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NeoGAF Creative Writing Challenge #127 - "Desperation"

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M

multivac

Member
Theme - "Desperation"

Word Limit: 1000

Submission Deadline: Friday, 23 August, by 11:59 PM Pacific.

Voting begins Saturday, 24 August, and goes until Monday, 26 August at 11:59 PM Pacific.

Optional Secondary Objective: Single Location

Choose a specific location within your setting that holds the most potential for conflict—or the most interesting conflict—and let your entire story play out there.

Maybe it's a space station's airlock, a ghost town's saloon, or a farm's newest crop circle. Be specific!


Submission Guidelines:

- One entry per poster.
- All submissions must be written during the time of the challenge.
- Using the topic as the title of your piece is discouraged.
- Keep to the word count!

Voting Guidelines:

- Three votes per voter. Please denote in your voting your 1st (3 pts), 2nd (2 pts), and 3rd (1 pt) place votes.
- Please read all submissions before voting.
- You must vote in order to be eligible to win the challenge.
- When voting ends, the winner gets a collective pat on the back, and starts the new challenge.

NeoGAF Creative Writing Challenge FAQ
Previous Challenge Threads and Themes
 
N

Nezumi

Member
Love that secondary. And I have to agree that the word count is a blessing considering the amount of reading that was involved the last two challenges. Really great combo!
 
C

Chainsawkitten

Member
Desperation and Single Location make me think The Exterminating Angel. But I don't know how I would expand on that. It would most likely just be a pointless copy. But with a 1000 words I might as well just try and maybe even have time for a second story if it doesn't turn out well.
 
S

SquiddyCracker

Banned
Sorry for going overboard in the last challenge :p
It became too convoluted for its own good, so I had to keep adding stuff on top of things.

I like the idea of sub-2000 words stories, though 1000 words is a pretty small canvas to work with.
 
S

Sober

Member
Desperation? Sounds like my sad story to try to read all of last set of entries and then i just feel asleep :(((((((
 
C

Chainsawkitten

Member
Have the beginning and know the end but having trouble with what comes in-between. Watching Salò for inspiration. Think I've at least got a decent idea now.
 
M

multivac

Member
As I mentioned in the last thread, I scrambled to get this up on my phone during my 30 minute lunch break of my 12 hour shift. I only had two thoughts in my mind:

1. I wanted a shorter challenge, because of all the lamentations of the huge amount of words we've been reading these past few weeks. At the same time, 1000 words seemed like it might draw newcomers who might be daunted by longer stories, as well.
2. I wanted the secondary objective to encourage brevity in some way for those (like me) who might have trouble with getting in under 1000 words.

Mike M said:
Frankly I'm hard pressed to do multiple locations in only 1000 words.
Click to expand...

Now that I've had time to think it over, I believe Mike is right. 1000 words does somewhat undermine my secondary objective :( I suppose I projected my own tendency for numerous locations (I like my characters to go places and do things!) onto the secondary objective.

1500 would have been the sweet spot I think. Still short enough, but not too long as to make the secondary objective arduous. Plus, some seem less than thrilled about the short word count! :)

What are your thoughts on increasing it to 1500? Is that even allowed? Why am I even worried? First time challenge-making jitters?
 
T

toddhunter

Member
1000 isn't a problem for me. It will be a challenge and not what I'm best at. But this is a challenge so that makes sense.

I'm looking forward to it.
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
Yeah, I was totally done by that point, I just needed to get home and PDF it.

Once I finish this other thing (It's looking to clock in between 10 and 12k words, making it the longest single story I've ever written), I'll start trying again.

The irony is that I won't need it for probably months still, I just have the whole thing mapped out and want to get it done.

Revisions will probably take a long while...
 
G

GRW810

Member
1,000 words is plenty. You could deliver a story with depth with half that. Heck, I've read 250 word stories that blew me away.

The combination of word limit, theme and secondary objective has whipped up a swirling frenzy of ideas in my mind. I'm up for this.
 
M

More_Badass

Member
GRW810 said:
1,000 words is plenty. You could deliver a story with depth with half that. Heck, I've read 250 word stories that blew me away.

The combination of word limit, theme and secondary objective has whipped up a swirling frenzy of ideas in my mind. I'm up for this.
Click to expand...
hey_monkey said:
Seconded! I adore very short fiction.
Click to expand...
250 words? What about two sentences?

From Reddit:
What is the best horror story you can come up with in two sentences
There are some really chilling ones there
 
C

Cyan

Banned
Sober said:
I haven't played Metal Gear (or watched someone play it far enough in) to get that reference.

Extra sad now, thanks Cyan! :((((((
Click to expand...

J0CQ7ee.jpg


Spoiler alert!
 
T

toddhunter

Member
GRW810 said:
For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Six words and still one of the deepest things I've ever read.
Click to expand...

I've been through that. A friend had their first baby and we purchased a nice pair of baby shoes and some other clothes and things. But then we were busy and didn't get to see them at the hospital. Then when we went to visit at their house we forgot the present. We then didn't see them for a while and it all became really awkward and the baby was now too big for the items anyway.

Since we didn't know anybody else about to give birth, we sold them.
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
toddhunter said:
I've been through that. A friend had their first baby and we purchased a nice pair of baby shoes and some other clothes and things. But then we were busy and didn't get to see them at the hospital. Then when we went to visit at their house we forgot the present. We then didn't see them for a while and it all became really awkward and the baby was now too big for the items anyway.

Since we didn't know anybody else about to give birth, we sold them.
Click to expand...

icDAk.gif

I love it.
 
T

Tangent

Member
How did I miss out on Metal Gear?

Congrats hey_monkey!

More_Badass said:
250 words? What about two sentences?

From Reddit:
What is the best horror story you can come up with in two sentences
There are some really chilling ones there
Click to expand...

DANG these are so good! Maybe one day we should have a super short challenge. Y'know, get our Dr. Seuss on with a 50 word max or something and pump out Green Eggs and Ham.

toddhunter said:
I've been through that. A friend had their first baby and we purchased a nice pair of baby shoes and some other clothes and things. But then we were busy and didn't get to see them at the hospital. Then when we went to visit at their house we forgot the present. We then didn't see them for a while and it all became really awkward and the baby was now too big for the items anyway.

Since we didn't know anybody else about to give birth, we sold them.
Click to expand...
At least this is far less tragic than what people might ponder with the original story. Perhaps they could have been spray-painted and used as a plant pot.
 
H

hey_monkey

Banned
Oh, it was like 2010 or 2011, but thanks. :)

I would love a mega short challenge! Or a children's story challenge. That would be amazing.
 
K

kehs

Banned
I keep starting to write something, but it all comes out depressing.

I wanna write something happy despite the infered emotion of desperation.

e: Decided I'm gonna write the entire story on pen and paper. Make me earn that desperation feeling that you can't quite get from a keyboard and screen.
 
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