BBC's Radio 4 has an anual competition where contestants are invited to submit a story in 50 words or less, the winner to be announced at a certain date and to recieve a small prize etc. The rules are simple in that the story must (obviously) be in 50 words or less, hyphonated words being taken as two, and the story must follow the Aristotelian(?) requirement of having a beginning, middle and an end. I'm not clever enough to be able to do this, but below is an example of the kind of thing that is submitted.
"Hello Son" he said. "You've had a difficult time"
"Yes Father", the man replied, "But I'm OK".
"Was it very bad" the father asked
The Son paused. "It wasn't the nails, it was the kiss that hurt".
OK Guy's. Let's see what you can do!
The Fifty Word Story
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peter
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The Fifty Word Story
President of Peace? You fucking idiots!
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
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Linna Heartbooger
- Are you not a sine qua non for a redemption?
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Alright, but you mustn't say I'm old-fashioned. Here's mine:
The prince rides in to the foreign village, seeking treasure.
All doors are closed to him.
Three princesses, disguised in rags, eye him from their dormer window.
One dreams. One schemes.
A servant girl appears to offer him water for the horse.
She will ride back to his country.
Do you have a link where I could enter this?
It sounds like you think this is really cool, but you say you can't do it... Pffft! C'mon, try something! (I bet you even have something you want to try!)
The prince rides in to the foreign village, seeking treasure.
All doors are closed to him.
Three princesses, disguised in rags, eye him from their dormer window.
One dreams. One schemes.
A servant girl appears to offer him water for the horse.
She will ride back to his country.
Do you have a link where I could enter this?
It sounds like you think this is really cool, but you say you can't do it... Pffft! C'mon, try something! (I bet you even have something you want to try!)
"People without hope not only don't write novels, but what is more to the point, they don't read them.
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor
"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor
"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
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peter
- The Gap Into Spam
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That's lovely Lina Heartlistener. I'm a sucker for am old fashioned love story, so that does it for me!
I'm sure the radio station that does the competition does have at least an e-mail adress for entries so I will see if I can find out something about it for you.
As to my own efforts - well, I believe I did once come up with a story but it has long since slipped my mind. However.......Yes, as I started the thread it is certainly right that I should 'nail my colors to the mast' and submit a composition. I'll work on it over the next day or two and see what I can come up with. As they say in the modern parlance 'Watch this space!'
I'm sure the radio station that does the competition does have at least an e-mail adress for entries so I will see if I can find out something about it for you.
As to my own efforts - well, I believe I did once come up with a story but it has long since slipped my mind. However.......Yes, as I started the thread it is certainly right that I should 'nail my colors to the mast' and submit a composition. I'll work on it over the next day or two and see what I can come up with. As they say in the modern parlance 'Watch this space!'
President of Peace? You fucking idiots!
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
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I'm Murrin
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Linna Heartbooger
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Nice, lookin' forward to it! (a story and/or a thread-bump.) 
We could try having a thread where each person to post chooses a theme / element / object to occur in the next person's story. Or maybe the first sentence. (Maybe that would be for another thread, though.)
Heyyyy... has the Watch ever done a "collaborative story" where each person writes the next paragraph??? P'raps not the thing for the Hall of Gifts, though.
We could try having a thread where each person to post chooses a theme / element / object to occur in the next person's story. Or maybe the first sentence. (Maybe that would be for another thread, though.)
Heyyyy... has the Watch ever done a "collaborative story" where each person writes the next paragraph??? P'raps not the thing for the Hall of Gifts, though.
"People without hope not only don't write novels, but what is more to the point, they don't read them.
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor
"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor
"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
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aliantha
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I seem to recall something along the lines of a collaborative story. Might have been in Mallory's... 
Let me think on this.
Let me think on this.
EZ Board Survivor
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https://www.hearth-myth.com/
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I'm Murrin
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Worm of Despite
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Linna Heartbooger
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NICE ONE, LF. Thanks for finding & bumping the thread, Murrin!
"People without hope not only don't write novels, but what is more to the point, they don't read them.
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor
"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor
"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
A man swore at me and I continued walking. Some girls laughed at me and I kept my head down. People sneered and jeered as I went past, and I was undeterred. A young boy offered a smile of friendship. I turned and walked away. The smile hurt the worst.
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