Excited for Flash Fiction! Who’s in?

As terrible as I've done lately in these things, it's hard to get excited about any of it.

Am in, that's such a fun one. I really like the shorter ones. 

I haven't registered yet (trying to scrape together the entry fee), but I'm sure I'll find the money somehow. I love flash! I think I've done it three times so far. This will be the fourth! I look forward to it every year. I mean, this may sound ridiculous because I write novels, but I can't write short stories without a freakin' assignment! And since I have these contests with the promise of cash prizes, I never even try to write short stories without the prompts. Gotta love these contests!! Good luck to all!! 

I'm in! Saved $5 by tweeting about it tonight. 

I'm excited about this contest, but also hesitant to sign up. I'm somewhat inexperienced, in the sense that my creative writing practice has been sporadic and the only things I've published have been academic articles. I've read some of the past winners and it seems there are a lot of people competing who are full-fledged professional writers, some with multiple published works, so I wonder if I'd just be flushing $50 down the toilet, lol (despite the fact that I'm reasonably confident about my writing skills).

What would you suggest for someone in my position? What were your experiences as fledgling writers or NYC Midnight newbies? Do you think it's worth taking a chance on, or that it might be better to wait, participate in other types of challenges or contests, hone my craft, etc., before seriously considering a challenge like this one?

Whatever happens, I'm excited about my participation in the Microfiction challenge and especially about being able to connect with other writers through these forums. I hope to hear more about your experiences!