Short Story Round 3 - Titles and Synopses
Printed From: NYC Midnight : Creative Writing & Screenwriting
Category: GENERAL DISCUSSION
Forum Name: Creative Writing Corner
Forum Description: Discuss NYC Midnight Creative Writing Competitions or Creative Writing in general.
URL: https://forums.nycmidnight.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=41637
Printed Date: 28 Mar 2024 at 10:22am Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Short Story Round 3 - Titles and Synopses
Posted By: taaaylor
Subject: Short Story Round 3 - Titles and Synopses
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:33am
I can't wait to read everyone's stories!
I'm in group 7 - drama / biweekly / an educator
Our Gentle Sin
Aslan is a Kadyrovite, a member of Chechnya’s secret police responsible for ridding the country of its filth: traitors and homosexuals, especially. But when Aslan’s dark secret follows him home from a summer vacation, he has to choose between his love and his life.
So excited to read all your stories soon!
------------- https://t.ly/JlEAs" rel="nofollow - SSC R1 https://t.ly/XFj6f" rel="nofollow - 250 Micro R2
SSC 2021 winner
|
Replies:
Posted By: regannoelle
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:35am
Group 7: Drama / Biweekly / An Educator
Souvenirs Lipstick stains, stock photos, secret dates — this is the art of quiet love.
------------- https://tinyurl.com/2m3fkkf3" rel="nofollow - 2020 100 Final "The Old Man and the Moon" (2nd Place) https://forums.nycmidnight.com/r4-fissures-drama_topic45147.html" rel="nofollow - 2021 Flash Final "Fissures"
|
Posted By: taaaylor
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:41am
regannoelle wrote:
Group 7: Drama / Biweekly / An Educator
Souvenirs Lipstick stains, stock photos, secret dates — this is the art of quiet love. |
Ooo I always love reading your stories! I'm looking forward to seeing this one :) Good luck with the judges, groupmate!
------------- https://t.ly/JlEAs" rel="nofollow - SSC R1 https://t.ly/XFj6f" rel="nofollow - 250 Micro R2
SSC 2021 winner
|
Posted By: td333777
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:50am
Group 2: Suspense/bulletproof/a rancher
Pep Talk
Officer Travis
Flint is handcuffed, bleeding, and has less than ten minutes to live. A voice from his past might be the only thing
standing between a slim chance at life and a very certain, very violent death.
------------- FF '17 - 1st, SSC '18 - 2nd, FF '20 - 7th
|
Posted By: NERdling
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:52am
Group 6 - Romantic Comedy - A blacklist - A bounty hunter
Soul Searching
Benji Alastair has been tasked with tracking down people who fail to register with the Soul Mate division and get their Soul Trackers installed. It's an easy job until Sloan Copeland is his assignment.
------------- https://tinyurl.com/fnl500" rel="nofollow - 500 Final https://tinyurl.com/nycm5" rel="nofollow - Archive
|
Posted By: manifestlynot
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 1:12am
Group 9 - Horror/formal attire/a miner
Debridement Data miners scour batches of raw data to uncover patterns about what engages an audience. What they find is not for the faint of heart.
------------- Rhyming R1: https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic51185_post541412.html#541412" rel="nofollow - Lionheart (Hist fic)
|
Posted By: Mumser
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 1:22am
Group 9: Horror / Formal Attire / Miner Diablo De Plata Nicholas is desperate for a unique new venue for his opera and the underground cavern in the Diablo De Plata mine sounds perfect. But it’s not easy to get in, or out.
------------- https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic57914_post624663.html#624663" rel="nofollow - R1SSC The Bellegartin Quest (Fairy Tale)
|
Posted By: Mumser
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 1:23am
manifestlynot wrote:
Group 9 - Horror/formal attire/a miner
Debridement Data miners scour batches of raw data to uncover patterns about what engages an audience. What they find is not for the faint of heart. |
Aak, I hope I can handle reading this!!
