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250 Word Microfiction - the full story?

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stellajaye View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stellajaye Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 250 Word Microfiction - the full story?
    Posted: 23 Nov 2022 at 8:10pm
I've read so many amazing 250 word submissions on the forum, and I have barely scratched the surface of them. Already, I've identified at least a dozen that I'd love to read as a longer story — short story or novel — and it makes me wonder ... are any of you planning to build out your story? If you are, will you share it with the forum as you go? You've already got one reader hooked!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CamsynClair Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2022 at 10:51am
I think this is a great question! This competition is my first go at MF250, but it's my 9th NYCM since I started with Short Story in January. Of all of those stories, only one (my Rhyming Story) got touched after submission, and I submitted to a speculative fiction magazine! I think I'll also edit my 250 to enter into a magazine competition, and lastly, I may dig up my Flash Ch1 piece for a short story competition, as well. I think those pieces have the most non-NYCM potential, at the moment Smile

Reworking pieces from this competition is sometimes since the pieces that do well here aren't necessarily the most publishable--for example, one of my most popular stories on the forum (and one of my favorites!) is my MF100 R2 story, which was a suspense/thriller about foxhunting gone wrong, but I don't know if it makes sense out of the context of the prompts. So, even though that story got 2nd in its heat, I don't know how successful it would be in a different context! 

All that said, my absolute favorite thing about this competition is generating so many IDEAS! I think my MF250 R1 story and my Cyberpunk story from Writing Battle (whose founder is a NYCM regular) have intrigued me to the most to expand upon, but I've definitely gotten into the adrenaline pumping instant gratification of submitting for NYCM/contests in general, so hard to tell whether I'll be able to buck up and expand a story far beyond its original state LOL

Thank you so much for starting this thread--what a fun conversation to have, and I hope that you're enjoying the forums! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote scurvy_seadog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Nov 2022 at 2:21am
I expanded my first round 100 word submission for a 300-word competition. It was a lot of fun to flesh that story out a bit more and show what led up the scene I describe in the 100-word piece. I find out in December how it did in the other competition, but my goal is to keep expanding it for longer and longer competitions - not necessarily to win the comp but as a great way to get me to keep fleshing it out into a longer story.

My second round piece would also not make sense outside of this MF competition - I don't think there is much of an audience for deadbeat trout dads LOLLOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote theinquisitor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Nov 2022 at 8:32am
I wouldn't normally, but this time my story was an absolute hatchet job on something that really needed at least 1000 words, so I'm tempted.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Doug Rowland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Nov 2022 at 10:17am
Well my very first NYCM competition was MF100 -- and I ended up writing a 1000 word story for that that I had to butcher and hack down to 100 words...and then I turned the 1000 word story in to my in-progress novel, 52k words so far :)
Screenwriting 2024 R1 G4: Thad's Thongs Say So Much

250 micro R1 G99: The Intruder
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CamsynClair Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Nov 2022 at 5:16pm
Originally posted by Doug Rowland Doug Rowland wrote:

Well my very first NYCM competition was MF100 -- and I ended up writing a 1000 word story for that that I had to butcher and hack down to 100 words...and then I turned the 1000 word story in to my in-progress novel, 52k words so far :)

That's incredible! I sometimes wish I were an overwriter instead of an underwriter--I've never had to slash a story, which I suppose is a gift, but I do find myself wishing I could engage in longer pieces the way I do with shorter ones. The Micros really feel like home to me, so I'm really glad that NYCM offers two opportunities! Flash is also nice, and I all but drown in Short, but being challenged is one of the biggest draws of this competition, isn't it? LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote FireHorse Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2022 at 4:51pm
Not necessarily longer, but one of my goals for 2023 is to take more of my writing out of NYCM, submit, get published and even maybe get paid for publication!
I used to be part of a writing group before kids, then life intervened and I wouldn't go back to that group now. NYCM  got me writing again and has the most supportive forum. I'm grateful for both. Now it's time to put my big girl pants on and explore a wider world of writing!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SharE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2022 at 4:55pm
I’m not sure where I’m going wrong but sometimes I can’t see the original story on posts. This was one of them. Hope I work it out so I can read it. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote theinquisitor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2022 at 3:46am
Originally posted by SharE SharE wrote:

I’m not sure where I’m going wrong but sometimes I can’t see the original story on posts. This was one of them. Hope I work it out so I can read it. 

This isn't a story thread, so you won't see one here. In general, it sounds like you're seeing posts where people have supplied a link rather than copying their story into the forum post (that's more common with the longer competitions, but some people do it with micro too).

Generally, if you click on the title it'll take you to the story.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote N_Minaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2022 at 6:47pm
My last entry for the 100 word Microfiction (round 2) was a ghost story. Once I submitted it, the idea kept niggling at me, and when I sat and thought about it, the concept expanded and basically became the outline a novel length story.

I've only written 2 chapters so far, but I really feel that the idea has legs. It's one of the things I love about the competition - the prompts you get lead you to ideas and stories you'd never have come to otherwise. 


Edited by N_Minaker - 29 Nov 2022 at 6:47pm
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