G39

Drama

Companionship

A Conductor

Dream prompts, imo, but I've fallen into that trap before. 

Also 'multiple-choice' and 'an underwriter' but whatever.

Want to trade?  I got mystery for the second time and I'm dreading it. 

I got:

Fairy Tale

Quarterly

And 

A doorkeeper.

I'm a bit confused as to how Quarterly is a subject, but I guess I'll come up with something. Best of luck, all! 

This is my very first competition. Super excited, super nervous. 

I got:

Revival???

A Winemaker

I wish. I have never gotten mystery, spy, drama, or historical fiction, all of which (especially historical fiction) I'd love to write.

At least when I inevitably don't make the finals with horror and 2500 words I can make real money by selling it (most of the other genres I get are pretty worthless for sales purposes. 2/3 previous SSC entries I made longer and sold. One that didn't even I"m not interested in, the other was a 250 and the money paid for those isn't worth it.)

42 genre prompts. 42 prompts! Never sci-fi! Come on, universe! 42 was clearly the number to give it to me on 💀

Group 77: action/adventure / rush hour / a world-beater

Group 46 | Political Satire | Red Tape | A Golfer

Piece of cake.

I had to look up what a purveyor is. The definition used the word in a couple sentences, and one of them sparked an idea. Now to let my brain marinate on things for a bit and see if I can turn this into a story. 

I feel I kind of lucked out a bit with my prompts. I feel they work well together. Good luck everyone!

G153. A/A - resourceful - a preschooler 

This will be my 5th go at A/A. Not my favorite. I see a high probability of a genre mash in my future…

Not thrilled with the character, but I can work with this. Seed of an idea already forming.

I've got ideas for this one! Only wish my group number weren't so far down; too much anxious scrolling on results day 

Same group! I'm also really happy with my prompts and hoping that's not a bad sign.

Romance is very much NOT my thing. But at least I can work with the other prompts. We’ll see how it goes!

I got Goonies vibes here, Nod...

I feel pretty good about the genre but other than that I'm a little worried. This may be the wrong place to post this but how exactly are we supposed to use the subject? I read the FAQs and the participation guide but I still don't seem to understand. 

Could someone explain? I'm new to this particular challenge so I don't think I've done one with a subject before. 

Thank you in advance and good luck eveyone! :) 

WhistlerCrowe, hi fellow NCer!

Great to see you back, Stephen! And with Pol Sat nonetheless 

First time competing, and I got Political Satire.

Laura

For me, what it brings to mind is a religious service held outdoors or in an old church. Of course, there are different interpretations of revival and different directions you could take with it, but growing up in the southern Bible Belt, that's what I immediately think of. 

Hi there!! You'll love this contest and these forums, I think. 

Rom-Com - a bulletin board - Mother -in-law

I can see some really funny plots, now have to insert Rom...

It's hard to give a definitive answer, but basically anti-socialness needs to be in your story somehow. Maybe your main character is anti-social, maybe they are dealing with someone who is anti-social, maybe their mother's cousin's friend was anti-social and it is in some way influencing the plot of the story. 

There have been subjects that translate into settings, some that translate into characterizations, and some that fit better as actions. Whichever it is, your story has to incorporate it. I hope that helps!

Wow, a groupmate on page one! I hope you're more inspired by these than I am. I was like, Yawn... but hey, who knows what will happen in eight days? Good luck!

I thought it said puberty and thought all right, lol, I think puberty would be a great prompt here.

My mind immediately went to a mother posting a dating ad for her child on a bulletin board with the heading "daughter/son-in-law wanted"

The subject must, in some way, be fundamental to the plot. That means the plot could not occur without the subject being involved in the theme, conflict, or character choices. It can be literal or not literal, but it has to be present.

Some examples of ways I've used past subjects, if it helps

renewable -- a character abuses a (made-up) creative drug to force epiphanic work, and her internal character drama revolved around learning how to renew her own creative energy and embrace the risk of failure

a lapse of judgment -- Character A made a highly irregular choice in their job to help Character B, which caused the rest of the plot

biweekly -- Character A met with Character B every two weeks for an illicit love affair, under the guise that one was teaching the other another language

honeymoon -- Character A's mother abandoned her to go on a "honeymoon" that was actually a drug-bender. The actual story occurred after the mother was already gone and the honeymoon part was communicated in a flashback. But since it was the frame behind the entire character conflict, drama, and resolution, it counted

Ahh thank you for the commiserating! :) It sounds like the universe had it out for both of us, judging by your feelings about your prompt lolol. I hope you have fun with it. Mystery is definitely a tough one, but at least it's 2500 words!!

