[Writing Contest] - THE ARENA

GalwayGuy2

I think we can concude that Acchilles is the winner

Achillles

Sorry for the delayed response, I was very busy with work over the weekend. Many thanks for your thanks people, and also thanks to Galwayguy2 for letting me challenge!
Cheers dk for the praise, always nice to have my writing vindicated every once in a while!
It now presents an awkward conundrum, do I stay on as champion, does dk reclaim the throne she so courteously abdicated? Or do we square off head to head in a grisly death match?

alfa beta

i like the grisly death match option....

Das Kitty

It's yours, Achilles!

Not saying I won't come and take it back at some point, but you can hang onto it for now. :P

GalwayGuy2

I'm finish a short story tonight.

So, if anybodies up for a battle, I'm game

Achillles

I'm going to have to reluctantly decline. While I'd love to take procrastination of study to a pathetic level, I really should be directing my writing towards the history of early Europe for exams next week. grrrr

GalwayGuy2

Ah well. We can do it another time.

Carra23

I've followed the thread intermittently and there's some cool stories. Just wondering how it works though ? Is there a topic or does each writer choose to write about what they wish ?

hcass

Carra23 wrote: »

I've followed the thread intermittently and there's some cool stories. Just wondering how it works though ? Is there a topic or does each writer choose to write about what they wish ?

The challenger gets to pick a topic.

Das Kitty

Full rules in post 1

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=72442933&postcount=1

Carra23

Ok I've read the rules so as long as there isn't a challenge pending I will throw myself in there. The topic I propose is 'Boards'.

Cheers,

Carra23

GalwayGuy2

Ok, I'll take up that challenge :P If that's okay with everybody?

I'm thinking of a mixture of the supernatural/sci-fi (orphan black is making me seriously interested in the idea of Urban Sci-Fi) and a few familiar faces in boards. :P

EDIT: ACtually, I'll retract that. That could be potentially insulting.

Carra23

Ok that's great. So 24 hrs from now then ?

And just to be sure the word count is 600 ? Is there wriggle room within reason ?

GalwayGuy2

Actually, I retracted it :P

Carra23

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Actually, I retracted it :P

You're kidding, I'm nearly finished now ! I thought you were retracting the part about what your story would be based on, not the acceptance of a challenge.

No problem. Hopefully someone else jumps in !

GalwayGuy2

Ah fair enough. I'll give it a shot :P

GalwayGuy2

ACtually, to be perfectly honest, I won't be able to do it.

Das Kitty

I'll do it Carra.

You're pretty much guaranteed the win. :pac:

Das Kitty

Nearly there, will post in the next hour. Hope you're still on for it.

Carra23

Das Kitty wrote: »

Nearly there, will post in the next hour. Hope you're still on for it.

I am and I would be finished by now but I can't open the word doc I started the story in. Started in work today and emailed the story to myself. Everytime I try open it, it opens in the trial version of word on my laptop which I haven't purchased, I use 2003 which I downloaded.

Anyone any suggestions ?

Das Kitty

Carra23 wrote: »

I am and I would be finished by now but I can't open the word doc I started the story in. Started in work today and emailed the story to myself. Everytime I try open it, it opens in the trial version of word on my laptop which I haven't purchased, I use 2003 which I downloaded.

Anyone any suggestions ?

could you try to open it in google docs, if you have a gmail address.

Otherwise you can send it to me and I'll send it back to you in a text file. I don't mind. I've mine done anyway.

Das Kitty

We’ll tread the boards, she said. Be fun, she said. Well feck ya anyway, Emer. We were supposed to do this together, so how is it I’m the one standing here, waiting to go on, looking like a prize pig in this rig-out? I’m supposed to be a farm girl, but I look more like one half of the twins from The Shining.

Fine, fine, Emer. Yeah, you got the job in Bristol. Opportunity of a lifetime, blah blah blah. You couldn’t have waited a month though, no? Why’d you have to leave me when you knew Mary was your understudy? Don’t you think I have enough to deal with, remembering my own lines, without having to sneakily prompt her too?

The worst thing though, is that I didn’t get to give you a proper send off, because I was stuck here rehearsing this rubbish. It’s probably the worst play this stage will ever see, but that was part of the craic when you were around. The others wouldn’t know craic if it bit them in the bum.

Okay, I admit it, you cow, I miss you. The least you could have done was take me with you. Fiancé sch-miancé, he’d have gotten over it. Eventually. A bit of long-distance could do me and him the world of good. Me and you, though, I’m still not convinced.

