750 word project

[SimonDoom]

The event organizer should include a specific tag for everyone to include. So far, I've found "750 Word Project", "750 Words", "750", and there are probably others without a tag.

Mine published today with "750 Words" as the tag.

Laurel, on her own, added tags for the project to my story, to her credit.

I PMed her and asked her, post-publication, to add a note at the beginning of my story that it was part of the 750 word project, and she did so within 12 hours. I encourage anyone else who is submitting a story to the project to do the same thing.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Yeah. Readers hated my first one (pissing off all the incels was also a good move), so last year I thought putting '750 Word Project in the title would clue people in, and I could use the scene as a teaser, 'if you liked this, try reading these other stories of mine.

I thought wrong. Lowest rating of all my 30 stories on Lit, and annoyingly its first in alphabetical order so at the top of my list (and my only prizewinning one is last so doesn't fit on many screens... bad title planning there!)

I like the idea of the challenge, but having to click onto another page to vote really does get rid of most one-bombers.
Maybe I'll try writing four with a bit of preamble and commentary, to make it into a two-page more satisfying piece.

My very first story was last year's 705 Word Project, and I included that in the title, too.

I still had two comments saying "What was that?" and "No character build up at all." It's as if they couldn't take the time to engage a brain cell when reading the title.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Laurel, on her own, added tags for the project to my story, to her credit.

I PMed her and asked her, post-publication, to add a note at the beginning of my story that it was part of the 750 word project, and she did so within 12 hours. I encourage anyone else who is submitting a story to the project to do the same thing.

Your's is a great story, bringing the term "dogging" to the U.S.

 

[MrPixel]

Laurel, on her own, added tags for the project to my story, to her credit.

I PMed her and asked her, post-publication, to add a note at the beginning of my story that it was part of the 750 word project, and she did so within 12 hours. I encourage anyone else who is submitting a story to the project to do the same thing.

Now I'm puzzled. There are instructions in the contest page that the phrase "750 WORD PROJECT" is to be entered in the "Note to Admin" field in the usual submission form. Is this not still the case? I think I have two ready to go, just need some clarity on flagging them for the contest.

I figure using both "750 Words" and "750 Words Project" as story tags.

 

[NotWise]

Now I'm puzzled. There are instructions in the contest page that the phrase "750 WORD PROJECT" is to be entered in the "Note to Admin" field in the usual submission form. Is this not still the case? I think I have two ready to go, just need some clarity on flagging them for the contest.

I figure using both "750 Words" and "750 Words Project" as story tags.

Putting "750 word" in the text and/or tags makes the story visible to someone searching specifically for stories in the event. The note does not.

 

[SimonDoom]

Now I'm puzzled. There are instructions in the contest page that the phrase "750 WORD PROJECT" is to be entered in the "Note to Admin" field in the usual submission form. Is this not still the case? I think I have two ready to go, just need some clarity on flagging them for the contest.

I figure using both "750 Words" and "750 Words Project" as story tags.

The Note to Admin lets the admin know to include the story in list of 750 word stories that get published. But that's all it does.

Fortunately, Laurel also added 750 Word Project as a tag, and at my request, after publication, she promptly added it as a note at the beginning of the story. The advantage of that note, theoretically, is that it lets the reader know beforehand that the story will be very short for a reason. My experience, however, is that some readers don't care, and they complain anyway that the story is too short and tend to give the story low scores. I was chagrined about this two years ago when I entered three stories in the event, but now I shrug and accept it.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Now I'm puzzled. There are instructions in the contest page that the phrase "750 WORD PROJECT" is to be entered in the "Note to Admin" field in the usual submission form. Is this not still the case? I think I have two ready to go, just need some clarity on flagging them for the contest.

I figure using both "750 Words" and "750 Words Project" as story tags.

The "750 Words Project" in the notes just alerts the admins to include it in the final list for the contest. But the flaw in all of this is we don't get that "official" list of all entries until the end of the month to read and rate. The stories just appear as usual in "New", and unless you somehow tag it, we'll be inundated with a long list to read and rate our competition before the announcement of the winners.

In addition to the note, add that as a tag, and we can more easily find those to focus on for the rest of the month.

