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Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

J.A.B.C. posted:

Maugrim the Postwelder! Count my bloody pen IN and bring forth a prompt so that I may slay it!

Yes you're right I weld posts all the time, I weld them like nobody's business

I craft them from the flayed skins of people who can't spell simple words like "wield", and then weld them together with their hot, hot tears

Your prompt is this:
The Angel And The Reaper

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ZeBourgeoisie
Aug 8, 2013

THUNDERDOME
LOSER
Bah! Generate me a prompt!

And just to make up for last time's embarrassment :toxx:

Lily Catts
Oct 17, 2012

Show me the way to you
(Heavy Metal)
In with My Bloodshed Drowns Him.

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

ZeBourgeoisie posted:

Bah! Generate me a prompt!

And just to make up for last time's embarrassment :toxx:

Acolyte Of The Parasites

Verus
Jun 3, 2011

AUT INVENIAM VIAM AUT FACIAM
in

obviously as a first time entrant I have to roll the dice, so generate me that goddamned prompt

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

Verus posted:

in

obviously as a first time entrant I have to roll the dice, so generate me that goddamned prompt

Welcome to Thunderdome, brave soul.

Show me:
Xanthic Leviathan Of Battles

Verus
Jun 3, 2011

AUT INVENIAM VIAM AUT FACIAM
but I don't want to write about Piers Anthony's sex fantasies

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face
Then use the dictionary definition of Xanthic which is "yellowish" you illiterate nematode

DreamingofRoses
Jun 27, 2013
Nap Ghost
I'm IN, with a :toxx: contingent on making an actually interesting story.

Also: asking for a prompt and flash rule.

JcDent
May 13, 2013

Give me a rifle, one round, and point me at Berlin!
I'm in, for the shame of missing a Thunderdome deadline can only be washed away by either blood or pig poo poo.

ED: Oh and a prompt, please!

Idle Amalgam
Mar 7, 2008

said I'm never lackin'
always pistol packin'
with them automatics
we gon' send 'em to Heaven
I want to sign up for 'The Pestilence That Enthralls'

Sitting Here
Dec 31, 2007

Maugrim posted:

Then use the dictionary definition of Xanthic which is "yellowish" you illiterate nematode

:swoon: :allears: :swoon:

Flesnolk
Apr 11, 2012
Someone I know keeps going "try Thunderdome!" so here I am, trying Thunderdome. Generate a prompt, please.

Screaming Idiot
Nov 26, 2007

JUST POSTING WHILE JERKIN' MY GHERKIN SITTIN' IN A PERKINS!

BEATS SELLING MERKINS.
Aw, thanks for the crits, guys! I wish I could get some spare time so I could return the favor. In the meantime, however...

HERE'S NATHAN EXPLOSION TO ANNOUNCE SCREAMING IDIOT'S ENTRY INTO THE THUNDERDOME!



"VOID VAMPIRES SCREAM INTO THE NIGHT

VOID VAMPIRES AVOID THE LIGHT

VOID VAMPIRES DRINKING EMPTY BLOODS

VOID VAMPIRES ECHO HOLLOW THUDS

VOID VAMPIRES' HOLLOW FIGHT!"

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

DreamingofRoses posted:

I'm IN, with a :toxx: contingent on making an actually interesting story.

Also: asking for a prompt and flash rule.

God's Venomous Bitter Dragonflame

Also what the gently caress is a contingent toxx. I'm counting this not a toxx until you stand up strong and bellow your unequivocal commitment to the skies.

vvvvvvvvv Okay, if true, that's actually a pretty bold toxx. Accepted.


JcDent posted:

I'm in, for the shame of missing a Thunderdome deadline can only be washed away by either blood or pig poo poo.

ED: Oh and a prompt, please!

Congratulations! You get the first prompt to use one of the "quirky" words I threw into the bot's lexicon for amusement value.

Coffee Disintegrates The Night


Flesnolk posted:

Someone I know keeps going "try Thunderdome!" so here I am, trying Thunderdome. Generate a prompt, please.

I salute your courage.

Your prompt is:
Killing The Necromancer

Maugrim fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Jan 13, 2015

Flesnolk
Apr 11, 2012

Maugrim posted:

God's Venomous Bitter Dragonflame

Also what the gently caress is a contingent toxx.

Maybe it means "ban me if the story sucks?"

Ironic Twist
Aug 3, 2008

I'm bokeh, you're bokeh
In with Desert Disintegrates The Forest.

Brenn i helvete, fittetryne.

DreamingofRoses
Jun 27, 2013
Nap Ghost

Flesnolk posted:

Maybe it means "ban me if the story sucks?"