------------- https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic57914_post624663.html#624663" rel="nofollow - R1SSC The Bellegartin Quest (Fairy Tale)
|
Posted By: dias
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 1:57am
Group 1 - Ghost story/superficial/hotelier
THE CASE NOTES OF MISS DOROTHY DARLING
Case #139: Unexplained Incidents at Ravenglass Hall Hotel. Notes from Mr. Ernest Abernathy’s investigation, typed by Miss Dorothy Darling.
I know, it's not really a synopsis
------------- All my stories are https://tinyurl.com/3uvvk4s2" rel="nofollow - here!
|
Posted By: Meggles
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 3:24am
Group 3: Comedy/Immortality/a statistician
There’ve been two genres in SSC that made me give up in past years- political satire and comedy. This year I’ve gotten BOTH. This one was the hardest I’ve ever fought to get a story out, and I don’t hate it (aside from the title).
Hot Dog Pizza Jeremy Rossi has spent his life running his family’s pizza restaurant, and he’s not about to let some small-town fool ruin his family’s good name.
------------- FF 2021: https://forums.nycmidnight.com/r1-g13-the-lucky-ones_topic42245.html" rel="nofollow - C1
|
Posted By: Snarkmaiden
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 3:45am
Group 3: comedy / immortality / a statistician
West Ham, Penguins, and the Heat Death of the Universe
When jaded statistician Jimmy Jones wins the Life Lottery, he discovers that forever is a long, long, long, long, long time.
(I don't have 100% confidence that the NYCM judges are going to get this one!)
------------- SC R1: https://tinyurl.com/4mcs6kua" rel="nofollow - Sanctuary (drama) SSC R1: https://shorturl.at/azIT4" rel="nofollow - Speechless (romcom)
|
Posted By: theinquisitor
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 4:00am
Group 4 - sci-fi - immature - a reptile owner
How Long Will You Need Me?
A reptile collector falls under the spell of a strange new animal
------------- https://shorturl.at/flBN6" rel="nofollow - MF250 R2 https://bit.ly/3aRQtG6" rel="nofollow - Archive
|
Posted By: Draiglas
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 4:05am
Group 8 - Hist Fic - a last bastion - an artisan
(Just to flag that for various reasons, I'm not posting this one up on the forums so enjoy the synopsis, of which only 7 words were actually written by me!)
Title: R. v R
Synopsis (erm. Slight trigger warning. This has a sexist proposition in it and references sexual violence):
“But the husband cannot be guilty of a rape committed by himself upon his lawful wife, for by their mutual matrimonial consent and contract the wife hath given up herself in this kind unto her husband which she cannot retract.” A trainee lawyer helps defend the indefensible.
------------- http://tinyurl.com/yc58xfbf" rel="nofollow - MF250 R2 http://tinyurl.com/exfj9cz6" rel="nofollow - MF250 R1 Others
|
Posted By: LadyArkham
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 4:55am
Group 1 - superficial - a hotelier
“Ghost Services”
Colin’s manning the front desk and wishes certain persons took “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” more to heart.
This round, my fantastic beta readers made such a huge difference. I really think that the collaboration with other writers is the most valuable part of the competition.
------------- https://tinyurl.com/3krvhvad" rel="nofollow - Screenwriting http://tinyurl.com/2c8rr2en" rel="nofollow - MF250 R2 “Checking” (RomCom)
|
Posted By: nickofnight
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 4:57am
Group 8, Hist Fic: Little Acts of Rebellion As the Taliban’s stranglehold on Afghanistan tightens, a little boy—who holds many secrets—dreams of standing up to them.
|
Posted By: AubreyZahn
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 6:47am
All of these sound amazing, I can’t wait to read them! I always get so little work done on the Wednesday after an NYCM weekend...
Mine was group 1: ghost story, superficial, a hotelier.
Chance Encounter at the Jewel of the Desert Jason returns to his deceased mother’s hotel for a final task, but a meeting with a mysterious trespasser threatens to derail his plan.