 

[Voboy]

This year, I wrote the 750 word thing into my synopsis/description, too, so anyone clicking off the main pages will know when they read the story description.

I had someone saying it “escalated too quickly.” Well… no shit, Sherlock. Lol!

 

[Lifestyle66]

This year, I wrote the 750 word thing into my synopsis/description, too, so anyone clicking off the main pages will know when they read the story description.

I had someone saying it “escalated too quickly.” Well… no shit, Sherlock. Lol!

I enjoyed both of your stories, although I thought "Boots" seemed to end too abruptly. IMO, ending it still in the restroom cuts off their interaction too abruptly, and leaves them hanging in the restroom without resolution. IE. "As he peeked outside to leave me there, I said..."

 

[SimonDoom]

Your's is a great story, bringing the term "dogging" to the U.S.

Thanks! I thought re-setting it in the sunny hills overlooking urban California was a good idea.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Thanks! I thought re-setting it in the sunny hills overlooking urban California was a good idea.

I posted my 750-word story to Romance, which was a mistake. I should have put it in Humor as a caricature of a proposal. The only comment was: "This is funny in a very dysfunctional way..." But these are my favorite characters, and this is who they are. I quickly pulled this scene from my least viewed chapter to edit for 750.

 

[Voboy]

I enjoyed both of your stories, although I thought "Boots" seemed to end too abruptly. IMO, ending it still in the restroom cuts off their interaction too abruptly, and leaves them hanging in the restroom without resolution. IE. "As he peeked outside to leave me there, I said..."

Thanks!

I used to think of 750 worders as being like really short stories, but this year I tried to think of them as long poems.

Like, ideas that deserved to see the light of day, but that I didn't think would sustain a proper story at my usual length. In the past, I'd cut scenes from unpublished work and thrown them on here; this year, I wrote from scratch.

You're probably right about the abruptness. As a reader, though, I LOVE an ambiguous ending. I like to ponder the many directions in which the story might go after it ends. Sometimes it doesn't work, though.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Thanks!

Like, ideas that deserved to see the light of day, but that I didn't think would sustain a proper story at my usual length. In the past, I'd cut scenes from unpublished work and thrown them on here; this year, I wrote from scratch.

I pulled my 750-word out of a little viewed chapter, because I wanted to give that scene a chance at ratings. I just picked the wrong category. I should have selected Humor. But I'll settle for the fact it's being read.

 

[LexxRuthless]

My LexxRuthless e-mail lit up a bit this morning, with other authors reaching out to let me know they'd read my 750-Word entry. I'd had some time to think it over and shared this with one of them:

"The story itself took forty minutes to write. That wasn't difficult at all. It took another three hours to carefully pare it down until it was exactly 750 words. I actually did that last year, shortly after those stories were published. I didn't plan to actually publish it, but I saw they were accepting this year's entries and figured, 'Why not?'

Well, the scores showed me 'Why not.' The thing is, this is like a bunch of authors on the site said, 'Ooh! You know what would be fun? Let's all write a limerick just to see if we can do it.' That would be fine, except we're then posting these things with the rest of our stories. Readers have no way of knowing just from looking at the title and description. When readers see I have published a 'new story' they expect it to be like the rest of the stuff I've written. I generally try to write stories I know readers on the site will like, or something someone asked me to write. Clearly, nobody asked for this one..."

Unlike Voboy, I wasn't clever enough to actually put (750 Word Story) into my title. That might have helped, but only to save some annoyed readers' time. I figure I will leave it up until mid-March and then I'll request to have it removed.

 

[Voboy]

Unlike Voboy, I wasn't clever enough to actually put (750 Word Story) into my title. That might have helped, but only to save some annoyed readers' time.

It's definitely helping, I think, and I'll certainly do it next year too. I'm getting reasonable views and, I think, fair scores; these are not really stories. They're vignettes. Both of them seem to me like they're open-ended, as if I simply left off the beginning and end.

 

[Lifestyle66]

It's definitely helping, I think, and I'll certainly do it next year too. I'm getting reasonable views and, I think, fair scores; these are not really stories. They're vignettes. Both of them seem to me like they're open-ended, as if I simply left off the beginning and end.

vignette is the best way to describe these stories.

