Microfiction Contest Update and Progress Report!
By: Greg Prince
Tags: Marketing, Fiction, Writing Challenge, Writing, Fiction Writing

Writing Challenge

Microfiction Contest Update and Progress Report!

Writing fun can make pandemic worries fade away.

The NYC Midnight 250-Word Microfiction Challenge has begun. Forget about any nano-50,000 word bungle of writing mess. I’m too simple, and I need smaller goals to concentrate on. The mini-challenge suits me fine.

I finished working on my entry a few minutes ago. Roughly three hours of writing, editing, second-guessing, eliminating, and tightening filled about every minute I wasn’t creating. Got me a little satisfaction.

Only twenty hours remain in this round of the competition. I get to go to sleep and wake up to my story and see if I still like it. More revisions could be made, but I checked it over with a fine comb. According to the contest site, over 5,000 writers are participating. That is a lot of competition.

One great thing is, your story is going to be reviewed by professional authors and editors. The judges are experts, and rumors are the winning writer gets great exposure. Could there be opportunity lurking in them there words? You betcha!

You may discern a hint of excitement in my descriptions because I’m exploding with the potential of being recognized or at least told by superiors in my craft if my writing sucks or not.

I’ve always appreciated the love and support I get from my wonderful writing readers here on Medium, but these people don’t know me. Their critique most likely will be more objective than my writing family here. (I could be wrong and deserve your criticism whenever you feel I deserve it.)

The total allowed time for submission of your 250-word microfiction is 24 hours. My story is done, but that means I still have to submit it before the coming midnight, which brings me to the tough part. Is my story good enough?

Sure, the spelling is correct. The grammar is well done (I think), and I’ve met the formatting qualifications. But, do I have the chops? Time for self-doubt stopped the minute I submitted the entry fee. It’s time to let the muse loose, but never to forget to err is human; to edit is divine (I just stole the last 8 words from my Grammarly editor headline because it’s so cute).

NYC Midnight has more writing contests throughout the year, and I will compete in them. There is real prize money to be made, and I love the possibility of making connections with great editors and authors. The winning stories get published on NYC Midnight’s site and in their publication. Get your writing engines started and ready for the flash-fiction challenge or their short story challenge.

The entry fee of $24 is very reasonable and I don’t have a dime to blow, but these contests are worth entering. All I have to do is save a couple few months of Medium earnings to have the funds. You know, because we all are making bookoo bucks here.

I’d love to share my story entry here, but I don’t think that’s allowed. Hopefully, I won’t be able to share my story until about three months from now, when the contest ends and I’ve won.

To any of you Medium writers competing with me, I wish you good fortune but warn you:

It’s on like Donkey Kong — Game on!