QUESTION: Preparing for Round 3

This is all really good information so far.

this convo seems to be orbiting a similar question I had after making a big mistake this round. I had several ideas for stories regarding general topics that I thought would be good to brainstorm mentally ahead of time. I spent the first 36 hours writing about one mashed into my prompts parameters. It SUCKED. My readers gave me little more than a hmmm and ummm except a couple brave souls who told me outright it was awful. I stared at the ceiling for hours until a hunky muse appeared and gave me a new idea. A better idea based on the prompts. My panicky brain wants to prepare but it's probably better to wait and call upon the muses if it comes to it. The question is

Littledaylight wrote: What does round 3 generally look like?

As folks have probably said, it's open genre. Think about what you have most fun writing, then see if the prompts align with that genre and generate your ideas.

Littledaylight wrote: 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've made it once, and my biggest mistake was not being in my own writing environment--was doing a visit that same weekend. BIG mistake. Second mistake, giving myself TOO much time to generate the idea and draft. By the time I had something resembling a first draft, I didn't have a lot of time to get beta feedback. My stories are so much better when other writers help me find the plot holes.

Congratulations on advancing, and good luck with the judges.

stephenmatlock wrote: jennifer.quail wrote: I always have ideas and characters in my head... Yeah, this. I'm good at writing one hour flash, and can pound out 1200 words of a story that holds together well. But then it's the editing, and the larger view of "how is this story compelling/interesting/revealing/emotionally touching?" That's where the work comes in. I find that the first drafts are for general construction and plotting, but then the later revisions are due to me seeing the themes that are hidden in my words. If I'm really really observant, my revisions are where the on-the-nose lines are cut, which are just my notes to myself of how something should develop. I've made it to Round 2 a few times, but never to the finals. Air is too thin to breathe up there, is what I tell myself.

Preparation is the kiss of death!  I have made it into one final and came out of it in third place overall.  I will tell you that I was completely unprepared, but that's the best way to go in.  Any preconceived notions will trip you up because if you can't make it work with the assignment, you'll get blocked.