Fortnightly Writing Competition - Suddenly: Reality (RESULTS)

[WHAM]

I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end... I just couldn't get a story out this fortnight!
Love the theme, but I am suffering of a small writers block and had to scrap three separate story ideas for this theme before giving up.

[Sinitrena]

All right, it's not the end of the day yet, but I doubt there'll be more entries.
We've got the following participants:

Ponch The Interrogation
Baron Hospitality
MiteWiseacreLives! My Pearls Before Swine
LostTrainDude A Sip of Limbo Juice


As before, we'll do the voting in categories:

Character: You find one or several characters really believable/captivating/magnetic/unique, etc.
Plot: The story arc was well-organized, coherent, and well-executed with appropriate pacing
Atmosphere: This is all about feeling: did the story evoke strong feelings due to excitement/humour/intrigue/wonder/emotional intensity?
Background World: The best setting or milieu for a story; a place brought to life.
Word Choice/Style: The technical art of combining words in clever or gripping ways
Topic: How faithful or creative a story takes on the given topic

You can vote up to three people per category. Every vote counts as one point. Whoever recives most points, wins.
Voting is open untill the 10th.

Thank you all for your entries.

[Baron]

Character: MiteWiseacreLives! (Joseph de Vache), Ponch (Detective Puddles)
Plot: MiteWiseacreLives! -for me it had the whole arc, with the character's past flaws leading him unswervingly towards a tragic future.
Atmosphere: LostTrainDude -that was a pretty intense, crazy vibe I got from your piece
Background World: LostTrainDude (crazy limbo), Ponch (tough gangland precinct)
Word Choice/Style: Ponch (authentic dialogs), LostTrainDude (punching rain, tax collector analogy... )
Topic: Ponch -the fact that Tony suddenly realizes the true nature of the detective suits the theme perfectly.  I didn't get that OH! revelation from the characters themselves in the other pieces.

Overall, pretty good writing this time out.  Good work guys,

BvB

[MiteWiseacreLives!]

Character: Baron -I felt that Tophat was a great character, loaded with personality.
Plot: Ponch -Not widly twisted, but cleverly carried us along to big reveal in the finale.
Atmosphere: LostTrainDude -Definitely the most intense set-up, great use of some very visual wording! Did you coin, 'serial killer scarecrows and lonely street wolves'? or am I way behind on my pop culture?
Background World: Baron -I have often wondered how the rules of Monopoly would apply to an actual marketplace. The Mediterranean, the chance card and the price list nicely executed!
Word Choice/Style: Baron -I really enjoyed this one, the dialogue protrayed vivid characters and all the crafty references laced into the plot.
Topic: Ponch -Hit the challenge on the button, had me wondering what the heck? while the characters were in total acceptance.

Thanks for inviting me along to my first Writing Competition
I'm an amateur amongst seasoned writers here! Fun reads

[LostTrainDude]

Character: Baron - I really liked Top Hat and I really laughed when he specified "She's a thimble!". He really took her defense as a real gentleman should!
Plot: MiteWiseacreLives - I've found the whole story to be interestingly arranged.
Atmosphere: Ponch - I think that I could actually see the interrogation room before my eyes.
Background World: Baron - Geez, that Old Boot felon lived in the most hateful place!
Word Choice/Style: MiteWiseacreLives - We have really nice insults here It reminded me of some lines from this Monty Python's sketch
Topic: MiteWiseacreLives - That pile of dung was ACTUALLY dung and I really didn't expect it!

Atmosphere: LostTrainDude -Definitely the most intense set-up, great use of some very visual wording! Did you coin, 'serial killer scarecrows and lonely street wolves'? or am I way behind on my pop culture?

I think I'm beginning to be used to write these kind of analogies, that I think I'm "unconsciously" inheriting from songwriters such as Tom Waits Glad to see that they work! Thanks!

Congratulations everybody!

[Ponch]

Character: Ponch (What? I can't vote for myself! Puddles is adorable! )
Plot: MiteWiseacreLives
Atmosphere: LostTrainDude
Background World: LostTrainDude
Word Choice/Style: Baron
Topic: Baron (I love Monopoly!)

[Sinitrena]

All right, voting is over and we have a tie: Baron and Ponch both recieved 7 points which means I get to decide, right? And I must say, even though I have to agree with Ponch Puddles is adorable, I prefer Baron's very funny and unique take on Monopoly, so the winners are:

1. place Baron (7 points +1)
Loved it from the very beginning. I honestly can't think of any critisism for this story.

2. place Ponch (7 points)
An adorable character and a really confused criminal. Good take on the topic. I felt it could have been a bit longer, a more detailed description of the criminal's reaction, other than that, wonderful.

3. place shared by LostTrainDude and MiteWiseacreLives! (6 points each)
MiteWiseacreLives: I was not sure where this story was going, which is a good thing. It kept me gueassing till the end.
LostTrainDude: Your story is probably the closest to what I had in mind with this topic with its slightly surreal feel - well worth the wait.


That was a close competitions with four great entries. Thank you all.

Baron, you know the drill: Start the next round!

[Ponch]

Congrats to all the winners (which were all of us).

[Baron]

Congrats to all the winners (which were all of us).

It's true.  I mean, despite self-votes and all ( ), we all came within a whisker of each other.  I will consider myself first-among-equals for the past round: good work everyone!  Give me a day or so to think up an interesting theme.

[LostTrainDude]

Congrats everybody!
See you on the next round