Yup, that is exactly it

Grizzled Patriarch
Mar 27, 2014

These dentures won't stop me from tearing out jugulars in Thunderdome.



I like the cut of your jib. Give me a prompt you son of a bitch.

a new study bible!
Feb 2, 2009



BIG DICK NICK
A Philadelphia Legend
Fly Eagles Fly


In with King of the Whores.

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

Grizzled Patriarch posted:

I like the cut of your jib. Give me a prompt you son of a bitch.

I want to see you do something creative with this weirdness:
Its Enslavement Enslaves Them

Hammer Bro.
Jul 7, 2007

THUNDERDOME LOSER

's been too long. In with The Screaming of Goats.

The Horned Ones speak to me. (Gosh it feels good to hit submit.)

Bushido Brown
Mar 30, 2011

I'm in. Would you please generate a title for me?

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

Bushido Brown posted:

I'm in. Would you please generate a title for me?

What is this timid bullshit

Bushido Brown posted:

I'm in. Give me a loving prompt before I rip out your entrails and stuff them down your throat.

Much better.

The Imprisonment Of Odin

hotsoupdinner
Apr 12, 2007
eat up
I'm in and gonna lay down the law with the INSUFFERABLE COMMANDMENTS OF THE PAGAN SHRINE.

Fumblemouse
Mar 21, 2013


STANDARD
DEVIANT
Grimey Drawer
In - please generate a thingy for me because I need more chaos in my life.

sidebar: Foolishly I didn't hit send when I wrote this yesterday. I know you all couldn't wait another minute for it, so here it is anyway.

Quidnose posted:

INTERPROMPT:

200 words about a diagnosis gone wrong.
The Diagnosis

The diagnosis crept through the ragged grove of trees toward the school playing field. It spent a moment peering out through the low branches. There was a small boy on the field's outskirts, sprawled on the ground. A crowd of taller girls was slowly moving away, but still laughing and pointing where he had fallen.

"Psst," said the diagnosis, "Hey, boy, pssst."

The boy looked up, sniffed, and wiped a tear away on his snotty sleeve. "Wha..?"

"Wanna play a little game?" asked the diagnosis.

The boy looked around him nervously but the crowd of girls had moved away. He stood up, facing the diagnosis. "Yeah?"

"I bet you do," said the diagnosis. "But I bet you can't. I bet they won't let you. The bitches."

The boy frowned unhappily, then nodded twice.

"Then come over here, little boy, and let me show you something."

The boy came closer to the diagnosis, close enough to smell the vodka and the sweat. He gasped at what he saw. "But that must be about..."

"Actually," said the diagnosis, "it's about ethics in game journalism."

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

Your image has inspired the bot to produce:

Rampage Of The Crimson


Fumblemouse posted:

In - please generate a thingy for me because I need more chaos in my life.

Chaos you say? Here, have a borderline-nonsensical and potentially alarming prompt.

Last Brimstone Of The Tombs Of Blistering Procreation

painted bird
Oct 18, 2013

by Lowtax
I'm in. Generate me a prompt, because Muffin took the one I was gonna take.

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

chthonic bell posted:

I'm in. Generate me a prompt, because Muffin took the one I was gonna take.

Defiling The Dark Corpses

Your Sledgehammer
May 10, 2010

Don`t fall asleep, you gotta write for THUNDERDOME
In, :toxx:, prompt me up you wily bastard

Auraboks
Mar 24, 2013

...huh?
In. Prompt me.

sebmojo
Oct 23, 2010


Legit Cyberpunk









DreamingofRoses posted:

I'm IN, with a :toxx: contingent on making an actually interesting story.

Also: asking for a prompt and flash rule.

:siren: flash rule :siren: a florist's shop must play a key role

sebmojo fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Jan 13, 2015

crabrock
Aug 2, 2002

I

AM

MAGNIFICENT






:siren: New Archive Features :siren:

Judgemode: Sometimes people judging don't want to see the author, to eliminate their own perceived biases. To get rid of all author names in the week view and story view, enable Judgemode! Since this is a per-user feature, I'm assuming that the people who enable it are doing so for a specific purpose. The archive doesn't bother to hide the story from the author's profile, or any of the statistics/graphs. So if you want to judge anonymously, then stick to the week view and story view.

To Enable, go to your author profile (by clicking your name in the top left of the archive when logged in) and push the "Enable Judgemode" button. To disable, do the same but click "Disable Judgemode."

You don't have to be a judge that week to do this. Anybody can enable it whenever they want.

