I got fantastic news last week— my story, ”Escape from Floating Isle,” placed 3rd in the NYC Midnight challenge! The organization is named as such because all deadlines, announcements, and assignments are issued at midnight Eastern time. NYC Midnight hosts rolling challenges throughout the year that vary in type, and this particular one was a short story contest.

Over 5,800 writers entered the competition, and we were divided into groups according to a unique set of prompts. I was tasked with creating an action/adventure story featuring an escape plot and a scorekeeper character, and I had just 7 days and 2,500 words to do it. Our stories were then graded using a rubric and scored against one another’s. The story I wrote is titled ”Escape from Floating Isle,” and I will likely be developing several works set in this world:

When Hyperionix’s experimental Kryplex Core begins to collapse, scorekeeper Scott Callen finds himself trapped on Floating Isle, a high-tech battle arena plummeting toward the ocean. Forced into an uneasy alliance with legendary competitor Cody Varek, Scott must navigate the island’s destruction, evade mercenary drones, and hack the teleportation system before time and gravity run out.

I placed 3rd out of my group of 56, with the top 5 advancing to the next round, which began just 48 hours later—midnight (last) Friday morning. I was given a new set of prompts, but this time I was capped at 2000 words and had only three days to write the story:

My new prompts were challenging because I’ve never written a romantic comedy before, but I turned in a pretty solid entry with my story, ”The Flu Pact”:

Sent home sick due to her office’s newly enacted ”Flu Pact,” shy yet ambitious Victoria resigns herself to solitary remote work— until a chance encounter with her handsome new neighbor, Nico, transforms her sick day into something unexpectedly sweet.

The story is technically sound and engaging, but will it be enough to place against my group? I don’t know, but I’m pleased with what I submitted, and that’s what’s most important for me. So now I have a new story in my portfolio and a new credential as someone who’s placed in one of the most competitive writing competitions in the world. And my story ”Escape from Floating Isle” is now credentialed, and (spoiler alert) there’s already been another story born of that world.

But wait! There’s more!

---

That’s not the only big news of the week— I also published my first book!

What’s my first book, you ask?

You’ll probably never guess, so let’s leave that part a surprise. I’m waiting for the proof copies before I officially put it up for sale. Don’t miss the reveal— subscribe today!

~Thanks for Reading~