------------- FF Challenge #3 - https://forums.nycmidnight.com/r3-g13-minotaur-thriller_topic55881.html" rel="nofollow - Minotaur
|
Posted By: joshaxel
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 9:30am
Great to see some group mates!
dias wrote:
Group 1 - Ghost story/superficial/hotelier
THE CASE NOTES OF MISS DOROTHY DARLING
|
LadyArkham wrote:
Group 1 - superficial - a hotelier
Colin’s manning the front desk and wishes certain persons took “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” more to heart.
|
Hard to say whether I've written a ghost story with this one, among other challenges that it sounds like everyone confronted in our lovely 48 hour writing spell. Here's mine:
The Single-Stemmed Peony Synopsis: A pregnant woman, running from an agreement she no longer wishes to fulfill, checks into a hotel, and is confronted with the choices she has made.
------------- https://tinyurl.com/yz8fzyn2" rel="nofollow - 500W Rd 2 (5th) https://forums.nycmidnight.com/final-a-benefaction_topic56640.html" rel="nofollow - 500W Final
|
Posted By: Chasen
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 9:41am
Group 9: Horror, formal attire, miner
A Gift of Faeth When the owner of a mining company kills the black cat that has been living peacefully among the workers, the workers see her repeated resurrection and mischief-making as a sign. But is she a demon or a miracle; a curse or a warning?
------------- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XlectnNHMI_XePnKaoOtr5EngdrFdQIok6_7CQaiSUk/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow - And Everything Nice R2 G13
|
Posted By: LadyArkham
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 9:41am
joshaxel wrote:
Great to see some group mates!
Hard to say whether I've written a ghost story with this one, among other challenges that it sounds like everyone confronted in our lovely 48 hour writing spell. Here's mine:
The Single-Stemmed Peony Synopsis: A pregnant woman, running from an agreement she no longer wishes to fulfill, checks into a hotel, and is confronted with the choices she has made. |
Yay, groupmates! There's at least four of us on the forums, which I'm super excited about.
Ooh, is your MC a surrogate? I can't wait to read.
------------- https://tinyurl.com/3krvhvad" rel="nofollow - Screenwriting http://tinyurl.com/2c8rr2en" rel="nofollow - MF250 R2 “Checking” (RomCom)
|
Posted By: joshaxel
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 9:52am
Your comment proves that it was unnecessary for me to title my story "The Surrogate" (something I considered as I completely rewrote draft one). If the story does half the work the synopsis does, maybe it will make sense?
------------- https://tinyurl.com/yz8fzyn2" rel="nofollow - 500W Rd 2 (5th) https://forums.nycmidnight.com/final-a-benefaction_topic56640.html" rel="nofollow - 500W Final
|
Posted By: manifestlynot
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 10:06am
Chasen wrote:
Group 9: Horror, formal attire, miner
A Gift of Faeth When the owner of a mining company kills the black cat that has been living peacefully among the workers, the workers see her repeated resurrection and mischief-making as a sign. But is she a demon or a miracle; a curse or a warning?
|
Ooooooooh I like it!
------------- Rhyming R1: https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic51185_post541412.html#541412" rel="nofollow - Lionheart (Hist fic)
|
Posted By: ideallyowlish
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 10:44am
GROUP 2: Suspense / Bullet-proof / A Rancher
WE'LL THAW IT OUT ONE DAY ___
Forgotten for fifteen years, a leg of venison vanishes from the family chest freezer. A divorcée confronts her ex-husband about it, but why the wire... and why the bullet-proof vest?
|
Posted By: AubreyZahn
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:07pm
ideallyowlish wrote:
GROUP 2: Suspense / Bullet-proof / A Rancher
WE'LL THAW IT OUT ONE DAY ___
Forgotten for fifteen years, a leg of venison vanishes from the family chest freezer. A divorcée confronts her ex-husband about it, but why the wire... and why the bullet-proof vest?
|
Yo just so you know, Shadow of the Waxwing is one of my favorite short stories ever. Like, not amateur stories, stories period. So I'm hella stoked to read this one.
