This year marks the first time that I entered the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Competition, and I plan on competing for years to come. It was a fantastic opportunity to stretch my writing muscles. Unfortunately, my first assignment was a comedy, which is not my forte. But I crafted a story, Birthday Blowout, that placed within the top fifteen of my group. I got psyched by the result, and I absorbed the feedback from the judges and prepared for the next challenge of round one.
Unlike the initial assignment, when the latest one arrived, I knew how the story would unfold. I took the prompt, Historical Fiction at a school dance with a photo album, and crafted the tale that effortlessly flowed into my mind. After forty-eight hours, I submitted Letters. This time, instead of waiting for the results, I shared it on the NYC Midnight forums. And I got loads of feedback from other writers in the competition. Everyone who commented gave me excellent advice and suggestions about how I can improve. I’ve already started incorporating all the recommendations into my writing.
When I woke up this morning, I found the email with the results from the second challenge, and my stomach churned at the mystery. I opened the link and searched for my name. Unlike the initial results page, there was no byline identifying the stories. Instead, I found a list of everyone in the group ordered by the combined score for both entries. Despite placing within the top fifteen, I felt disappointed with the placement. Just like with Birthday Blowout, Letters came in thirteenth in the group giving me a grand total of six points.
With my journey in the 2019 competition ending, I’m looking forward to receiving the judges’ feedback. Refining my skills will be my top priority while I wait for next year’s contest. I’ll be using that advice to improve my skills using past prompts on my Patreon Site. This competition has sparked my passion for writing to new heights. I plan on entering this contest again next year, and I’m already adjusting my goals for 2020.