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   I got points (4 of them) which.. I'll take it. I'm going to go sell this story somewhere, and I'm working it into a much longer piece. I had such amazing feedback and so many kind words (and some good suggestions) from our fellow forumites and both my inner circle of writer's group members and wider audiences. I was told my story had rich and detailed world building and character development without sacrificing pace. I was told my story had a great twist. I was told I'd "nailed it" in terms of genre and story arc. I was told that it was a clear, easy read, and that even with the "fantasy" elements and names, it felt familiar and relevant.
The judges thought I needed more words and they flat-out didn't "get it."

And that leads me to an observation. After 5 years of participating in these contests multiple times per year, I've seen high-quality, well-written stories in specific genres (especially fantasy) suffer at the hands of judges who just "don't get it." In fact, a friend once received a comment that said, "I don't usually read fantasy and I don't really understand it."

So, 1) Why is NYCM allowing people who don't understand a genre to critique that genre? and 2) if they can't find enough qualified judges to critique a certain genre, why are they even requiring it?

Okay, I'm done pondering. I shall now go back to not giving any f---s about the judging and just enjoy my experience writing crazy stories on tight deadlines and then reading what everyone else produces. LOL