------------- FF Challenge #3 - https://forums.nycmidnight.com/r3-g13-minotaur-thriller_topic55881.html" rel="nofollow - Minotaur
|
Posted By: AubreyZahn
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:12pm
joshaxel wrote:
Great to see some group mates!
dias wrote:
Group 1 - Ghost story/superficial/hotelier
THE CASE NOTES OF MISS DOROTHY DARLING
|
LadyArkham wrote:
Group 1 - superficial - a hotelier
Colin’s manning the front desk and wishes certain persons took “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” more to heart.
|
Hard to say whether I've written a ghost story with this one, among other challenges that it sounds like everyone confronted in our lovely 48 hour writing spell. Here's mine:
The Single-Stemmed Peony Synopsis: A pregnant woman, running from an agreement she no longer wishes to fulfill, checks into a hotel, and is confronted with the choices she has made. |
So many from Group 1 represented already!
------------- FF Challenge #3 - https://forums.nycmidnight.com/r3-g13-minotaur-thriller_topic55881.html" rel="nofollow - Minotaur
|
Posted By: ideallyowlish
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:35pm
AubreyZahn wrote:
ideallyowlish wrote:
GROUP 2: Suspense / Bullet-proof / A Rancher
WE'LL THAW IT OUT ONE DAY ___
Forgotten for fifteen years, a leg of venison vanishes from the family chest freezer. A divorcée confronts her ex-husband about it, but why the wire... and why the bullet-proof vest?
|
Yo just so you know, Shadow of the Waxwing is one of my favorite short stories ever. Like, not amateur stories, stories period. So I'm hella stoked to read this one. |
I don't even know what to say, wow, thank you! I've gone bright red haha. This one's not quite so formally experimental (a pretentiousness that always seems to bite me in the ass in Round 3!) but I hope you like it anyhow
|
Posted By: Pineapplepizza
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 1:05pm
I also had great beta readers! What a coincidence.
|
Posted By: Talia
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 1:14pm
I was in group 2: suspense, rancher, bulletproof. After looking through this post, there's some absolutely killer titles and loglines! I'm looking forward to getting to read the full stories in a few days ❤️
Between Their Eyes Brief Synopsis: Unfortunate circumstances force a rancher and her husband to kill off their entire herd of cattle. But is their plan to get through the process as bulletproof as they hope?
------------- SSC (Mystery) https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic57853_post623575.html#623575" rel="nofollow - What My World Spins Around
|
Posted By: EdithLockwood
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 1:35pm
Group 3: comedy - immortality - a statistician.
This is the second time I got comedy!
Title: Where All the Brownies are Edge Pieces
Synopsis: Gunther’s mathematical formula sorts souls in the afterlife. When a heavenly soul seems a little suspicious, it’s up to the plucky statistician to solve the problem.
------------- https://forums.nycmidnight.com/r1g102-the-guard-fantasy-cellblock-a-sculpture_topic42137.html" rel="nofollow - FF https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic41971_post436333.html#436333" rel="nofollow - SSfinalround
|
Posted By: SumFemina
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 1:42pm
ideallyowlish wrote:
GROUP 2: Suspense / Bullet-proof / A Rancher
WE'LL THAW IT OUT ONE DAY ___
Forgotten for fifteen years, a leg of venison vanishes from the family chest freezer. A divorcée confronts her ex-husband about it, but why the wire... and why the bullet-proof vest?
|
Wow! I want to read this just as much as I hate that you're in my group :)
------------- https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic58489_post631823.html#631823" rel="nofollow - Screenplay: The Perfect Downward Dog
|
Posted By: Steven Kay
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 2:32pm
Group 10 - mystery / a loophole / a huckster
First time writing mystery and definitely experienced several "I have no idea what I'm doing" moments! Good luck all.
