Inspiring challenges for storytellers. Next up is the 500-word Fiction Challenge on May 29th at https://nycmidnight.com/500.https://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mktr4vrw4k2mThe Flash Fiction Challenge 2026 is officially underway! View the 1st Round genre/location/object assignments, a countdown to the deadline, and the story upload link at nycmidnight.co/4w47q8L. Best of luck to the 2,700+ writers participating worldwide over the next 48 hours! https://nycmidnight.co/4w47q8L02 May 2026 04:02 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mktr4vrw4k2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mkslou5ikz2tThe 18th annual Flash Fiction Challenge kicks off at 11:59 PM (NY time) tonight, May 1st, and registration is still open! Participants will have 48 hours to write a 1,000-word story based on a genre, location, and object assignment. Learn more and register at www.nycmidnight.com/ffc. Happy writing! https://www.nycmidnight.com/ffc01 May 2026 16:52 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkslou5ikz2thttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mki5h54u7i2rWe're proud to present the winning story from last year's Flash Fiction Challenge! Read "The Last Bloom Visitor Center" by five-time NYCM winner, Leila Murton Poole (UK), at nycmidnight.co/last-bloom. Original Illustration by Yevgenia Nayberg. Enjoy, and get ready for this year's challenge on May 1! https://nycmidnight.co/last-bloom27 Apr 2026 13:11 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mki5h54u7i2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mk6iltoh6w2dThe early entry deadline for the 500-word Fiction Challenge is today! The 4th annual competition kicks off on May 29th and will challenge writers worldwide to create short stories based on genre, action, and object assignments in 48 hours. Learn more & register at www.nycmidnight.com/500. Good luck! https://www.nycmidnight.com/50023 Apr 2026 17:04 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk6iltoh6w2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mk54lbmure2zThe winners of the inaugural Scary Story Challenge have been announced at nycmidnight.co/4cI6y0w! Congratulations to D.R. Forge (New York, NY, USA) for winning the competition with their final round story, "Backseat Astronaut," and thanks to everyone who participated! https://nycmidnight.co/4cI6y0w23 Apr 2026 03:56 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk54lbmure2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mjz7b5mo7k2nThe 18th annual Flash Fiction Challenge begins on May 1st and will challenge writers worldwide to create short stories no longer than 1,000 words in 48 hours. Learn more, register, and read previous winning stories at www.nycmidnight.com/ffc. Happy writing!21 Apr 2026 14:33 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjz7b5mo7k2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mjo22uf2yk2bThe 2nd Round of the Screenwriting Challenge 2026 is underway! View the list of 2nd Round writers, prompt assignments, and a countdown until the deadline at https://www.nycmidnight.com/screenwriting/2026-2ndroundassignments. Best of luck to the participating writers over the next three days!17 Apr 2026 04:01 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjo22uf2yk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mjmopf7myk2fIn anticipation of the Flash Fiction Challenge kicking off on May 1st, we're happy to publish the story that placed 2nd overall in last year's competition. Check out "They Still Bring Your Flowers" by Natalie Minaker at nycmidnight.co/486oe4J. Original Illustration by Yevgenia Nayberg. Enjoy! https://nycmidnight.co/486oe4J16 Apr 2026 15:05 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjmopf7myk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mjivfemasx2qThe 1st Round results for the Screenwriting Challenge 2026 are up at nycmidnight.co/41w0sLN! Congratulations to the top 5 in each group for advancing to the 2nd Round, which kicks off this Thursday, April 16th. Best of luck to them, and thanks to all who participated! https://nycmidnight.co/41w0sLN15 Apr 2026 02:54 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjivfemasx2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mjhnogy4pc2oCongrats to longtime illustrator for NYCM, Yevgenia Nayberg, on the publication of her new graphic novel, Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters. It arrives just in time for the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl explosion and is available wherever books are sold. Learn more at her Instagram @znayberg.14 Apr 2026 15:04 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjhnogy4pc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mj4gpjury32zThe 2nd Round of the Short Story Challenge 2026 is underway! View the list of 2nd Round writers, prompt assignments, and a countdown until the deadline at https://www.nycmidnight.com/shortstory/2026-2ndroundassignments. Best of luck to the participating writers over the next three days!10 Apr 2026 04:00 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj4gpjury32zhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mj34ax5wis2kIn anticipation of the Flash Fiction Challenge 2026 kicking off May 1, we'll be publishing the top three stories from last year. Today, we're proud to publish the 3rd-place story, ./Human Legacy