Carl Klutzke ([info]sirvalence) wrote,
@ 2006-01-13 05:14:00
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Entry tags:100stories

100 Stories #3: The Giving Contest
A day early, but this one was easy. I wrote a similar story long ago that didn't quite work, so all I really did this morning was edit from memory. It came out to 94 words on first draft.

"I challenge you to a giving contest," said the cobbler, "Loser pays one thousand gold pieces."

"Accepted," the dragon replied.

The cobbler gave the dragon some old boots, scrap leather, and rusty tools. "That's all I have," he said.

The dragon gave the cobbler a pile of gold, a pile of silver, a pile of jewels, and the Princess Hortensia. "That's all I have," he said.

"I should have known better than to challenge a dragon," the cobbler said, counting out one thousand pieces from the pile of gold.

"Darn right," the dragon replied.


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[info]krikketgirl
2006-01-13 12:36 pm UTC (link)
This was my first laugh of the morning! I love it.

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[info]sirvalence
2006-01-13 01:33 pm UTC (link)
Thanks!

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[info]bushi7
2006-01-13 12:44 pm UTC (link)
It's wonderful.

Okay, maybe I really _didn't_ get the story first time around. This isn't at all what I remember about it.

I like this one better.

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[info]sirvalence
2006-01-13 01:35 pm UTC (link)
I think the rules of the challenge didn't really make sense in the original story. Maybe I'll go back and revise it: I still think it was a cute story, quite different in tone from this, and this was really the part that just didn't work.

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[info]textdeviant
2006-01-13 02:50 pm UTC (link)
I was thinking of taking up the 100 stories of 100 words challenge myself, but I doubt I could even come close to what you've done so far. Instead, I will happily offer my editing-and-formatting services should you decide to submit for publication when you're done.

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[info]sirvalence
2006-01-13 03:36 pm UTC (link)
I'll admit, I'm pretty pleased with these first three, but, um, part of the point of writing 100 stories was to create a forum in which it's okay to write stuff that's not very good. I fully expect at least half of the stories to be pretty lame. But it doesn't really matter: the main point is that I'll have gotten past the paralyzing fear that I _might_ write something lame (because I will have _guaranteed_ it!).

So do it anyway! It will be a triumph of quantity over quality, and if Sturgeon's Law holds, you'll have 10 good stories when you're done. I _am_ looking forward to that.

And thank you for the offer.

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[info]kestrels_nest
2006-01-13 05:00 pm UTC (link)
Oh, that's hilarious! Very nicely done. I can just see that smug draconic smile.

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[info]sirvalence
2006-01-13 08:33 pm UTC (link)
Thanks!

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Good one!
[info]yekrats
2006-01-13 07:18 pm UTC (link)
Now, dats funny!

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Re: Good one!
[info]sirvalence
2006-01-13 08:51 pm UTC (link)
Glad you liked it!

I expect before too long I'll have to start doing StoryCard readings for new story ideas. It's almost an additional challenge to myself to see how long I can hold out without doing that.

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