User blog:Mended Mooncalf/Battle of the Stories Round Two: Results

Round Two
Hello!

The Battle of the Stories is a competitive event originally hosted by MelonVandal, where each contestant writes a story responding to a chosen theme. At the end of each round, one contestant is-- respectfully-- eliminated from the competition until there is only one contestant and winner of the Battle.

As of September 20th, 2019, the second round of the Battle of the Stories has concluded. The theme was "Dreams."

The participants who successfully turned in completed stories were: Youngcoldnew17 and Platypusrocks have not submitted stories. If you are either of them and still wish to participate please let me know within a day so I can add you back to the contestants list or you will be officially disqualified.
 * 1) Wildwinds
 * 2) Kat2wind2archer
 * 3) Abbykurle
 * 4) Enddayss

Stories
You all have written wonderful stories this round! Each are quite interesting and I recommend you find time to read them, as they are all worth your while.

Plot spoilers follow!

Wildwinds' entry, Not Just A Dream, is an interesting deviation from what you might expect, especially the ending. It follows Ellen Coldwell, a fox whose dreams become reality. Perhaps I'm just dense but at first I assumed the last part of the story meant that Ellen was trapped in some neverending Groundhog Day loop of the same string of dreams over and over. I'm still not sure if this is the case or the intended meaning but I'm certainly going to choose to believe it is, because it adds an extra, mildly disturbing layer to the plotline, though it was never explained why. Overall an interesting read.

Kat2wind2archer's entry, Lying Bushes (And Jumping Foxes), features a fox named Happy in a nightmare about someone, a nagging guilt, an invitation. Similar to Kat's other works I too felt a nagging feeling of disgust and discomfort at the descriptions of Happy's rapidly breaking, deteriorating body. It sounds unpleasant but it's really a feeling that draws you in. The ability to imagine and be comfortable with writing worlds and words like Kat's, that unshakable sense of uncanny, uncomfortable haunting that draws you in so quickly is a powerful one. Once you start you can't look away. Very fascinating, and it raises questions that I don't know how to phrase or attempt to answer for myself.

Abbykurle's entry, The Farther You Go, concerns an arctic fox named Silver who, in quite the fateful accident, discovers the Dream Pearl at his team's excavation site, an ancient artifact that can take and store the energy of others' dreams within, a power that is exerted into allowing Silver to transform into a more powerful dragon form as well as manipulate dreams. I enjoyed the theme of power getting to the protagonist's head. After seeing what the Pearl can do for himself and the one he loves, he refuses to give it up, and there is not a shred of doubt in his mind that he is righteously powerful, and that this is the path, this is the best way of life for him. I also found the moral quite moving. though i'm always hoping for a protagonist-killing tragedy but that would probably have undermined the message Despite the strict deadline, this story was very enjoyable and didn't feel that rushed at all!

Enddayss' entry, Lucid Dreaming, is the tragedy I've always complained for. A gardener in a destroyed garden, pining for their lost love, a heartstomping toccata of three brief movements that starts and ends so quickly but leaves me winded. The concept of a plant that captures the voice of someone else, like nature's proto-technology voice recorder, is a very interesting and effective one. The pleasant, soothing description of a fleeting dream in the beginning contrasting with the story's bleak mourning of someone the protagonist loves so dearly but cannot reach is also very, very effective in setting the mood. A bliss that cannot be reached. A dream that cannot be realized. Likewise the ability to convey such a powerful set of emotions in such a brief period is a powerful one. Very good story. gay rights

Results
All of you have produced wonderful stories. Please do not take it to heart if you are disqualified, and know that regardless your story was well written. This is not intended to be an insult or a questioning of your abilities as a writer. Keep writing, because there's always room for improvement!

Three contestants will be moving on to Round Four today. These contestants are: Congratulations to everyone involved! The next round, Round Four, will be beginning shortly.
 * 1) Kat2wind2archer
 * 2) Abbykurle
 * 3) Enddayss

If you have any questions, please contact me on my message wall.

Mended Mooncalf