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QUESTION: Preparing for Round 3

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Littledaylight View Drop Down
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    Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 8:29pm
*DISCLAIMER: I'm not assuming I'll make it to round 3, I'm just hopeful*

This is my first year participating in the short story challenge. I find myself with a lot of questions:) If anyone can help answer them, I'd be so grateful.
**In case I make it to round 3, I want to be prepared**

What does round 3 generally look like? Are there still 3 prompts given, or is the genre up to each writer? (I noticed other winning stories said "open genre".) 

Other writers who have made it to finals in the past... what kind of preparation did you do before the 24 hours started, to help yourself focus and be mentally ready for the challenge? What mistakes did you make that you'll avoid this time? 

I know we have quite a long wait before the results come out, but I thought I'd take advantage of the forum being so active right now and get my questions out there. 

Thanks in advance!!


Edited by Littledaylight - 11 Apr 2019 at 8:29pm
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Round 1 Microfiction
https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic23907_post302843.html#302843
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote roccapia Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 8:32pm
They usually only give you two prompts; the genre is left blank.

I've only made it up to the final round once, and didn't place. I didn't really prepare for it at all, because it's so hard to prepare anything for this contest, but I think if I make it through this time, I'll definitely try to decide on what genre I want ahead of time (with a backup just in case) and maybe sketch out a theme, although that never seems to work once I see the prompts.


I'll also make damn sure I have a place lined up to go to where there will be no distractions whatsoever. Not sure where that would be. The moon, maybe.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KevinC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 8:44pm
Yeah. I'm thinking the only thing you can really prepare for in advance is a safe distraction free environment for the day. Plan to have that space...just in case. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lisafox10800 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 9:12pm
Open genre can be terrifying. Have a general idea going in about what genres you may want to write about. In my last two finals I basically put the genres in order of my comfort with them. Can this be a sci-fi? If yes, done. If no, how about drama? If yes, done. If no, what about horror? (I landed on Drama in Flash and Sci-Fi/Drama in Short Screenplay as a result).

Without making some decisions on genre (and building that "third fence" if you will) it's easy to be caught like a deer in headlights. Especially with the Short Story (and longer Screenplay) comps, with just 24 hours in the final, it's insane. (My very first final round was in Screenplay a few years back. I did NOT discipline myself, went into a total panic, and produced the strangest thing I'd ever written. To this day I have no idea what genre it was. It was just weird).

So. A clear calendar. And a strategy. That's what's worked for me, anyway. Everyone is different.

Good luck!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MrLipto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 9:52pm
Originally posted by lisafox10800 lisafox10800 wrote:

Open genre can be terrifying. Have a general idea going in about what genres you may want to write about

So. A clear calendar. And a strategy. That's what's worked for me, anyway. Everyone is different.

Good luck!

Fox knows what’s up.

Also discipline. Have an idea, commit to it, tell your inner-editor to wait outside. Get it written.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chrissie0707 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 10:13pm
The open genre tripped me up HARD last year. I'd already decided on selecting a genre ahead of time (should I make it again) or putting a few on index cards and drawing one to use as a third prompt. The genre really does help shape your story, especially with such a short time frame.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote td333777 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2019 at 12:13am
I made the finals in both Flash and Short Story last year, and I have to say Short Story is a much more difficult beast because of the 24hr limit.  My advice would be NOT to start writing Friday night when the prompts come out.  The window is tight, and I know that seems counterintuitive but BECAUSE the window is so short, you need to be SURE your idea is the one you see to the end.  Unlike other rounds, you can’t dump an idea that’s not working after 400-500 words and start over.  Take a few hours, make sure you’ve got a fully formed idea in place, then start writing.  As always, it’s free advice and probably worth what you paid for it—but it’s worked for me, multiple times.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote northernwriter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2019 at 2:58am
Originally posted by td333777 td333777 wrote:

I made the finals in both Flash and Short Story last year, and I have to say Short Story is a much more difficult beast because of the 24hr limit.  My advice would be NOT to start writing Friday night when the prompts come out.  The window is tight, and I know that seems counterintuitive but BECAUSE the window is so short, you need to be SURE your idea is the one you see to the end.  Unlike other rounds, you can’t dump an idea that’s not working after 400-500 words and start over.  Take a few hours, make sure you’ve got a fully formed idea in place, then start writing.  As always, it’s free advice and probably worth what you paid for it—but it’s worked for me, multiple times.

I have not made it to the finals (first time with SSC) but I think this is fantastic advice and I remember you stated something similar once before. This round, I spent two days working on a draft I struggled with before scrapping the whole thing and starting fresh with less than 24 hours to go. If I had spent more time deciding on my story and really owning what I wanted to do (instead of trying what I thought I was supposed to do), I would have been better off. I don’t necessarily anticipate moving forward this time, but this is very sound advice on writing with any tight deadline. 

Good luck to everyone competing in this round!


Edited by northernwriter - 12 Apr 2019 at 3:19am
Microfiction 2021: 4th place overall
Flash Fiction 2020: 8th place overall
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Seacore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2019 at 7:29am
I've been daydreaming about how I'd approach Round 3 if I placed, which is looking unlikely given the high level of talent in round 2.

On the east coast of Australia, it's 2pm Saturday to 2pm Sunday. As a dad of young children, this means I'll basically have from 9pm until I pass out around 2am to write my story. I might be able to sneak some editing in on Sunday, but that's unlikely. Still 2pm-9pm I'll be writing like mad in my head, which is where I do a lot of it anyway.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (3) Thanks(3)   Quote Random Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2019 at 9:36am
Originally posted by roccapia roccapia wrote:


I'll also make damn sure I have a place lined up to go to where there will be no distractions whatsoever. Not sure where that would be. The moon, maybe.


Given the statistical chances of me making the final are slightly less than Pluto crashing into the earth I chose Paris as my 'no distraction' location.  More accurately, 'check out of one hotel, return the rental car, take a train to Paris, check into another hotel'.  This is due in part to knowing what happened to Paris in the movie Armageddon; very peaceful once you get past that initial dusty bit.

Come to think of it I sign up for this because there's no chance of making the second round.  Now I need to pack a laptop...

I pretty much ignore genre anymore.  A judge nicked me for that in the first round; apparently a little contrived slobbering dosen't qualify as 'romance'.  Historical Fiction isn't even a genre, neither is science fiction.  Lately I write what the prompts tell me to write, and try to fit whatever genre they give me into it somewhere, so that part doesn't concern me as much.

Honestly, I ignore the 'competition' part of the contest now, and that makes it much, much more fun.  This is my writing class; I managed to convince one of the best writers here to help me with betas.

A consistent POV and 'show, don't tell' are the weak areas I'm currently working on.  That and gerund squashing, of course.
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