The 750 Word Project 2021

[DarkWhispers2U]

So, who's going to give the 750 Word Project a try this year?

Discussions from last year made it seem that the shorter pieces are voted more harshly. My good friend who used to write on Lit says they wouldn't touch this challenge with a ten-foot pole and thinks I'm crazy for considering it again. I don't know. It was still fun.

What do you guys think?

 

[Rustyoznail]

I'm not that disciplined.

 

[YDB95]

I'm game. Last time didn't come nearly as easily as the time before, but that doesn't really mean anything.

 

[SamScribble]

Count me in.

Most of the readers seem to hate 750-word stories. But what do they know?

 

[KeithD]

It's not experience I haven't had and the Web site readers here don't "get it," so I won't bother.

 

[NotWise]

Count me in.

Most of the readers seem to hate 750-word stories. But what do they know?

They know what they want to read.

 

[SamScribble]

They know what they want to read.

Never mind the quality, feel the width

 

[Kumquatqueen]

It was a fun exercise; would try again.
It was also my introduction to the more incel-inclined commentariat...

 

[Hypoxia]

"All the girls walk by, dressed up for each other"
-V.Morrison

This sort of contest aims to amuse authors, not readers. The audience does not care for isolated vignettes. If one must go so minimal, stack some together. A few short-shorts in a mini-anthology can work, preferably with a framing device. I've done that a couple times, with fair reader appreciation.

 

[AlinaX]

Always a fun challenge. Why shouldn't we have fun as authors?

 

[Omenainen]

I wasn't around last year, but this year I might try. I've been amusing myself by writing in different categories, and that would be a handy way to get rid of some category I don't really have anything for. Maybe it won't be fun, but at least it'll be over quickly, and I can just close my eyes and think of the country

 

[Handley_Page]

So, who's going to give the 750 Word Project a try this year?

Discussions from last year made it seem that the shorter pieces are voted more harshly. My good friend who used to write on Lit says they wouldn't touch this challenge with a ten-foot pole and thinks I'm crazy for considering it again. I don't know. It was still fun.

What do you guys think?

If you'll remind me when it is, I'll try and give it a shot

 

[DarkWhispers2U]

If you'll remind me when it is, I'll try and give it a shot

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-750-word-project-2021

 

[QuillPig]

I have a loose trilogy I'd outlined for last year. (They're very short outlines.)

I lost my enthusiasm to write them after a fourth story, which I did submit, met with an overwhelming "meh."

That story, plus another 750-worder from the previous year, are my two lowest-rated stories by a wide margin.

It's possible I'm just not very good at writing short, but I saw similar reactions on a lot of the other stories in the event.

Lit readers, on the whole, don't seem to like 750-word stories.

There was also some weird hostility from one or more Anons who seemed offended by the very existence of the event. A lot of multiple-1-bombing, I suspect. I don't know the history, but I got the impression this was backflow from the Loving Wives sewer, possibly part of some ongoing conflict between different factions of readers and/or authors.

After last year, I'd decided not to write any more of these.

On the other hand, the notes for that unfinished trilogy are still sitting in my unfinished stories folder.

I don't think I can expand them into anything much longer. They could maybe be 1000- or 1500-word stories, but I don't know that those would go over any better.

Also, I'm in the midst of a bad case of editor's block, totally stalled on reworking a first draft I finished in early December.

Taking a break to write three 750-word stories could be a helpful diversion.

So, maybe.

 

[SimonDoom]

I enjoyed doing it last year, but there's no question that the readership here downvotes stories that short by a lot. I published three such stories last year and they are three of my lowest-rated stories. I also think that while it's an interesting challenge to write a story of 750 words, it's too short to be truly satisfying artistically. So I will pass.

 

[KeithD]

It takes as much effort to write a good, complete 750-word story as a 5,000-word story, and a biases toward wordiness is evident at Literotica not just in the readers but in the board posts as well. I think it's a good exercise for those who haven't already done it before, and encourage doing it for development. I enter mainstream contests with 1,000-word limits, so it's not a new exercise for me. I just don't see the reward of casting gems before swine given the Literotica demonstrated biases in the readership and on the board for wordiness.

 

[SimonDoom]

It takes as much effort to write a good, complete 750-word story as a 5,000-word story, and a biases toward wordiness is evident at Literotica not just in the readers but in the board posts as well. I think it's a good exercise for those who haven't already done it before, and encourage doing it for development. I enter mainstream contests with 1,000-word limits, so it's not a new exercise for me. I just don't see the reward of casting gems before swine given the Literotica demonstrated biases in the readership and on the board for wordiness.