Romance / Horoscope / Chef

Crossing another genre off my bingo card! 

Good luck y'all! 

I'm trying to think of a creative take on these prompts, as judges seem to like the more creative interpretations... but it's not easy...

Too bad swapping wasn’t allowed because these are awesome.

That did help a lot! Thank you so much i was really nervous because i didn't understand. 

So as long as it's an integral part of the story it can work? Like you have the character be antisocial and the plot stems from that? 

Thank you and good luck to you as well!!😊

Thanks. I have some ideas on what I'd write, but stronger ideas on what it will look like - that is, how I'll tell the story.

Like I said elsewhere, I am just going to have fun with this one.

This is my second year doing the challenge and I'm excited to be back!

Genre: Historical Fiction

Subject: Resentment

Character: An Errand Boy

I can make it work. 

Well the bulletin board is hard, maybe you could have like an office romance of some kind? Like the Mother-in-law is the boss and their son/daughter works there got married to one of the other employees who also works there. Mother-in-Law isn't happy about it so they make like a "No fraternizing" rule at work which means the couple has to get creative. They could use the bulletin board to pass messages secretly? One day Mother-in-law finds out and keeps trying to catch them? 

I apologize i've never really done rom-com but thought i could offer an idea, hope it helps 😊 

Good luck!

Ahh good!!  :) I think the short story is unnerving the first couple of times because the subject is so flexible, unlike a prompt like object or setting, which is pretty inarguable how to include it

You've got it precisely!! An example of that might be, sayyy... the Wizard from the Wizard of Oz movie. His hiding and refusing to be seen is the source of the whole plot, even though it's a small piece of the story. 

Glad to help <3

That's a great example! Thank you again 😊 I hope you do really well

I am so happy you escaped Spy again! 

Thank you! Me too! Good luck!

It's been an hour and I already feel like I've gone through all the stages of grief with my prompts... only for a particularly good song to pop up on Spotify and spark an idea I'm in love with.

I'm going to try something a little funky and different, but at least I have plenty of time to re-write if it doesn't work out. :)

A/A / Secluded / A Scoundrel

New genre alert! I haven't yet pulled A/A so my senses are peaked to see where this one takes me...

AND SOOOOOOOO bloody excited for longer format. Cannot wait to churn out more words with room to play. 

First repeat comp and I couldn't be more stoked. Although it might be tied with my excitement of forum banter in days to come. Especially when procrastination is in high form.

So I won't say Pol Sat is my favorite genre, but I did write one of my favorite stories in this genre (Whites, Colors and Darks).  It's kind of fun to just go completely out there sometimes.  

I'm loving my prompt though!

Group: 210

Genre: horror

Subject: telepathy

Character: a lawyer

Fingers crossed my tired brain does fun things with it haha. Who knows, maybe a viral fugue is the horror writer's best friend! Good luck everyone!

Here's hoping its the former!

Feel better 

Group 198:  Sci-fi / Cancellation / A clock-watcher

Not sure what a clock-watcher is, but since it's science fiction I guess I can decide that for myself.

Good luck everyone!

At least its not horror.  A bit of thinking time and I am hoping the inspiration will flow.

I'm excited - I'm confident I'll have a workable plot by tomorrow and hopefully I won't be finishing minutes before deadline with no time review. 

At least it's not crime caper or pol sat. 

Romantic comedy, a truce, a goody-goody

It could be worse but I had comedy in my last NYCM contest, and I turned sort of turned into romantic comedy, so I was hoping for something different. I also didn’t progress that round so comedy might not be my thing. 

I am just relieved it's not mystery!

Spy - a billion - a humanoid

I actually love these prompts! I've never written spy before but i have a soft spot for a humanoid!

Horror 

Subject: royalty

Character: an opportunist

Maybe I should do something about Meghan Markle (kidding). These prompts aren't awful but I've never done well with horror. 

Subject is so vague. The best way I can explain it is that your story has to be obviously inspired by the prompt. 

Romantic comedy

Subject: cook-off

Character: cosmetologist

I'm a horror writer!   Lol. But the even funnier thing is that I'm a culinary school drop out, and a practicing hairstylist. This could be autobiographical.

Horror

A reward

A castaway

I managed 250 words of horror. I just have to figure out how to upscale it tenfold.

