NYC Midnight : Creative Writing & Screenwriting Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > GENERAL DISCUSSION > Creative Writing Corner
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - The Curse of the Doing Well In Challenge One
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

The Curse of the Doing Well In Challenge One

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 2345>
Author
Message
LaurenL View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Groupie
NYC Midnight Groupie
Avatar

Joined: 17 Apr 2020
Location: Glasgow
Status: Offline
Points: 193
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LaurenL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2020 at 9:30am
Originally posted by theinquisitor theinquisitor wrote:

@LaurenL Dunfermline now, but I've had stints in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Och, yer just up the road.

I grew up in Edinburgh before moving to the dark side.


Back to Top
tiptreejen View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Regular
NYC Midnight Regular


Joined: 10 Jun 2020
Location: Brighton, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 376
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiptreejen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2020 at 9:45am
Uggggh to all of this - never done this comp before - got a reasonably good score (11) for round 1 and now feel the pressure's on for round 2 (though, I think, with that added pressure, I found it much harder to be happy with my story premise this weekend.

I just have to keep telling myself that, whatever happens, I've created two stories I'm quite proud of and that's two more stories than I had before!
Back to Top
northernwriter View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2018
Location: Alaska
Status: Offline
Points: 3096
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote northernwriter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2020 at 9:50am
Last year I got 25 points combined and moved ahead. The two people ahead of me had something like 29 and 27 points. The two people below me in my heat who advanced each had a combined total of 12 points. But that was truly an anomaly! It really does depend on the heat, and even then your particular group’s strengths. If you get assigned horror in R1 and you have a group with a lot of strong spec fiction writers, and then you get romantic comedy in R2 for example, or some other genre at the other end of the spectrum, the scores have the potential to swing wildly. I think that’s what happened in my group last year. Good luck!

Alex


Edited by northernwriter - 01 Sep 2020 at 9:50am
Microfiction 2021: 4th place overall
Flash Fiction 2020: 8th place overall
Back to Top
amlewi08 View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Addict
NYC Midnight Addict
Avatar

Joined: 16 Jul 2019
Location: Lexington, KY
Status: Offline
Points: 1125
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amlewi08 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2020 at 10:04am
Originally posted by ZoeLou ZoeLou wrote:

Originally posted by coryphantha coryphantha wrote:

Challenge 1 was my very first time getting on the board at all (8 points). However, as soon as I got my genre assignment for Challenge 2 (romance), I knew I was doomed.
Side Note: I should really work on my romance skills since I keep getting that genre.

Out of curiosity, is there a minimum total score that typically means you move on? (i.e. if you got a 13 in round 1 and a 4 in round 2 for a total of 17 points, would you make it to the next round?)

As far as I know, there doesn't seem to be a set score since it's entirely dependent on who is in your group, and how well they score in comparison to you (top 5 scores in each group move on).

If you're interested, this (amazing!) thread breaks down the range of scores in 2018 and the minimum score needed to move on in each group: https://forums.nycmidnight.com/all-the-scores_topic19475.html

MY GOD.  I went looking for that thread last week and for the life of me couldn't find it.
Back to Top
BethanyDawn View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Addict
NYC Midnight Addict
Avatar

Joined: 12 Jul 2019
Location: Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 840
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BethanyDawn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2020 at 12:15pm
I had a similar experience as someone else mentioned of getting "spoiled". I scored 13/14 in Round 1 and Round 2 last year, my first year writing in a long time and my first ever competition. Unfortunately personal things came up that kept me from completing a story R3. 

This year I had a weekend of moving houses, solo parenting a 2 yr old, and the first week of a doctoral class but I probably could have carved out the time if I was really motivated. When I saw my R1 score of 4 points I just couldn't make myself do it. A little disappointed because I think I could have put something good together with the prompts-- at least for the fun of it. But good to know I'm not the only one in this camp!
Back to Top
EMG View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Groupie
NYC Midnight Groupie


Joined: 18 Jan 2020
Location: Dundas
Status: Offline
Points: 172
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote EMG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2020 at 3:48pm
I've never made it past round 2 in any of the (2) other NYC challenges I've done, but I did feel a great deal of pressure going into round 2 of this one having scored only 4 points in round 1.  The pressure came from knowing my chances are so slim of doing well enough to move on.  It's funny how the pressure manifests:  feeling I should quit, scrutinizing the work of the higher scorers to try and emulate, considering changing my voice, my style. 