Anonymous Weeks: Every once in a while the prompt calls for anonymous submissions. This is a pain in the rear end, generally. But no longer. I've created an anonymous submission page where any user logged into the archive will be able to submit their story, and it'll be automatically added to the week, and will hide your name from everything (i.e. no way for a judge to find out who submitted) until results are in. Then I can disable anonymous mode and we don't have to bother everybody about who wrote what.

For now, you can preview the submission page at: http://writocracy.com/thunderdome/anonymous_submit.php

In the future this page will only be enabled when the week is anonymous, and only if you haven't submitted a story yet. For now it submits nothing.

Thank you for your time, you may now return to apologizing and using manners when signing up for a black metal prompt (???)

crabrock fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Jan 13, 2015

Anomalous Blowout
Feb 13, 2006

rock
ice
storm
abyss



It makes no attempt to sound human. It is atoms and stars.

*
Man I could loving kiss you if you weren't a smoker and also a crab and also a rock.

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

Your Sledgehammer posted:

In, :toxx:, prompt me up you wily bastard

Unmaking The Carnal Demons


Auraboks posted:

In. Prompt me.

Embers Of The Xenocidal Queen

Walamor
Dec 31, 2006

Fork 'em Devils!
Give me your most metal prompt before I battleaxe down your loving door and rip off your fingernails as a sacrifice to the Lord of Nails.

Maugrim
Feb 16, 2011

I eat your face

Walamor posted:

Give me your most metal prompt before I battleaxe down your loving door and rip off your fingernails as a sacrifice to the Lord of Nails.

I approve of this request. The Lord of Nails and I are good pals.

Your prompt is:
Screaming At Hecate

Edit: we now have 30 entrants and I'm getting pretty pissed off at the amount of reading I've landed myself with.

SO:

:siren: Flash Rule for all signups from here on :siren:
The word count is now 950, and will reduce by 10 after each signup.

Maugrim fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Jan 14, 2015

crabrock
Aug 2, 2002

I

AM

MAGNIFICENT






chthonic bell posted:

I'm in. Generate me a prompt, because Muffin took the one I was gonna take.

i swear to god if you fail again, i'll change your avatar myself.

http://writocracy.com/thunderdome/?author=chthonic%20bell

Sitting Here
Dec 31, 2007
:siren:Week 127 Crits:siren:

Keeping these short and to-the-point this week.


SadisTech


This is okay. It’s a funny story with decent imagery. But then, all war-fic seems to be either “war is hell” or “war is sometimes funny in a grim way.” This accomplished the latter well enough. I winced at the last line. I didn’t really see the point in couching the actual story inside family slice of life. It really didn’t add much.


December Octopodes


Oh. A Rosa Flores story. The first paragraph is really muddled. I’m not sure whether your narrator is inside the house or not, and plopping a line of unattributed dialog in the middle of all of it doesn’t help things. Also, your first line makes no sense. Choking on ash doesn’t have a smell. Smoke does. But choking is a feeling. The pacing is actually kind of okay, but the premise of this guy just charging into the camp is pretty ridiculous. At least he died at the end.


Screaming Idiot


This is actually okay, but I don’t think you handled the ‘writing about a writer’ thing too well. At least he wasn’t the protagonist. The whole bit at the end where he’s like “oh BTW i sold my novel and they want sequels” feels really disingenuous. I almost wish you’d used an entirely different subplot, because the fighting plot was decent.


Benny the Snake


Well, you already know I have a working theory about you, Benny. You’re some kind of social experiment. Maybe your gimmick is to fictionalize how-to manuals and encyclopedia articles. I can’t even fathom. Anyway, this one is decently written, though I feel like the ending has the poignance of an emotional freight train plummeting off the rails into hamfist canyon. No disrespect.


tenniseveryone


Why is a drinking contest deciding the captain? OH OKAY, it’s a truth serum drinking contest. Why is an impromptu truth serum drinking contest deciding who’s captain? It wasn’t really clear to me how or why Kip won, initially. His glass disappearing in a “shower of polygons” made me think he’d only faked drinking, but I guess not? Drinking more truth serum at the end was reeeeally stupid. Like everything about this plot, such as it is, is predicated on me, the reader, taking your word for it.


