Challenge Monday Mush Mania Discussion Thread and Index - Important Post (19th Feb 2014)

I'm glad I checked the challenge date again, or I would have missed it.

Hopefully I can do something for Monday!

 

Alas, I won't be able to get my mush done in time. Yes, there was lots of warning, but DRL take's precedence -- gotta do my taxes first. I'll definitely post when it's done; nice and mushy.

 

Just a quick reminder that while all mush is welcomed, it has to be posted on the challenge date to be included in MMM. However, as long as it's Monday where you are then it's fine.

 

Brothers

 

I dug an old story out of my hard drive just for this, and then realized that it was about the farthest thing from mush possible. It might even require a bit of brain bleach... so I'm going to avoid spamming the thread with a link, but I just want you to know that the fact that the abomination I wrote has just been posted is your fault.

Worst date: An otherwise charming gentleman I had been seeing kept hinting that he had bought me an extraordinary gift. My greedy mind had been conjuring jewellery, a really nice dress, etc. So when we went to the beach and he unveiled the gift... I'm afraid I can't reveal what it was without violating the TOS. I really should have punched him in the face, but instead I mumbled something about how it's the thought that counts.

Best date: The last day of school with my first boyfriend, wandering around the park in the sunshine, drinking Slurpees, and talking about our favourite bands. Dating was so simple then!

As for whether or not you still date when you're married or in a long term relationship... I think it depends on the people involved, but every happy couple I know goes out once in a while.

 

I feel your pain, mavjade; I met my ex when I was 19 and we were together for eight years. There's nothing like being almost thirty and having no clue how dating's supposed to work.

 

Well, I did post my mush. Too late for the challenge, but any time is a good time for mush. And I got my taxes done and e-filed.

 

Semi-Official Notice!!

As most of you have noticed, I've been a bit absent of late and not very good at keeping MMM going. There are reasons for this, reasons which I won't go into right now, but they are good reasons. One thing I really wanted to do when I took on MMM was to keep it going with regular challenges and discussions. In order for this to happen I'm going to need another volunteer to help me with this.

If anyone wants to help me with this, then please PM me. Responsibilities will mostly be posting challenges and discussion topics as well as keeping the index up to date. As much as I'd like to, I can't keep doing this alone and any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

The index has been updated.

 

It seems MMM has all but died in my absence!

Luckily, I do have a themed challenge for you all. It has a few details that need ironing out and it'll be ready for posting this afternoon.

So, stay tuned for a new challenge *and* a new discussion!

 

So, as I said just now, there's a new challenge and a related topic, and both follow a theme. That theme is:

HORROR!!! *insert thunder, lightening, evil laughs, ghost noises, and other 'scary' stuff*

As you all probably know, it's Halloween on the 31st of October, and what better way to celebrate with a mushy fright fest? So, first things first, the challenge! For this edition of MMM, the challenge will be:

Spooks and Scares!!

It is your task, oh writers of mush, to come up with a tale full of scares and frights and things that make the skin crawl or the spine shiver, but don't forget the healthy dose of mush in there!! The deadline is, fittingly, Halloween, which is the 31st of October (if you forget, like me).

And that leads nicely to the discussion topic:

Can horror be mushy?

Have you read any horror stories that have been mushy? Have you seen any horror films that have been mushy? Have you ever written either? And where does Shaun of the Dead fight into this?

As always, any kind of mush is welcomed. The challenge is more of a fun addition to help give ideas and is not obligatory. Although, if you are going to write some mushy horror then add 'MMM Fright Fest' to the title of your fics, otherwise just add 'MMM' as normal.

 

Of course horror can be mushy. Poor, scared little padawans need to be comforted, after all.

 

So you don't think that mush and horror are an odd combination? Here's hoping we get a lot of scary mush then!

 

I'm actually considering trying this challenge out. I have never written mush, and the few times I've attempted anything romantic, it... usually ended up becoming an erotic story that never saw the light of day. But, using horror as a springboard may help with any foray into the mush territory.

