...but we'll find out!

Like any story you post here it's how you touch your reader. I submitted 5 and 2 were really loved, 1 was ok, and 2 were really disliked, one of those was lesbian bondage and the other one but eventually crawled up to 4.60 and I think that was racial, it was in IR.

 

[alohadave]

it's how you touch your reader.

I've been asked not to do that any more. I guess there were some complaints.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I did one for last year. I enjoyed it and I'm pleased with my result. But had no real interest in doing more. However, over the last year I've had two ideas that I thought were fun but limited in scope. So I wrote them both for this challenge. Next week I'll be editing them both down to 750 words. Count me in and screw the ratings.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've submitted seven of these stories over the years, but I think I'm going to pass this time. I think they are worthwhile as a challenging writing exercise, but they don't get a very good reception. All of my 750 word stories have scores well under 4.5, which is well under my average, and I routinely have gotten comments to the effect, "It would have been better if it had been longer."

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've submitted seven of these stories over the years, but I think I'm going to pass this time. I think they are worthwhile as a challenging writing exercise, but they don't get a very good reception. All of my 750 word stories have scores well under 4.5, which is well under my average, and I routinely have gotten comments to the effect, "It would have been better if it had been longer."

EB looked closely at Simon's post. "But Simon, gosh," he said, "you've commented muchly, recently, that scores no longer matter. But it seems that they do, after all."

I reckon you should declare "writer's integrity", damn those ungrateful readers, and submit your 750 Word stories. I mean, the scores don't matter, right .

 

[Rustyoznail]

I've written three. The first went into I/T, and got a few nice comments but a low score. The next two went into Humour, and was well received.

Having said that, I don't have any ideas so far.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I routinely have gotten comments to the effect, "It would have been better if it had been longer."

That's a fair point. So did mine. After looking over my two stories, I think my first fan-fiction, Mrs. Howell's Rendezvous, is deserving of a full story treatment. So I'll just have one story for this year's challenge.