This is what saw when I clicked a twitter link in my feed today:

Since 2002, NYC Midnight has hosted hundreds of unique and inspiring competitions for writers and filmmakers around the world. Participants are challenged to create original films, stories, or screenplays using assigned elements in limited amounts of time. If you enjoy a creative challenge, check out our upcoming competitions below…

Hooked.

I clicked on The Flash Fiction Challenge:

“The Flash Fiction Challenge is a competition that challenges writers around the world to create short stories (1,000 words max.) based on genre, location, and object assignments. Each writer will participate in at least 2 writing challenges and as many as 4 depending on how well they place in each challenge. When the competition begins, writers are placed in groups where they will be judged against other writers within their same group. Each group receives its own unique genre, location, and object assignments (see past examples here). After 2 challenges, the top 5 writers that score the highest advance to the next challenge. In Challenge #3, writers are placed in new groups and given a new genre, location, and object assignment. The top 5 writers from each of the groups in Challenge #3 advance to the fourth and final challenge of the competition where they are given the final genre, location, and object assignment and compete for thousands in cash and prizes. Sound like fun? Join the competition below or click here for a more detailed description of how the competition works.”

I joined the competition.

I am now signed up for a new challenge. Starting July 31 I’ll have 48 hours to write a 1000 word story in an unknown genre with assigned elements. Let’s see what happens.