NYC Midnight Contests
The Short Story Challenge is a creative writing competition open to writers around the world. There are four rounds. In the 1st Round, writers are placed randomly in groups and are assigned a genre, subject, and character assignment. Writers have eight days to write an original story no longer than 2,500 words.
The judges choose a top five in each group to advance to the 2nd Round where writers receive new assignments, only this time they have three days to write a short story no longer than 2,000 words. The judges again choose a top five to advance to the 3rd Round, where writers have two days to write a short story no longer than 1,500 words. Judges select finalists, and the remaining writers are challenged to write a story no longer than 1,250 words in just 24 hours.
The 100-word Microfiction Challenge is a competition that challenges writers worldwide to create short stories no longer than 100 words. In the 1st Round, writers are placed randomly in groups and are assigned a genre, action, and word assignment. Writers have 24 hours to craft an original 100-word story in their assigned genre, with the assigned action taking place and incorporating the assigned word.
The judges choose a top 15 in each group to advance to the 2nd Round, where writers receive new assignments and again have 24 hours to craft original stories. Judges select the top eight writers in each group from the 2nd Round to advance to the Final Round, where writers will receive their final assignment of the competition
GENRE: Fairy Tale
SUBJECT: Extinction
CHARACTER: A good listener
Adagia nourishes her garden of one-of-a-kind plants by repeating the birdsong from a nearby forest until one day, the birds do not sing. Her garden begins to die, but a confident man arrives to insist on solving all her problems.
Round 1: Submitted February 2, 2025
3rd place in group - See official feedback from the judges!
GENRE: Political satire
SUBJECT: A blackout
CHARACTER: An architect
A Cold Rain's a-Gonna Fall
When an unexpected snowstorm threatens the small town of Live Oak, the City Council must do the one thing they hoped to never have to do. Govern.
(To be published 10 days after round 2 results announced)
Round 2: Submitted April 6, 2025
GENRE: Science Fiction
ACTION: Applying Sunscreen
WORD: Bulb
Legacy
(To be published 10 days after round 1 results announced)
Round 1: Submitted March 22, 2025