Mine was taken out of a larger series, and in context within the series, it's not a farce. It's the open way they treat each other and sex. But as a vignette, it's as the one commenter said: "This is funny in a very dysfunctional way..." because they are dysfunctional.

 

[Omenainen]

The "750 Words Project" in the notes just alerts the admins to include it in the final list for the contest. But the flaw in all of this is we don't get that "official" list of all entries until the end of the month to read and rate. The stories just appear as usual in "New", and unless you somehow tag it, we'll be inundated with a long list to read and rate our competition before the announcement of the winners.

In addition to the note, add that as a tag, and we can more easily find those to focus on for the rest of the month.

Except there will be no winners, because this is not a competition. This is a writer's challenge. There will be a list of all the entries and that's that.

 

[jsmiam]

I included a lengthy Author's Note last year (let's say a sentence or two for the Author's note, then 750 word story, then closing Author's note, a sentence or two.)

This year the rules are a bit more clearly written, perhaps implying keep the entire story at 750 words, no accounting for Author's notes. What has everyone else done?

(The rule is phrased in a way with room for interpretation. It says, "***ADDED 2/4 - story must be 750 words EXCLUDING title, description, tags, etc. Word count includes story text only.")

 

[SimonDoom]

I included a lengthy Author's Note last year (let's say a sentence or two for the Author's note, then 750 word story, then closing Author's note, a sentence or two.)

This year the rules are a bit more clearly written, perhaps implying keep the entire story at 750 words, no accounting for Author's notes. What has everyone else done?

(The rule is phrased in a way with room for interpretation. It says, "***ADDED 2/4 - story must be 750 words EXCLUDING title, description, tags, etc. Word count includes story text only.")

I've published two stories, both with author's notes that push the total over 750 words, so it appears the note words don't count.

 

[Lifestyle66]

I've published two stories, both with author's notes that push the total over 750 words, so it appears the note words don't count.

In my longer story for the Pink Orchid challenge, I added an Author's P.S. to explain my POV on her attitude toward empowerment.

I consider the Author's notes to be a good addition to a story, providing some thoughtful context for better understanding the story, or to encourage reading other stories for more context.

But, for my own 750-Word response to the challenge, I decided to see how the complete and stand-alone 750 words tries to tell it all.

 

[SyleusSnow]

But, for my own 750-Word response to the challenge, I decided to see how the complete and stand-alone 750 words tries to tell it all.

I've put a disclaimer at the top of all of mine, plus prefixed "750 words:" to the description so readers know before they click. Got an incredibly high score last year (by 750 standards) but no idea if these efforts help. It didn't help the 2020 story, which sank like a rock and stayed there.

My contribution for this year In Her Eyes went live this morning, so we'll see how it goes this time.

 

[SimonDoom]

But, for my own 750-Word response to the challenge, I decided to see how the complete and stand-alone 750 words tries to tell it all.

My note says nothing other than "This story is part of the 750 Word Project 2022." I wanted to tip off readers that the story would be very short and they should adjust their expectations accordingly, since so many readers seem to dislike stories this short.

It doesn't seem to do much, frankly, because scores for these stories consistently are much lower than my average.

 

[jsmiam]

...It doesn't seem to do much, frankly, because scores for these stories consistently are much lower than my average.

When I paste "War and Peace" in as my Author's note, we'll see what happens...

 

[MrPixel]

Oo. It might have been my stories that triggered the "titles don't count" thing. I always have title blocks within the story text. Laurel - or whomever - fixed that for me when they went up and let the resulting <750 words pass.

Speaking of which, I'm getting comments almost for the first time. That is, outside of the disaster of LW. Just a handful, but all complimentary about squeezing that much story and fun into so few words. It's gratifying.

And maybe a lesson. The big story I've been toiling over since Thanksgiving is closing in on 200 pages in Word. But, really, it's for me, not the audience.

 

[Rustyoznail]

I've had some readers put my story on their reading list... I'm flattered but confused. It would have taken them longer to do that than to read it.

Speaking of which, I'm getting comments almost for the first time. That is, outside of the disaster of LW. Just a handful, but all complimentary about squeezing that much story and fun into so few words. It's gratifying.

I've had four comments, all complimentary. That's satisfying.