The 2024 750 Word Story Challenge Support Thread

[Duleigh]

I kind of want to keep riffing on this, but probably not on this challenge support thread.

No please go right ahead. It's my thread, I say go for it
*opens a bag of cheetos*

 

[EmilyMiller]

I kind of want to keep riffing on this, but probably not on this challenge support thread.

What does the fungus from The Last of Us come to mind?

 

[yowser]

"Does she have a nice chest?"

"Sure, plenty of heft there. But also, sorta a lot of heft everywhere, to tell you the truth. I keep trying to keep her away from the chocolates and ice cream and everything, but you can't really control someone's cravings, now can you?"

<snip>

"Can you describe her?"

"Well, she's got boobs with some serious meat."

"How are her nipples? Erect?"

Pause.

"Hard to tell. Her tits are so big you can't see the nipples very well. They sort of point more down than out."

 

[Saturn0815]

#3 is now live, "Helping Hand or No?"

You are killing it this week, one good story after another!

 

[Bamagan]

Her reservoirs were full to capacity, the excess milk sluicing from her swollen spillways.

The villagers in the valley watched in horror as the pearly flood began to crest the levees, threatening to inundate their homes. All except one woman, who cackled with glee at the thought of how well it would complement her gingerbread house.

 

[AlinaX]

The witch dipped a finger into her gingerbread house, and sighed. "Moist," she murmured, "wonderfully moist."

 

[Bamagan]

"No, that's just a cooking pot," the smirking woman told the inquisitor. "When people claim I hexed them with potions from my cauldron, they meant this one," she said, lifting her skirts.

 

[jhealy55]

Woke up to find that my first 750 word story is in the romance queue for publication tomorrow.

Which hopefully means I flew through the AI filter, not just as 'passable for human', but more likely that the AI powers that be disavow all association with my work, and will relentlessly prosecute any attempt to link the execution to any form of intelligence, artificial or otherwise.

That said, with just a day to consider it, thinking I may have made a hash of the whole thing.

My first thought wad that trying to fit a complete story into 750 words was only possible through fractals and wormholes. I can't say good morning in under 750 words most days.

So I had this idea that I could describe the complete arc of an affair if I found a balance point where the two characters would have a simultaneous flood of memory of how they came together, had a brief relationship and then ultimately stepped back when they considered how wrong it was. At the same time, I wanted to impart that it wasn't just hot physical attraction, but a deep and lingering emotional connection that they'd both had to carry forward as a sense of lingering, aching loss. Made worse by the fact that he is an older married man and she is the adult daughter of a couple they know socially and live only a couple of blocks over from one another.

I wrote the whole thing over lunch time yesterday and thought it was brilliant that that the ideal setting would be the moments leading up and just after the first time they'd physically touched since the affair ended, but it takes place on the greeting line after the service of her fathers funeral. That in the midst of this sea of grief and formality, only those two knew what their physical proximity and brief hug really meant. That the sense of mourning and loss they'd both felt in keeping their distance was appropriate to the setting, but for very different reasons than anyone else there, including his wife, and her mother, could ever know.

Now I'm thinking that the folks in the romance section, there's no actual sex depicted, just implied, are going to click in to find some creepy story about a creepy middle aged cheater having flashbacks to an affair at the funeral of the young woman's father

I didn't even bother with an authors note thinking it was cheating the word limit to lay out the premise and the brilliance of my fractal design would make it all so evident to the reader that I could just drop them in cold.

Now I'm picturing a horde coming up from town carrying pitchforks and torches and wondering when exactly was the last time we oiled the drawbridge gears and tested the mechanism?

 

[Duleigh]

I didn't even bother with an authors note thinking it was cheating the word limit to lay out the premise and the brilliance of my fractal design would make it all so evident to the reader that I could just drop them in cold.

Now I'm picturing a horde coming up from town carrying pitchforks and torches and wondering when exactly was the last time we oiled the drawbridge gears and tested the mechanism?

*blows out torch and unsuccessfully hides pitchfork behind back*

Who... what... US? NO! Us romance writers are mellow, thoughtful, open to opposing view points... in broad daylight.

 

[jhealy55]

*blows out torch and unsuccessfully hides pitchfork behind back*

Who... what... US? NO! Us romance writers are mellow, thoughtful, open to opposing view points... in broad daylight.

Looks up from rummaging around for a can of WD40 whilst keeping a pilfered bottle of EVOO close at hand...."just in case...." He mutters under his breath.

No, it just struck me this morning that while aiming for that haunting line at the end of "Moveable Feast" where Hemingway casually mentions the good fortune of meeting one great love in your life and the miserable curse of finding two at the same time, I'd inadvertently landed on the "Spinal Tap" adage that its 'a fine line between clever and stupid, innit?"

But thank you for that. It will likely a few days before I start blaming you for getting us into this mess so I will be grateful for the good humor before I do.

 

[SimonDoom]

One is slated for publication tomorrow, but curiously the one I submitted three hours earlier isn't slated for publication yet.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Tomorrow will be interesting. I have one dropping that was accidentally released early. It already has over 3K views, but I've changed it a bit, giving it a stronger ending.(thank you @AlinaX)

Can't wait to see how it's received this time.

