Two Minutes to NYC Midnight.
The glamour, the fortune, the pain.
Let’s talk NYC. Everyone loves NYC, don’t they. But this NYC is NYCMidnight. The website that offers ‘Inspiring challenges for storytellers.’
Challenges are posted through the year and include Short Story, Screenwriting, Microfiction 100 and 250 words etc. Each challenge will see the budding entrant endeavour to win 100’s or 1000’s of dollars. The only catch is there is an entrance fee and that can be quite pricey – yet it doesn’t put competitors off. The two times I have entered I have been up against 6,000 plus entrants.
Don’t worry – it’s not some sort of Battle Royale, with all 6,000 plus locked in a stadium with an arsenal of biros and weapons. Each challenge consists of three rounds and in each round you get placed in a group of normally 30-50 or so, all eagerly awaiting the assignment like a pack of velociraptors waiting for a busload of Jurassic Park tourists to unload.
Did I mention the assignment? Hell yeah, Tootles. Don’t think you can rush off and write what you want. Where would the fun be in that? Each group gets a Genre, an action and a word. Genres in the Short Story Challenge range from Comedy to Horror, Political Satire to Fantasy.
Still easy? Let’s add a time limit. 24 hours for microfiction. A few days for a short story. Time to get the super strong coffee out. 100 words in a day? I’ve written less in a week while working on my novel.
Now, you wait. For the Judges. Did I say it was pricey to enter? It is, when compared to most competitions. But some of the fee goes to charity, which is always good. Some of the rest goes on judging. My Micro Fiction 100 word group was judged by three separate judges, and they all offer feedback on your work – what they liked about it and what they felt needed work. Out of your group, so many progress – it was the best 15 in the first round, the best 8 in the second.
Do I think it is worth it? Hell yeah! The experience alone is great. Push your boundaries and get out of your comfort zone. Charity, tick! Feedback, tick! Bragging rights when you get into the next round, perfect!
Tips for a stress free entry . . .
- Get the early bird entry. It’s cheaper.
- Read the rules. They are on the site.
- Block out your calendar. Again, the entry details tell you when each round happens.
- Be creative.
- Don’t Panic!
My first competition – the genre was Drama, and the action or setting was a sports championship. As a fantasy author, I panicked. I stupidly wrote a piece about cricket. Most of the judges, I assumed, were based in the States. Needless to say, I didn’t go through. Another member of the group wrote about gladiators, which would have suited my style a little more. Hence ‘Tip 4’ above.
Here’s my piece from the 2nd round of this years 100 Word Micro Fiction, along with some feedback. Genre was Drama, Action was heckling and word was flow.
Date Night.
Date Night. The comedian was in full flow; jokes and anecdotes at 100mph. Tonight I pop the question. Reassuringly, my fingers clasp the ring box in my pocket for the millionth time. My Heart hammers a drum solo as I seek the ideal moment. A new comic on stage and my perfect belle stands to welcome her with a cry of “Fat Cow!” and a slur on her heritage. She turns to me and smiles.
Deflated, I whisper, “You’re not the One. It’s over.”
I stand, dejected but righteous, dropping the ring box into the trashcan on my way out.
WHAT THE JUDGES LIKED ABOUT YOUR STORY – {2024} I enjoyed the quick pacing in this piece. I also appreciated the subversion of expectation that we experience, as the protagonist’s “perfect belle” turns out to be a bigot, thus ending the relationship for him. {2035} I loved the juxtaposition of a smiling “perfect belle” and her cruelty. It was such a sharp contrast that I thought was both jarring and a great fit for the story. {1943} Wow. This was a powerful story. I liked the way you built tension as we waited for the proposal. The revelation that the “perfect belle” was a racist was shocking. I loved the moment that she then turned and smiled, as if her boyfriend would agree. I loved the way he threw the ring away on the way out. This was a strong ending. Well done!
WHAT THE JUDGES FEEL NEEDS WORK – {2024} This piece has a great foundation. Moving forward, there are a few punctuation (capitalization) errors. Also, at the end of the piece, I wonder how long they had been together. Has she never done that in his presence before? ALSO (not a critique, just a thought), while I love the dramatic impact of throwing away the ring– why do people do that?? It seems like such waste of money. {2035} To me, I think giving us a specific interaction between the narrator and the love interest at the beginning would make her pivot even more jarring. In my opinion, rephrasing some of the things about the ideal moment and showing us them interacting somehow instead would be enough. {1943} I wondered why you backed off from actually showing us what the “perfect belle” shouted at the comedian. In fiction, we often write words that would be absolutely offensive to say out loud. That is the beauty of fiction – we are exploring different characters and showing what is wrong with the world, not just what is inoffensive. I would suggest that you don’t hold back, and you follow your characterization through to the end. Show us what she shouted. (The only exception might be the “n” word, where using ** in the middle of the word can be more acceptable)
Check the challenges out – an experience that you may thrive on. Just remember the glamour, the fortune, and the pain.