Discussing: Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
Message: 53356
28 Mar 10 4:56 AM
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The Nuzgûl Hutch is full to overflowing, and many once-beloved story ideas linger in there, a shadow of their former glory. No longer! Now they too have the chance to be Nuzgûl of the Month, and maybe even make it into a Challenge if they bite enough authors... Step in to discuss the plotbunny in the limelight, or to write it, or to suggest other old Nuzgûl that deserve their place in the sun...
The Nuzgûl of the Month for April 2010 is: Let Meeee entertain you...
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
It is an interesting theme... 
As the rules (guidelines?) go, yes, you can write something for it
Closed Challenges that have failed to garner three stories are converted into Nuzgûl and put into the Nuzgûl Hutch for authors to pick up at their leisure. If a third story is added, the Nuzgûl is converted back to a Challenge, but will be closed to additional entries.
Not quite satisfactory, I'd think, but I do have an idea about that... (since future orphaned Nuzgûl of the Month will not necessarily attract enough new victimsauthors either to become a Challenge or an Oliphaunt). Watch this space 
Oh, and please feel free to write your inspiration!
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
Indeed...Re: Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
Re: Nuzgûl of the Month April 2010
So, the NotM caught me as well at the last minute, and I do apologise; I have no idea where this idea came from... Since this is only a snippet, I'm putting it here rather than in a story:
The creature rattles the bars of its cage as we come in, but stops and retreats when I squat to study it closer. It's difficult to see it well in the semi-dark of the trader's tent, even like this.
"Not big, is it?" I observe. "What does it do?"
The trader shuffles his feet and hesitates, and I prepare myself for the usual pack of lies his kind have ready to tell about their merchandise.
"Come on," I urge him. "I do not have all day."
At last he answers, and to my surprise I suspect he does not even lie. Well, not too much... "I do not rightly know," he admits. "It was sold to me by a slaver who trades out of Umbar. Very reliable man, runs a secondary trade in exotic animals. He said it came from the far Northern reaches where no decent man will go, full of Elves and such."
"But what is it? Some kind of monkey?" I rise, impatient at his slowness. I'm sure he can see his sale slipping away as he hastens to answer, almost babbling now.
"Yes... Yes, it's a monkey. An..." he pauses, probably inventing the name on the spot. " ... ice-monkey."
"An ice-monkey? Ridiculous! I have never heard of such a thing. And you still haven't told me what good it is. How will it entertain my lady's guests?"
"Have you looked at its feet?" he asks, incongruously.
"It's a bit dark in here for that," I retort.
"They're hairy, to stop it slipping when it walks on ice."
I snort, trying to convey both contempt and disbelief. Even if there is indeed such a thing as an ice-monkey, the novelty of staring at its woolly feet will wear off very quickly.
Smoothly, he changes his approach. "It can be taught tricks. It's really quite clever..."
"So is a normal monkey, and they cost less than a tenth of what you're trying to have me pay for this. But take it outside, so I can see it in daylight."
He agrees, now so eager to please that he is almost fawning, and I resist the temptation to give him a quick boot up the backside to get him moving a bit faster, rather than all the bowing and scraping he's doing now.
At last, the cage is outside and I can get a good look at the ice-monkey. It's an odd little thing to be sure, more like a manikin than any kind of monkey I've ever seen or heard of. And yes, it does have very hairy feet. Without them I think at first glance I might have mistaken it for a child, rather than an animal. Judging from the look in its eyes, it is smart though.
But, "No," I say. "I am sorry, it's an intriguing creature, but it's not suitable." For a start, as manlike as it looks, its first trick would have to be wearing clothes.