DreamingofRoses


Congrats, you stepped on a story landmine. I personally hate stories where the characters are animals all named Lion and Hyena and Dust Bunny and Dung Beetle or whatever. Your tone puts me in the mind of “How the Leopard Got its Spots” or whatever, but this isn’t an origin myth or a just-so story. Hmm lets see, the least trustworthy animal (the hyena in this case) goes and tricks all the other animals. The end. I don’t know man, the writing itself isn’t bad, it’s just the content of the story :(


Jitzu_the_Monk


Okay, unlike some of the stories I’ve read this week, you’ve really tried to make your chosen location important and apparent in your story. I think the tone is the problem. Because the narrator is relating all of this to us in a really casual voice, I felt very removed from the scenes and the city in general. You have description, but it’s all fairly utilitarian. the “short-statured” man from Hong Kong? You did much better with the Dutch guy. The “sex” scene was way too goony. And your courtesan talks/thinks suspiciously like a Goon. Basically, change up your voice, make your writing more immediate, use more specific and hard-working adjectives, and check yourself when you wander into goony territory.


hotsoupdinner


Not bad. I read this all in one go. Some stories it takes two or three tries to get through, but not this one. My main critique is the ending. It’s satisfying enough, but you built up the tension about the competition pretty well, so I wanted to know who won! Pretty strong piece though. Welcome to Thunderdome.


Jick Magger


This was decently written and depressiing. I can’t think of any major flaws in the story, but watch your tenses, man.


quote:


In years past, hunters would return to the village with what seemed like mountains of seal, but as the ice has receded farther north, so too has their prey.


Both instances of “has” in that paragraph should be “had”. Other than that, this was fairly decent.


Nubile Hillock


This was pretty cool and different. I’m used to your action-packed cyberpunk stories, so this was a cool change of pace. I liked the whole beginning. I was a little confused when you started mentioning she/her though, and it took me a bit to realize that this guy was thinking about his dead wife. That’s one trend of yours I’ve noticed, you’ll kind of throw in these details that are too much of a non sequitur for me to instantly understand what you mean. Still, I figured it out. I like how you wove the computer, the wife, and the steppe vacation together. I was a bit confused by the end of the story. I don’t think you mention that the bus stopped or anything, so when there was suddenly firelight and singing, I was confused. But the good qualities of the story shined through, and I thought this was an interesting offering from you this week.


PoshAlligator


So, a dude sabotages a sort of cyber Magic the Gathering contest to try and make big bucks off of physical cards? That’s...a bit silly, but it almost worked. You kind of held back for too long, I would’ve liked more hints that the protag was up to something. Like, all this dissembling to get your protagonist into the convention and down to the server control thing, and then he just does what he came there to do? Even when it seems like there’ll be an obstacle (everything being in Japanese), he just goes with it and it’s fine. Other than that, this was okay.


Guiness13


This isn’t really a story, bro. It’s a scene. It’s not a terribly done scene, exactly, but it’s pointless. Instead of feeling surprised or annoyed at the random dude with a knife at the end, I was just like, REALLY? I don’t know why this dude is running for the train, and so when he doesn’t make it, it’s like….okay?


Mercedes


TD Fanfic. Funny fanfic, fanfic that tickles my particular fancy. Works pretty well as a stand-alone piece, though I can’t be entirely objective about it. Needs more slashfic IMO. Way to pander to the ladies of the dome.


quidnose


I can’t think of much to say about this, other than it might have won in a weaker week. As it stands, I suspect the reason this HMed is because, while it’s very good, it was a little less action-packed than the other contenders for the win. Your characters were strong and the pathos was good. Well done!



Entenzahn


The biggest flaw for me in this piece was the relationship between David and Marisol, which is unfortunately a rather fundamental issue. Their relationship felt too contemptuous to me, no redeeming aspect at all. I liked the scene with the running of the bulls, but the hospital scene felt just pointlessly sad, like Marisol was a martyr to David’s gaming addiction. Which I think was kind of the point? But none of it sat quite right, though the writing was pretty good.


Maugrim


Ah, man. This just hit the spot for me this week. The descriptions of the narrator’s cheeses, how he would fold feelings into them, was spot on. Everything about it felt natural, not forced. The twist at the end, with the protagonist letting his wife die, was surprising but not out of left field. Well done, a genuinely pleasant read.


Schneider Heim


The action was good. The backstory almost verged on being too convoluted, and I wasn’t too sure about your placement of the flashback, but it worked. It definitely served to make me care about the race. By the time your protagonist has to make the choice to give up the race or save her half-step-brother, I felt like I knew her character well enough that the choice to save Henrik seemed natural.


Tyrannosaurus


I sort of liked how you weren’t like, THIS GUY IS A WASHED-UP ICE SCULPTOR from the very beginning. I was curious what sort of event he was off to, and the semi-reveal that it was all has-been ice sculptors was great. I laughed a bit when Donnie won by defiantly carving an ice block. It all rounded off nicely, and this was yet another piece that probably have won a less strong week. You already know you’re good, though. I think you matched your subject to your writing voice really well this week.