Now, as for the discussion... Can horror be mushy? I say, yes. But, I see the mush coming in during the aftermath of the horror scenario, rather than the scenario itself. You just had two characters face off against zombies. Their hearts are pounding, their adrenaline is flowing. They realize that they could have been killed during that fight, yet by the will of the mists (or Force), they survived. In the calm that follows, they look upon each other and decide to give into that burning desire that had welled up in the aftermath.

Basically, that is survivor's lust. Can survivor's lust be mushy? Oh, very much. Depends on that characters. Some may be more utilitarian about it; knock boots and move on with their lives without another word to what happened that night. Others may grow closer. Perhaps they talk about their experience. Then, through that talk of that shared experience, they become closer and closer. They remain close after the deed is done. Though, relationships forged under duress usually don't last very long.

But, since I know a frank story about a one night stand isn't permitted here, then I guess the focus would be on the close cuddling and comforting after defeating those zombies; the characters wash the gore off each other, curl up together beside the fortification, their rifles at hand (in case the zombies return), and they keep each other company, held close, and safe. Yeah, in that regard, horror can be very mushy. But, to focus on the mush to the exclusion of the horror, save for a vague notation prior to the mushy scene, may end up hurting the story. It may lose the horror, as the threat wouldn't be present. The horror was a simple backdrop and the threat loses its impact and the mush is just that; mush. It would be quite a delicate balance.

 

I'm hoping the horror won't take a back seat for this, or even left out and just hinted at. Part of the reason behind the theme and the date for the challenge is that it's Halloween and Halloween is all about frights and scares. But then this is Monday Mush Mania, so it has to have a healthy dose of mush too. It'll be interesting to see what people come up with for this. I'm quite excited.

 

Considering that this could be my first foray into the genre, what would you consider a "healthy dose of mush"? My guess would be if the story can stand on its own as either horror or mush, then that would be a "healthy dose." However, like I said before, I've never written mush, and the few times that I have tried, it ended up devolving into straight up erotica.

 

I hope I have time to write something for this, it sounds like a fun challenge... mush and horror together!


Do I think mush and horror can be together? Of course! I can't think of any specific examples but there is usually people in love in horror and that gives way to some mushy scenes but they usually are short before the horror begins again. I think it would be interesting to try and make them a little more equal and make one no more important than the other, which I think would be hard.

 

Okay, I'm a bit more than halfway through what was originally intended to be my attempt for this challenge. It's got equal parts of horror and mush, especially if I combine it with my Proverbs Challenge entry (this takes place immediately after the events in Unexpected), but after taking a gander at some of the other mush entries posted for previous Mush Mania challenges, I apparently have a decidedly different idea on what "mush" is.

I'll be honest, I essentially wrote what amounts to tame foreplay. I didn't go any further than that, as I know better than to depict sex. Nothing explicit is depicted, in fact there is hardly any real description of any nudity. It's really quite tame. So, I must ask... does foreplay count as mush?

 

It depends on how it's depicted, I guess. With the right words and phrasing peeling a potato can become very erotic and by the same token a passionate sex scene could be boring, mundane, and mechanical. My advice would be to read it through and see how it makes you feel. If it's more 'warm fuzzies' then it's probably mushy. If you're still not sure then I can look over it for you if you want.

 

No internet where I am on the 31th

 

Well, I can honestly say that while writing it and rereading it, it certainly caused "warm fuzzies"! Just not in the roses-romantic-candlelit-dinner-kiss-at-the-door way. XD So, it's pretty mushy, just more lusty mush than win-her-a-prize-at-the-carnival mush. But, just to be sure, once I finish typing and revising it, I'll pass it along.

 

Just three weeks to go people! Let's make this a bumper crop of epic mush!

earlybird-obi-wan: The time is very flexible. As long as it's eithr the 31st where you are or on the boards then it doesn't matter. Board time is preferred but this is mush we're talking about. Failing that you can always have someone else post it for you.