Contests: Twisted Tournament 2

I’ve said before that micro fiction is not my favorite format. While I certainly don’t consider it one of my strengths, I also generally don’t enjoy reading it. Perhaps because there’s just a lot of not-so-great micros out there.

It goes without saying that it’s pretty challenging to get all the things that make a good story good into such a short word count. Because of this, I think a lot of writers leverage shock-and-awe endings in order to create impact. Well done misdirection can be fun, but unearned twists come across as a cheap device, leaving the reader feeling tricked, confused, or dissatisfied. (Sometimes all three.)

Of course, I’ve read some pretty stunning micro fiction as well, and the format feels very popular right now. I have to admit, it’s probably here to stay. So, I figured I’d start practicing my own micro skills. Even if nothing worthwhile came of it, it was still an opportunity to practice precise and impactful language.

Enter the . This is a peer judged tournament where every writer receives a series of prompts to craft three stories over three rounds – 500 words, 250 words, and 100 words.

I ended up writing a bit of a “the leopards eat their faces” story (500), a cautionary environmental tale (250), and a tragic epistolary romance (100).

Imagine my surprise to see myself as the high-scoring overall winner!

It was definitely fun to sharpen my figurative pencil and work on my skills and rewarding to be recognized for it. 10/10 will try again!