Jonked


Not your best bro. First of all, the descriptions of Las Vegas are pretty super cliche. Second, I thought the actual story--your protag working his way up the brackets--was lacking. I mean, we wins until he loses. And then the winner is a cheat. The last paragraph, where the protagonist gives the cheater his comeuppance, just read like tacked-on ShitThatDidn’tHappen.txt.


Your_Sledgehammer


This was a cool/fun story about an eagle-taming girl proving herself to the male hunters. This was yeeet another piece that could’ve HMed in a different week, but we had to stop ourselves somewhere. I enjoyed Bayaarmaa’s victory; there was enough of a moment there where it was uncertain whether she would succeed, so when her eagle surprised everyone by killing a wolf, it was a satisfying turn around. This could be the beginning to a cool adventure novel IMO.


WeLandedOnTheMoon!


This was a really visceral and tense interrogation scene, and I really wanted to know the actual relationships between the characters, but ??!!. It’s like a TV thriller got interrupted mid episode. Like I don’t think you gave us enough information to extrapolate each character’s role. Which was a shame, because it was some good writing throughout.


Morning Bell


The whole “time is a dot not an arrow” thing was really effective. This was a little dense for me, and I wasn’t overfond of the voice (you seemed to really Tell the story rather than let me feel it), but the emotional weight of it still came through. It has the potential to be quite cinematic though, with some editing.


Bad Ideas Good


I really didn’t like the first paragraph. Who’s narrating? Why not use those words to develop your characters? Because all I really know about Luc and Rodi is that they are racing each other. When Luc basically throws the race to help Rodi, I’m taking your word for it that this character would do that sort of thing. Your last sentence is noticeably weak; if you end your story on “...and then he decided he never wanted to be in [place] again, you haven’t done enough character development. See Schneider Heim’s story this week for a pretty good example of almost the exact same plot.


Ironic Twist


This was gross and emotional and moving and terrifying. Good job! It was really close to the win. The only thing *I* thought was contrived was the whole marriage flashback. But the other judges liked it, so I think that was just me. Everything else worked flawlessly, though. The brothers’ relationship, the swimming metaphor, Janne’s way of explaining his competitive streak with his brother. Good wordslinging, partner.


Walamor


I don’t know how likely any of this is. I guess the whole story is predicated on Dieter being able to just up and switch teams right before a major game. I don’t know if that’s a thing, but my limited understand of sprot makes me think that players have to have contracts and stuff. But anyway. This was mostly ok, and Dieter realizing the error of his ways was satisfying enough. The very last line was way too on-the-nose, though.


Grizzled Patriarch


I feel like this was supposed to be tense, but I didn’t quite feel it. I get that the whole “competition” was as much as test of bravery as it was a means to get home, but it seems idiotic to run past a sniper one by one. SOMEONE was going to get shot. I, the reader, knew it, even if the characters were somehow convinced they might all make it. Otherwise, not bad. Certainly not a weak piece, but its zazz levels were somewhat low.


Leekster


This is so blah blah blah blaaah for a short, quick piece. I don’t learn anything about the narrator that makes me care about this *specific* story. What I was able to gather is that he’s watching some revolutionary poo poo go down in Tehran while trying to rescue his allies. But instead, a tank happens, and everything is fine. The End. Your subject matter was all coherent and familiar enough that I could follow it, but too brief and too generic for me to care. I think there was the seed of a more complete idea here, but I suspect you left it to the last moment.


Kurona_bright


My first thought was you’ve got too many characters here. Like, 3 is too many for the first scene. By the time they’d made their decision about who was going where, I had to remind myself who the main character was. There’s some hint at a deeper plot, with the protagonist constantly replaying her mean mom’s voice in her head. But it’s not really important to the rest of the story. Then the protag sees some cliff divers who don’t die, and decides to make up with her mom or something? I dunno, too much fluff in this. It buries the REAL plot, which is the protagonist’s issues with her mom.


Sebmojo

You knew i love the word kerfuffle didn’t you, panderer??.! This was fun in the beginning, tense at the end. The only thing was, I didn’t get much of a sense for your narrator other than he was more cautious and very intent on looking out for his brother. I would have sacrificed that fight at the beginning to add more onto the end, also. But let me guess you wrote this super fast at 11:58 PM PST because for some reason you refuse to offer me anything but half-thought fripperies that are all the more infuriating because I can see that, with a tiny bit more effort, they could be most excellent indeed. In conclusion, this was good but do better next time, gently caress you.

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autism ZX spectrum
Feb 8, 2007

by Lowtax
Fun Shoe
okay after some deliberation I'm in. Prompt me, you shitloving turdhuffer!!

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