This past weekend I participated in the second round of the nycmidnight.com flash fiction contest. The challenge is to write a story 1,000 words or less in 48 hours based on the prompt they provide.
With this contest, you are put in groups of about 30 writers each with the same prompt. In each of the first two rounds, the judges score the top 15 stories. So, get first place, you get 15 points. The scores of the first two rounds are combined, and the five writers with the most points move on to the third round where you are placed in new groups of about 30. There are four rounds (the final being everyone writing off the same prompt), and the top ten writers will receive cash and prizes with the top prize being $1,000.
I have never advanced to the third round in the flash fiction contest, but I did score 14 points on the first-round story, the best that I've done. I would share that story, but I like it, and will be looking to submit it various places to get published, so I don't want it out there for free.
I am going to share my second round story. The prompt was:
Genre: Fairy Tale
Setting: An Uninhabited Island.
Object: Butter
So, I had to follow those. I am fairly happy with the story. I don't think it's as strong as the first round, and I don't have any long-term plans for the story. If you get a chance, check it out at the link below and let me know what you think.
I don't generally enter these contests to win, but to get story ideas or characters or scenes that might evolve into a better story or a longer work. It's good practice and I encourage other writers to enter contests like this to sharpen your skills.
Here's an update. I scored 7 points on this story, giving me a total of 21 points combined after the first two rounds. That put me in third and allows me to advance to the third round. I will be writing another 1,000 word story this weekend. If I place in the top five in my group in round three, I'll move onto the final round.
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