It’s only Bristol, you said. I’ll be over and back the whole time. But the difference between two doors up, and between here and Bristol is nearly too much for my heart to contemplate. You’d have given me a clatter across the arm for that nugget of self-pity if you were here.

Mary’s out there chewing the scenery, and she’s nearly at my part. Five nights of this shite, god help me. God help the audience. Anyway, here goes. Tell me to break a leg, and I’ll tell you to break a face. Love you, you wagon.

xx Me

Carra23

Das Kitty wrote: »

could you try to open it in google docs, if you have a gmail address.

Otherwise you can send it to me and I'll send it back to you in a text file. I don't mind. I've mine done anyway.

I use Yahoo. I will finish it 1st thing in the morning and post it straight away. I see you've posted yours, I didn't read it though, gona wait till I get mine up !

Carra23

I managed to get it in the end. Seemed better when I was working on it in work today but it's my first rumble in the arena!


The factory was always cold and dark in the mornings when Mick O’Brien arrived to open up. ‘There we are now’ he’d mutter to himself as he lifted the shutter up over the door. At 67, he’d surely be ushered out soon enough but nevertheless; he continued to carry out his duties just like he did the day he started as a 13 year old messenger boy. He followed the same routine each morning, turn off the alarm and turn on the lights, start up the machines and most importantly boil up the kettle for the other lads who started an hour after Mick.
Mick, being in the machine shop, was expected to have wood prepared for assembly by the time the rest of the crew arrived in. He’d look at what was planned for the day, calibrate his machines and choose the most suitable boards for each specific job. He as a stickler for health and safety always wore his ear muffs and goggles. He was a model employee, jolly and hard working.
This one day however, he arrived home for his tea at quarter to six on the button as usual, and his wife Nora could sense he wasn’t himself.
‘What’s up with ye Mick?’ she enquired lovingly.
‘Ah nothing, nothing’s up’ he replied solemnly.
‘Come on now Mick, I’ve been with ye long enough to know and besides ye haven’t touched your tea’ pressed Nora ‘Did someone say something to ye at work today?’
‘No love, no one has said a word to me. I’m fine’ said Mick meekly.
‘You are not fine Michael’ his wife said sternly.
‘Ara ye know what I was thinking today Nora’ said Mick. ‘Over the years, I’ve probably pushed enough boards of oak through my planer to make a thousand trees and ye know I’ve never actually seen an oak tree. Would ye believe that?’ asked Michael. ‘I’d love to know if it’s as tough and strong alive as it is when I see it in the factory. We’ll go for a drive at the weekend love, somewhere nice down the country and see some nice oak, I here there’s a lovely oak forest in Kerry’
‘If that’s what ye want Mick I’m with you’ said Nora, ever the devoted wife.

The next day when Mick arrived at work he knew the pressure was on as the boss, Charlie, was in already with the factory open and up and running. ‘Come on Mick, we’re under pressure to get an order out early today so can you jump on the planer straight away and get going’ said Charlie in a bluster.
‘No bother Charlie, just hang on till I get me goggles n muffs on’ said Mick as he looked around for his gear.
‘Don’t mind that Mick for now, we’re in a real hurry today’ insisted Charlie.

Mick hesitantly started work as instructed. The first few boards ran through smooth with no problem but soon enough the machine churned out an unfamiliar sound that had the hairs stand on Mick’s neck. As he pushed a board over the planer he heard a loud snap and in an instant the board shot from his hand, the planer blade had come loose and hurtled towards Mick at a ferocious pace. There was nothing he could do.
As he lay in the hospital bed, thoughts raced through his mind. He feared the worst. Mick heard the doctor approach but wished he couldn’t hear him at all.
‘Michael I’m sorry but we’ve bad news for you’ said the doctor solemnly.
‘Don’t bother’ said Mick. ‘I know what you’re gona say. But sure isn’t that sods law for ye. If only this could have happened next week I’d have got to see those bloody oak trees’

Carra23

Like the story Das Kitty. It shows the beauty of our imagination, one word generates two completely different stories. I think I wriggled a little but past the wriggle room re word count. It was 630 in the end, sorry about that but it's harder to get done than I first thought it would be.

Carra23

I think I broke the thread, lol !

psydereyes

Hey Carra,

Was just browsing the forums and I came upon your post/story.

Just thought I'd let you know I enjoyed reading it

Thread not broken.

Keep it up!

Achillles

You up for a challenge this week Das Kitty?

Das Kitty

Achillles wrote: »

You up for a challenge this week Das Kitty?

Yeah. Go on. Shout a topic there.

Achillles

Righteo. Topic is: Fever