by @mmschreier.bsky.social at nycmidnight.co/3QaALxG. Original illustration by Yevgenia Nayberg. Enjoy! https://nycmidnight.co/3QaALxG09 Apr 2026 15:20 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj34ax5wis2khttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mixdrpfaby2mThe 1st Round results for the Short Story Challenge 2026 are up at nycmidnight.co/4cdouzU! Congratulations to the top 5 in each group for advancing to the 2nd Round, which kicks off this Thursday, April 9th. Best of luck to them, and thanks to all who participated! https://nycmidnight.co/4cdouzU08 Apr 2026 03:24 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mixdrpfaby2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3miwtn4mqlx2kEND THE WAR ON IRAN NOW.07 Apr 2026 22:35 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3miwtn4mqlx2khttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mijtkcrmt22tThe 500-word Fiction Challenge 2026 kicks off on May 29th, and registration is open! The 4th annual competition will challenge writers worldwide to create 500-word short stories in 48 hours. Learn more, register, and read previous winning stories at www.nycmidnight.com/500. Good luck, writers! https://www.nycmidnight.com/50002 Apr 2026 18:29 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mijtkcrmt22thttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mi3qr4oi3u2kThe Final Round of the 250-word Microfiction Challenge 2025 is underway! The final assignment of the competition is Open (genre), Repairing (action), and fast (word). Best of luck to the 100 finalists with their stories over the next 48 hours!28 Mar 2026 04:02 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi3qr4oi3u2khttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mhwkhrjnjg26The 2nd Round results for the 250-word Microfiction Challenge 2025 are up at bit.ly/4d6xjh6! Congratulations to the top five in each group for advancing to the Final Round, which kicks off this Friday, March 27th. Best of luck to them, and thanks to all who participated! https://bit.ly/4d6xjh626 Mar 2026 02:26 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhwkhrjnjg26https://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mhk5kp7mnu2pThe 100-word Microfiction Challenge 2026 is officially underway! View the 1st Round genre/action/word assignments, a countdown to the deadline, and the story upload link at nycmidnight.co/4t0k4mN. Best of luck to the 3,800+ writers participating worldwide over the next 24 hours! https://nycmidnight.co/4t0k4mN21 Mar 2026 04:03 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhk5kp7mnu2phttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mhizlxrajr2nThe 7th annual 100-word Microfiction Challenge kicks off at 11:59 PM (NY time) tonight, March 20, and registration is still open! Participants will have 24 hours to write a tiny story based on a genre, action, and word assignment. Learn more and register at www.nycmidnight.com/100. Good luck! https://www.nycmidnight.com/10020 Mar 2026 17:19 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhizlxrajr2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mhgouvj7wl2eCheck out a guest post from back-to-back winner of the 100-word Microfiction Challenge, Christy Hartman, on her five strategies to craft tiny stories that resonate universally. Enjoy, and get ready for the 2026 challenge kicking off on Friday, March 20th! https://www.nycmidnight.com/blog/anatomy-of-microfiction19 Mar 2026 19:02 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhgouvj7wl2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mh7a3uznus24We're proud to present the winning story from last year's 100-word Microfiction Challenge! Read "Impossible Choice" by back-back winner, Christy Hartman, at https://nycmidnight.co/impossible-choice. Original Illustration by Yevgenia Nayberg. Enjoy, and get ready for this year's 100-word challenge on March 20!16 Mar 2026 19:49 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh7a3uznus24https://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mgsn7melys26The 18th annual Flash Fiction Challenge kicks off May 1st, and registration is now open! Writers are challenged to create 1,000-word short stories in 48 hours. Learn more, register, & read previous winning stories at www.nycmidnight.com/ffc. Good luck, writers! https://www.nycmidnight.com/ffc11 Mar 2026 19:39 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgsn7melys26https://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mfvgxaq6sf2hThe Final Round of the Scary Story Challenge 2025 is underway! The final assignment of the competition is A WRONG TURN (scare), SIFTING (action), and AN EXHAUSTED PERSON (character). Best of luck to the 115 finalists with their 400-word scary stories over the next 48 hours!28 Feb 2026 05:00 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfvgxaq6sf2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/nycmidnight.bsky.social/post/3mfqbfawypg2lThe 2nd Round results for the Scary Story Challenge 2025 are up at nycmidnight.co/4baMTXu! Congratulations to the top five in each group for advancing to the Final Round, which kicks off this Friday, February 27th. Best of luck to them, and thanks to all who participated! https://nycmidnight.co/4baMTXu26 Feb 2026 03:37 +0000at://did:plc:bzhlcrt4f67nsqkcjhjogsbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfqbfawypg2l