While I tend to focus on longer-form fiction projects, over the years, I’ve enjoyed the particular challenges presented by shorter fiction. Especially super-short fiction, often referred to as ‘flash fiction.’ The constraint of writing stories in very few words that feel complete and not like a snippet of a longer work helps force me to ensure every word counts.
One of the contests I’ve enjoyed participating in is NYC midnight. They host several contests as varying word length requirements throughout the year. There is a wonderful community of writers in the forums to provide feedback. This is a challenge for any writer who wants to broaden the scope of their work and enjoys light competition.
- Preserving Humanity: Aliens invaded, and humanity didn’t even see it coming. Now, they are interviewing the survivors in focus groups, but most who go in come back strangely different. (NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Contest 2021 Round 2 1st place, Group 76: Sci-Fi / A focus group / A jar of pickles)
- The Joker: Working in space isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. (NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Contest 2022 Round 1 5th place, Group 9: Comedy / the surface of a moon / a banana split)
- A Portrait of Life: A painter grapples with separation from the life he captures on canvas
- Finding Fiegró: sometimes home is harder to find than we think.
- God Save The Queen: Elizabeth’s banished, but she’s not giving up the throne that easily.
Writing short stories is a great learning experience. The shorter length allows me to hold the entire story in my head while I revise and edit.
- Making Friends in Space: John can’t sleep in the spaceship’s simulated reality. Maybe he’s hoping to make some human connection.
- End User Agreement: There’s an app for that