Q.  Is the format different than in previous Short Story Challenges?

A.  Yes.  Not only was an additional round of competition added in 2012, but also an assigned story element: a character.  In 2012, writers will be challenged to write a 2,500 word story in 8 days based on a genre, subject, and character assignment.  125 writers will advance out of the 1st Round and will be challenged to write a 1,500 word story with new assigned story elements.  25 writers will be chosen from the 2nd Round to compete in the finals where they will be challenged to write a 1,000 word story in just 24 hours.

Q.  Can we provide previously written short stories during the competition?

A.  No.  All short stories must be created during the competition and must be based on the genre and subject provided.

Q.  Can teams of writers (more than 1) work on the stories?

A.  Yes.  You may list additional writers on the registration form, but please note that ONLY the writer who registers will be eligible for the prizes.

Q.  Who owns the rights to the stories created during the competition?

A.  You, the writer.  NYC Midnight reserves the right to publish the synopsis and e-mail address of any writer that enters the competition for publicity purposes, but that's it.

Q.  What are the acceptable formats for the stories?

A.  The only acceptable formats are .doc (Word Document), .txt (Text File) or .rtf (Rich Text Format).

Q.  What are the rules regarding spacing?

A.  There are no rules regarding spacing, you may space the stories any way you like.

Q.  What is a brief synopsis of my story?

A.  A brief synopsis is a 1-2 sentence summary of your story.  It should be simple, yet very enticing (the main goal is to make the reader excited to read your story).

Q.  What kind of feedback will we get for our stories?

A.  Not only does every writer receive in depth feedback from the judges for every story submitted, but a special review forum is available for the participants to submit their stories for review from fellow writers throughout the competition.  During the Short Story Challenge 2011, there were over 1,600 comments made on the 150+ stories submitted on the forum.  Click here to visit the forums.