 

[Djmac1031]

So the two I published are doing quite well. I had a few ideas for a few others. Maybe I'll get to them, maybe I won't.

I kinda have the itch to finish a longer story though. Plus the other ideas I have all need more than 750 to really tell them anyway.

Still way early in the month of course, so who knows.

 

[MrPixel]

My one for this year just went "NEW", so we'll see it tomorrow.

I need to get crankin' on the last of a three-parter I mentioned elsewhere about a Super Bowl swinger party. The run-up was fun and easy, but now that the first guests are arriving I'm having trouble with the flow. Already had to un-invite (figuratively) one couple because the character building became too complicated.

 

[Lifestyle66]

My latest 750-word story in Loving Wives ("Pavlov's Dog - 750 Words") is maintaining a firm hold on NOT breaking above 2.0!

With 311 votes, it would take at least four 5s to break that barrier (assuming no more 1s). On a positive note, I have more haters than some stories have readers!

Reminds me of the Monty Python movie "Life of Brian", when they're happily singing "Look on the brighter side of life ..." (as they're being crucified).

 

[jhealy55]

All joking aside, its been a while since I submitted a story and forgot the fun of watching it wind its way th through the queue and the anticipation of it launching.

This really has been a fun way to put a 'done' check mark beside something after a fairly long break.

 

[Duleigh]

But thank you for that. It will likely a few days before I start blaming you for getting us into this mess so I will be grateful for the good humor before I do.

I'm also a fantasy writer. It's all about another fine myth... if you get my point (or have read the book)

 

[FreyaGersemi]

Between work, I read through the last few pages of this thread and all the talk about numbers got me curious. My three 750 stories have been published and they are all in the low/mid 4 range. So, that's a win. None have gotten the coveted "Red H," but that wasn't my goal, anyway.

Now, if I can muster the interest to see how my Valentine story is doing compared to everyone else's... Nah. I have work to do. Then job for tonight just got cancelled (someone in the organization has covid and they don't want me to risk the health of me or my family) so after my day job is done... Unexpected DATE NIGHT!!

 

[ElectricBlue]

All joking aside, its been a while since I submitted a story and forgot the fun of watching it wind its way th through the queue and the anticipation of it launching.

This really has been a fun way to put a 'done' check mark beside something after a fairly long break.

Your enthusiasm for revisiting / re-finding your passion for writing is magical to watch, and any real new newbies would do well to take notes.

Also, your cunning ploy of a four hundred word exposition (I didn't actually count) of your 750 word story is superb. Takes chutzpah to do that, and is right up there with any of @SimonDoom's marketing ploys. Well done.

And while I've got Simon's attention, well done, Sir, for stealing two bases .

 

[Trionyx]

I could have posted this under Funniest Negative Comments but thought other 750 authors might get a kick out of it here.

“This is so jr high and hardly romance. Zero erotica. HATE THESE 750 CHALLENGES AS THEY ARE A WASTE OF TIME. Even the most experienced writers never make it worth reading as there is no chance for true development of even the smallest segment of interaction for erotica/romance. It would make more sense if they did a 1500 word challege not counting any words less than 3 letters. Not even the folks behind Literotica could meet the challenge of 750 words or less with any success.”

Sir, or Ma’am, or whatever, if you hate them so much, then why on heaven’s earth do you read them?

 

[HippyJeanSalon]

My three 750 stories have been published and they are all in the low/mid 4 range. So, that's a win. None have gotten the coveted "Red H," but that wasn't my goal, anyway.

Same with my stories, so far at least. My next entry due to go live tomorrow is in "Loving Wives" and I suspect it'll get savaged, but that's okay. It was something I just wanted to try and I'm really curious as to the response.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Might have submitted a ninth

Em

 

[jhealy55]

Your enthusiasm for revisiting / re-finding your passion for writing is magical to watch, and any real new newbies would do well to take notes.

Also, your cunning ploy of a four hundred word exposition (I didn't actually count) of your 750 word story is superb. Takes chutzpah to do that, and is right up there with any of @SimonDoom's marketing ploys. Well done.

And while I've got Simon's attention, well done, Sir, for stealing two bases .

And I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for one of those meddling authors and their nose for shameless self-promotion!

Now I'll have swear you all to secrecy if I post a link when its up so we can get a fair read of how much of the hate mail and one-bombing is truly organic.

Oddly, my ribbing with @Duleigh has also given me an idea for a second entry Something about a wayward lord and a rusty drawbridge....

 

[Trionyx]

Might have submitted a ninth

Em

Push away from the computer terminal, turn around and slowly walk away. Uh-uh, no turning back! Stop! Just like any addiction, take it one day at a time. You will eventually get over it, or at least March first will kill the buzz.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Push away from the computer terminal, turn around and slowly walk away. Uh-uh, no turning back! Stop! Just like any addiction, take it one day at a time. You will eventually get over it, or at least March first will kill the buzz.

I have also been for a 6 mile run, helped my bf with a photography, project, made lunch, had some me and him time, talked to my mom on the phone (that was the longest part of the day), and am now making a chilli.

I write quickly. It shows in the quality .

Emily