But I can always find pressures that make me second guess myself, in every contest and submission.  I've started to accept the pressure as part of the game.  And, to borrow a Pressfield analogy, if I'm getting knocked down at least it shows I'm in the game.  Also, writing under pressure is such a great skill to master - these contests are great practice.  And the feedback is invaluable.



Edited by EMG - 01 Sep 2020 at 3:48pm
Back to Top
Vernacula View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 21 Jan 2016
Location: West Coast
Status: Offline
Points: 3729
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vernacula Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Sep 2020 at 7:27pm
Originally posted by deedodd81 deedodd81 wrote:

I'm now firmly in the camp of not reading my challenge one results until challenge two is done.

I choked so hard.


This is me during every screenplay final. I'm like, Oh no, wait, who let me in here? Then I write some stupid ish about a robot dog or whatever.

*ETA: final that I've been in!


Edited by Vernacula - 01 Sep 2020 at 7:28pm
Back to Top
OnyxLily View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 20 Jan 2019
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 2674
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OnyxLily Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 2020 at 12:47am
In last year's Flash Fiction I got a 13 in Ch1, and then bombed out in Ch2 with a 2 - with an arguably equal or better story, and great feedback from the judges. I missed out on advancing due to the tie breaker rules (the other guy got 0-15).

So this year my 13 in Ch1 doesn't feel at all safe, even though my Ch2 story is getting really good forum feedback! 

I try to tell myself it's important not to judge the quality or worth of my work by my score or the judge's feedback (and have seen stories I read and loved get 0s, while stories that seem to have some clear issues go through) but it's still a gut punch when you get hit with a low score or the dreaded HM!
Back to Top
The Steggles Collect View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Addict
NYC Midnight Addict
Avatar

Joined: 12 May 2020
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 642
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Steggles Collect Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Sep 2020 at 7:56am
Originally posted by ash101_49 ash101_49 wrote:

Well, in Round 1, I couldn't think of anything at all until Sunday, finished writing too close to deadline to edit as much as I'd like or get feedback, and ended up with a story I thought was cute enough to get me some points... Hopefully enough that I could pull through with a better second round story. I got 15 points.

This time, the idea came immediately. I had everything written on Saturday, and I loved it. Sunday was left to edit and get a lot of feedback, which was mostly positive (and the negative was taken into account and corrected). I ended up turning in the story that is, in my opinion, the best story I've ever written for this competition. I love it and am so proud of it... But, not including this one, every story I've done for NYCmid that I really, truly loved has gotten exactly 0 points.

So... Maybe it's better that you don't feel strongly about it?! Ermm

I'm definitely more in this camp. I thought my 1st challenge entry was "meh" so was very pleased to score 12 points. But rather than putting pressure on me for challenge 2 it actually encouraged me, as I now know there's some chance I could make it through to the next round. My only worry now is that I quite like my challenge 2 story, so I'll be even more upset if I don't score anything for it. LOL
Back to Top
The Steggles Collect View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Addict
NYC Midnight Addict
Avatar

Joined: 12 May 2020
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 642
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Steggles Collect Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Sep 2020 at 8:04am
Originally posted by Lookit There Lookit There wrote:


My C1 score was 8. Perfectly presentable, and *maybe* a strong score in C2 will let me advance, but I've never had a single-digit score before (besides zero!) and can't shake the feeling of failure. And it's not! It's directly in the center! But I had a pout a little anyway. "Where's my double-digit score?!"

A score of 8 would be in the center-ish if there were only 15 entrants in each group. But, as far as I can see, there are around 34 writers in each group, so scoring at all is pretty good going.

The other thing to bear in mind is that the judging is incredibly subjective. In the judges' feedback for my first challenge, one said they loved the flashback section, another suggested I rewrite it in a linear format. You just can't win!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 2345>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.05
Copyright ©2001-2022 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.156 seconds.