Not submitted anything yet but I will. I'm gonna keep on working on this right until the last minute. I've never done so many revisions for a OWC before and I'm still not sure it works at all! What a challenge!

Screw it, I'm in with an entry written today. That's not an excuse for the quality, I happy with the writing, but I know it isn't quite in the confines of the challenge. It's all it could come up with and I want to play

Toughest challenge since I've been a board member.

Good luck everybody.

I brewed up something the best I could, I’ll be submitting something for suuure. Just taking a little time to sit on it and revise. I hope everyone is alright with a bit of a stretch in terms of story.

Quoted from Steven Since I'm not entering, I want to share my concept.

Thanks for sharing, shows there are a lot of ways to skin this cat.

Quoted from Steven The story is told in real time, with some jumps, and a continuous voice over from Aaron's father, Frank.

Although calling my wife a Neanderthal does require that I challenge you to a duel with pistols at ten paces.

My original concept (which I knew from the start I wasn't going to be able to submit due to time constraints) was Watt failing to get any financial backing for his steam engine, and the technology getting a bad rap. Boiler explosion during a demonstration or something, though the details aren't important to the main story.

An Industrial Revolution without the quantum leap in productivity from engines leads to all of those "surplus population" problems that thinkers of the day had feared. Europe is in a more or less perpetual state of war over resources like mines, arable land, etc.

The unique facet to this warfare is that in 2018 Europe without locomotives or automobiles, you can't really advance an army anywhere important without crossing canal after canal after canal. That translates to several miniature amphibious assaults punctuating whatever maneuver you were trying to accomplish in the first place. Thought it'd be interesting to give a perspective on canal warfare and the sorts of innovations that would make a soldier's life there a living hell.

Two serious problems though. One was time, the other being that I have never written anything remotely like a war story before.

I managed to do some minor changes.

Now, for the Neanderthal story.  It was my understanding that they weren't very smart, so, if I were to go with that idea, I'd have to really see the technology they'd be able to come up with.  Each "upgrade" of our evolution was significantly smarter than the previous.

Good luck to all and this should be fun.

And I didn't have to cut anything.  For once, I came in under the max!!

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dan

Oh, the submitits is killing me. I might end up submitting mine after all since you all are showing such a board spirit.

Neanderthal story sounds funny. I would love to see a Neanderthal give birth. Did she speak a fancy language too?

Quoted from FrankM An Industrial Revolution without the quantum leap in productivity from engines leads to all of those "surplus population" problems that thinkers of the day had feared. Europe is in a more or less perpetual state of war over resources like mines, arable land, etc. The unique facet to this warfare is that in 2018 Europe without locomotives or automobiles, you can't really advance an army anywhere important without crossing canal after canal after canal. That translates to several miniature amphibious assaults punctuating whatever maneuver you were trying to accomplish in the first place. Thought it'd be interesting to give a perspective on canal warfare and the sorts of innovations that would make a soldier's life there a living hell. Two serious problems though. One was time, the other being that I have never written anything remotely like a war story before.

A very interesting concept. I'd love to see a story or script written exploring the use of canals, lochs and lakes during WW1 or II as a means to move troops and supplies.

This challenge is certainly bringing out the creative side of writers. I suspect a lot of these ideas we've discarded would make great novels and maybe should be held to one side in case you ever want to have a go at prose.

This period after you submit but before the scripts are posted is like having a daughter about to make her debut.
You think she's beautiful, perfect. Still, you are anxious.
Will she be the belle of the Debutant Ball?
Or will people say things like:
"She's a mess."
"Sorry, not for me."
"What a boring girl."
"Look at how she's dressed! Awful."
"Why is she even here?"
And as her father, you want to slug each and everyone of those fools, but you can't.
Instead, you say, "Thanks for feedback."

Stumpzian...and don't forget 'The Rules': She wore white after labor day? Horizontal stripes? That style is so last year. Ha! Love it!

Stumpzian, my daughter is having to debut as a composer the upcoming Monday and I'm between getting drunk before going to the concert, not getting drunk and pretending we're not related and saying good things about her piece, telling everyone I'm her mother and slamming her work.

And she's like, relax, I'm doing great.

I don't know where I'm going with this by the way. Just sharing.

Quoted from khamanna Stumpzian, my daughter is having to debut as a composer the upcoming Monday and I'm between getting drunk before going to the concert, not getting drunk and pretending we're not related and saying good things about her piece, telling everyone I'm her mother and slamming her work.

Well, good luck to your daughter and to you and maybe don't slug anybody unless you have to.
Henry

Thanks. I'll be at my best! Or not

Quoted from khamanna Thanks. I'll be at my best! Or not

I say slug them if they are cruel.  It's one thing to be tough or critical of someone's work, but, when it comes to kids, one should keep it positive, or at least construction.  It's another thing entirely when someone tries to break a kid, even if they don't do as well as they hoped.

Good luck Khamanna!!  She's amazing, so, have no worries!!

Dan

Thanks, Dan. My daughter would agree with you on the last bit))

So, I'm most deffinitely not submitting mine. I wanted to read it now one last time before submitting and seriously thought it was so boring that could't finish reading.