All the best everyone!

I've always understood a clock-watcher to be a lazy worker who's just marking time until it's time to go home. But of course, you can interpret it as creatively as you want! 

That is one of my favorites of yours as well.

Spy Genre

Subject: A breakup

Character: A butler

I have no idea how to write Spy stories even though i've done spy work. 

Anything to do with Harry, I mean that literally, is fine. So tired of seeing how hard done by he is.

Action and Adventure

Fantasyland

Strongman 

I can see a horror story titled Frozen. 

| Sci-Fi | coexistence | a bandit |

I can work with that

AA/ Overdue/ a Party Animal

I had an immediate thought of a story that fully realized itself in my mind… told my idea to my niece who said it was ‘predictable and boring’ but gave me inspiration for an entirely different take..  gotta love honest feedback!

Never written spy and don't enjoy reading it but eh, what's life without challenge?

I've done the flash challenge a few times (and loved it every time), but this is my first SS challenge and I'm really looking forward to it. I mainly write SS rather than flash, so hopefully this will suit me better.

Looking at other people's prompts, I've seriously dodged a bullet with these ones - hopefully I can come up something really original. Now the hard work begins :)

Good luck to everyone competing but especially to those who got horrible prompts - you can do this :)

Group 161

Suspense 

Door to door

Farmhand

Really not sure of this. Another genre I have never written before and very much not to my strengths. Probably another round 1 exit but it’s the experience that is helpful. 

I feel like that one practically writes itself. The challenge will be to make it somewhat original.

First time doing polsat. Wish me luck, I'm going in!

Not a genre I'm very familiar with, but I have an idea that I'm excited by, so that's always a nice way to start. Definitely going to be a genre mash-up here.

Good luck everyone, and have fun! 

Oh hello, group mate - I just read your excellent historical 250!

I share your tears here... I'm going to need to sleep on this a few nights at least.

Good luck!

jennifer.quail wrote: Horror. AGAIN. For the FOURTH F***ING TIME in round one. Also 'multiple-choice' and 'an underwriter' but whatever.

Group 37

Historical Fiction (2nd time now)

Wanderlust

A Snake Charmer

.....I may have the beginnings of an idea percolating.  Maybe.  Could also just be gas.  Just once I'd like to get a prompt in my actual wheelhouse - fantasy/fairy tale/ghost story. 

I have so many ideas for prompts that are not my own (especially the romance/countdown/recluse one).  It always happens like this.

Genre mash-ups are great. Historical fiction ghost story would be awesome! 

Suspense

Color-blind

A beggar

Horror/ a Fanzine/  a caretaker

Thank you forum for reminding me it is subject NOT object!!

I almost just had my character leafing through a Fanzine but realize I need to incorporate it more full as a plot point. Thank you!!

This totally has "Misery" vibes though and am trying hard not to go all Kathy Bates on this. 

Comedy

A phantasm

A killjoy

I mean ... Come on man!

Fairy Tale/hitchhiking/a mute

After not participating in any NYCM comps in 2022 (despite signing up and paying for at least two of them ) I'm excited to be back! First time with Fairy Tale, and the prompts definitely have me thinking in a few directions already. 

Good luck everyone, can't wait to read the stories that get posted!

Group 25

Thriller

Alpinist

Self-sacrifice

Hmm... might have to think outside the box on this one to make it original, because it otherwise seems to all fit together. Then again, I've never written a thriller sooooo... therein is also a challenge.

Genie, I know you are excellent at Pol Sat, and Suave, I am so glad you didn't get spy again!

I haven't had ghost story in a while, and these prompts are really fun and promising:

Ghost story

subject: stubborn

character: a scaredy cat

my character doesn't need to be an actual cat, right?

i had an idea already but it wasn't an actual ghost, more of a persistent hallucination of a deceased loved one. should i nix the idea and go more traditional ghost story?

Histfic/a scam/a tour guide

I literally just wrote one for micro about... get this...a scamming museum docent in a small town in the 50s. I'm not kidding. 

Siiiggghhhhhh - am I being pranked??

A scaredy cat is a phrase used to describe a timid person, or someone that doesn't want to do something they deem as risky. Definitely not an expectation for an actual cat, but that might be a fun twist. 

I think if your ghost story very clearly has no ghost, you will risk disqualification. That doesn't mean the story has to be traditional in any way, but I would think you want at least the very strong implication that it's a ghost.