Clause Fifty-Two
Tribune reporter Miss Dale is investigating the controversial Clause Fifty-Two, but when she stumbles upon the murder of one of the city’s most notorious business moguls, she is forced to quickly work out who is her friend and who her enemy.
------------- http://tinyurl.com/ywvkpwea" rel="nofollow - SSC R1 | https://tinyurl.com/2nw9aswd" rel="nofollow - All Links
|
Posted By: rachell
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 2:51pm
Group 3: Humor, statistician, immortality
First time with comedy. I think I dreaded this genre almost as much as political satire. Almost.
"Please Answer in the Form of a Question"
SYNOPSIS: Susan thinks she has the secret to eternal life. But will a week taking care of her sick brother’s baby teach her that quantity isn’t better than quality?
|
Posted By: EWhite
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 3:06pm
Group 2: Suspense / Bulletproof / a Rancher I'm still not entirely sure if what I wrote was indeed of the Suspense genre, but we'll see.
The Weight of Whispers
Rumors follow Thomas after he inherits his late brother's ranch, casting a shadow he can't seem to shake.
|
Posted By: Clare1564
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 3:29pm
Group 2: Suspense, Rancher, Bulletproof
There Is No
Planet B
North
Dakotan rancher Bobby Joe Masterson is on vacation in London and can’t wait to
get back home. An early morning stroll leads him to an Extinction Rebellion
protest, which may just change everything.
------------- https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic57623_post621983.html#621983" rel="nofollow - Sound Effects SSC R1
|
Posted By: Hoganzo
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 4:16pm
Hope everyone's feeling refreshed after a stressful weekend!
I was in Group 4: Sci-fi – Immature – A reptile owner I'm not a massive reader of the genre, but let's see what happens!
Ornamental Humans To combat overpopulation, a shadowy bioengineering corporation was tasked with manipulating the DNA of every second newborn to hinder their growth and stop them from reaching sexual maturity. But after the global elite exploited the selection process, these Forever Children became their slaves.
Had a bit of a stress halfway through Sunday when I suddenly started panicking that my definition of "reptile" might not be acceptable, but it's in the Collins English dictionary, so I'm just trying to put any worry out of my mind. Whatever will be, will be and all that.
Best of luck to everyone!
|
Posted By: SumFemina
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 4:20pm
Group 2: Suspense, bulletproof, a rancher
The Last Cow Faced with an inhumane commission, Safe Space Inc. owners Roan and Paul decide to mete out their own form of justice.
------------- https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic58489_post631823.html#631823" rel="nofollow - Screenplay: The Perfect Downward Dog
|
Posted By: dias
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 5:06pm
AubreyZahn wrote:
joshaxel wrote:
Great to see some group mates!
dias wrote:
Group 1 - Ghost story/superficial/hotelier
THE CASE NOTES OF MISS DOROTHY DARLING
|
LadyArkham wrote:
Group 1 - superficial - a hotelier
Colin’s manning the front desk and wishes certain persons took “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” more to heart.
|
Hard to say whether I've written a ghost story with this one, among other challenges that it sounds like everyone confronted in our lovely 48 hour writing spell. Here's mine:
The Single-Stemmed Peony Synopsis: A pregnant woman, running from an agreement she no longer wishes to fulfill, checks into a hotel, and is confronted with the choices she has made. |
So many from Group 1 represented already! |
This is great to see! Looking forward to reading all your stories!
------------- All my stories are https://tinyurl.com/3uvvk4s2" rel="nofollow - here!
|
Posted By: argrenier
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 5:35pm
Group 5: Action Adventure/ A blunder / A physician TITLE: The Mitten
BRIEF
SYNOPSIS: A doctor undertakes a
dangerous mission to get medical supplies to a community shut off by winter.
------------- https://bit.ly/3wgY0s6" rel="nofollow - FF3 https://bit.ly/3CI47bd" rel="nofollow - FF2 https://bit.ly/3mIgZse" rel="nofollow - FF1
|
|