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On November 18, 2022, I wrote the second 250-word NYC Microfiction Short Story Competition Challenge.
I was given the following criteria to use in my story:
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Subject: Winning a Trophy
Word: Represent
Length: 250 (Maximum)
The 250-word Microfiction Challenge 2022 / 1st Round Feedback – 01-12-2023
This is the feedback I received on my short story called, It's Not Over Until It's Over, Never Give Up!
Dear Anita Wladichuk,
The feedback from the judges on your 1st Round submission from the 250-word Microfiction Challenge 2022 is below. We hope you find the feedback helpful and you’re proud of the story you created for the challenge. Thank you for participating, and we hope to see you in a future challenge!
''It's Not Over Until It's Over - Never Give Up'' by Anita Wladichuk - WHAT THE JUDGES LIKED ABOUT YOUR STORY - {1927} The dinner date is a believable story stake for Beth. The mud is a good obstacle. Like the character's resolve that allows her to win. {2256} I liked how the race had one disaster after another, yet Beth was able to come out victorious. {2177} I like the how the action and tension build as Beth competes in the race. It's definitely a feel good story, providing a warm feeling for the reader. WHAT THE JUDGES FEEL NEEDS WORK - {1927} Some of the prose feels a little like it's telegraphing the story, reporting it. Want "iris" of this world to open a little more than just the facts. What is her boyfriend like? Where is she dreaming of going to dinner? How did the mud feel on her skin? What specifically did they laugh about that night? {2256} I thought the story lacked a unique voice or POV. In some parts it felt like a narrator was telling the story because of the use of exclamation points, but at other times it just seemed like a news report of the race. {2177} Overall, while the content is nice and fun, the writing itself could use some improvement. The introduction of the mud from the rain comes too closely before the moment where Beth slips. Instead, introduce the mud earlier, then bring it back in the moment that Beth slips. That will make it feel more like a payoff and more realistic for your audience, rather than the sudden appearance of mud which Beth then slips on. Also Beth's thoughts in between her action of slipping in mud and the result of her being covered in mud feel out of place, they should be after the result. Finally, the ending lacks weight, try to give it more of a resolution.