Phil W. Bayles

…And Boy, Are My Arms Tired.

If you’d told me at the start of this year that I’d be taking part in a short story competition where I had two days to write a story based on a genre chosen for me at random, I would’ve said you were insane. Or, because I’m British, I’d more likely smile and nod at you while frantically searching for the nearest exit.

But this weekend I took part in the first round of NYC Midnight’s 500-Word Fiction Challenge, and by a remarkable coincidence that’s exactly what they made me do.

I got assigned romantic comedy. It’s fairly safe to say that romance is not even in the same postcode as my ballpark, but I do like writing comedy, and it was nice to be pushed a bit out of my comfort zone. Once I’d hopped on the forums, I also got to act as a beta reader for a whole host of talented authors. So that’s nice.

The winners of the first round will be announced in October. If I don’t make it further than that, I’ll probably still post the story here, because I’m damn proud of it.

Now, on to the next project!