All of this is true, but I still think 750 words is too short for a truly satisfying short story. It's a great artistic exercise for practicing economy with one's words. You're right about Lit and wordiness, but in the world "out there" great short stories usually are well over 750 words. O Henry stories, for example, tend to be around 2500 words or so. So about 2/3 of a Literotica page, but over 3 times the 750 word story limit.

And even though I don't pay too much attention to the scores, it is somewhat deflating that readers routinely downvote stories entered for this event despite the fact that the authors have no choice but to keep them that short.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

I'm torn. I enjoyed it as an exercise and found it a useful tool for coming up with fresh ideas, but, as others have mentioned, the stories are not high scorers with the reading public. Almost all my stories score pretty highly, but the three contributions I made last year to the 750 Word Project all got much lower scores. I know you're not supposed to obsess over scores, but I like having the red 'H' after my stories titles.

 

[KeithD]

All of this is true, but I still think 750 words is too short for a truly satisfying short story.

I think that's your prejudice. I think creativity in fiction has no such prior limits. If O Henry were given a 750-word limit as a requirement for a story, you can bet your bippy that he could--and would--have writen a killer 750-word story.

 

[KeithD]

I'm torn. I enjoyed it as an exercise and found it a useful tool for coming up with fresh ideas, but, as others have mentioned, the stories are not high scorers with the reading public. Almost all my stories score pretty highly, but the three contributions I made last year to the 750 Word Project all got much lower scores. I know you're not supposed to obsess over scores, but I like having the red 'H' after my stories titles.

Here at Literotica especially. I submitted multiple 750-word stories here and at other Web sites in the last running. Those at other Web sites didn't comment that they were too short and they all rated much higher there. Here, there's been a longstanding general discussion point pushed that longer is better just because it's longer. Take a look at the various discussions on the best way to win a contest here. Three Lit pages or more always comes up, the longer the better (I've been in on two wins, incidentally--with very long entries)--when most mainstream contest upper limits don't even make it to the end of one Lit. page. It's just a "Lit. thing," pushed by readers and writers alike. Fine, knowing that's the lay of the land, but it needs to be taken into account when you choose to post here.

 

[yukonnights]

Bottom line is; These 750 word 'non-stories' are not popular with the intended audience. Thus, why expend the effort — especially in an organized event? I would much rather spend my time on something that is appreciated. If I want to play with words as a self-challenge, I can do that and keep them in a file. But that's just my take and not intended to discourage or criticize anyone who wants to participate.

 

[yowser]

Seems to me the major issue should just be whether you like these sorts of challenges or not.

I have no illusions of ever winning a contest, and while like everyone else, I prefer happy readers, I also like an excuse to try something different. The severe limitation on word-count provides enormous difficulties, and yes, it almost precludes a 'satisfying' story as a result.

'Almost' but not quite.

I enjoy sampling these, which after all take five minutes apiece to read, to see what someone can do with both legs tied and one handcuff on. The results are sometimes striking.

 

[PennameWombat]

If a killer idea or two pops into my head, I might do it. Might. But only if it's truly a 750 word idea only and not a good basis for a longer work.

Did two last year and to echo others, not popular, although a comment on one of them indicated that reader understood what I was aiming for. I'll also admit as an author's exercise a 750 word story is a good workout for a writer's workshop. But for readers here seemingly not so much.

So to repeat, if something compelling pops into my head it'll be, as they say, a game-time decision.

 

[Hypoxia]

Ogg stacks five 150-word mini-stories to make one 750-word entry. I've stacked several brief episodes into a multi-browser-page entry, framed as folks around a campfire or bar swapping their tales, with some popular success.

Exploit a common theme -- ghostly encounters, or 3-some incest, or holiday hijinks, whatever. At a confab, a few hypnotists report on hot behaviors they've triggered. A cheap hotel room's bed, mirror, and toilet tell of pervy stuff they've witnessed from their viewpoints. A radio call-in show's audience tells their own pervo tales. Each episode can be limited to 750 words for the challenge, but together they add up.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

My experience must be an anomaly. Two of my three had red H's and were over 4.7 when I turned off voting. The other was in LW, and got the kind of reception you'd expect. But was still closer to 4 than 3 when I turned off voting.

Eta this bit: I turned off voting several months after the event ended, so it's not like I bailed out at their high points.

I also had a ton of fun writing them, and reading many of the others.


I don't know if I'll submit one this year, (my muse has kind of been on hiatus for about six months); but if I don't it won't be due to frustration with the readers' responses last time.