#293 — DEAD OR ALIVE | A stitch in time

Deluded Custodians: December Winner and January Prompt

Letters to Santa Claus : AWC Responses : The Drapery Debacle

Thanks to Santa Claus and Mark Suroviec, M.Ed., we have the most entries for a “Deluded Custodian” challenge ever!

Links to all the entries are in the responses here:

Now it is up to Santa Claus to pick the winner.

[Edit: January 1, 2024: https://readmedium.com/ef77273abf44] — Santa’s choice. January 9, 2024: https://readmedium.com/reindeer-droppings-make-wonderful-chocolate-chip-cookies-04e9b1096898 — May’s ‘Teaser Tale’]

The January Challenge:

I am saddened that AI has claimed the word “topstory”. I accidentally used the word I will never type again as a topic in a moment of tryptophan-induced writing. I apologize. . . for Ryan Klemek, who published it. He knows not what he does, aka, he’s no Smillew.

I have never used Chat GPT. Never will. To those who boldly go where I won’t, many thanks for your bravery and fortitude in calling out those who have smuggled it into Medium.

I donnae even use Grandma Lee ‘cuz me English ist purfeckt, and she’s jus another AI out to butcher me werds of wisedome.

Inspired by Carlo Zeno’s post below, the prompt for this month’s “Deluded Custodians” challenge is to write about an arras, a drapery, a hanging. A real one.

Or a magic carpet. Maybe OCTAVIA EVER AFTER or Christine D Richardson has one?

Keep it short. Under 300 words.

If it’s weird, as well, extra points for publishing in Ryan Klemek’s pub.

Leave a link to your entry in the responses or tag me.

Deadline is midnight, January 31, 2024 PST.

The prize is $10, plus any contributions made this month to my ko-fi account. Unless, of course, Ziggy needs more treats.

And a Teaser Tale by May More 💜 Tales for the winning entry.

Dead or Alive? We will publish a story every 24 hours as long as we can. Help us stay alive; submit a story today!