Two-Story Writing Challenge 2026 1st Round
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Remember to follow these rules and scroll down to begin the upload process.
BOTH ASSIGNMENTS UPLOADED HERE - Both assignments are uploaded using this form. Writers may upload their assignments in any order they prefer. Make sure you are selecting the correct group number below. For example, if you are in group 60 and you are submitting your story using the prompts for Assignment #2, you would choose 60.2 from the dropdown list.
OFFICIAL COUNTDOWN CLOCK - The official countdown to the submission deadline is in the assignment email and on the assignment page. The time shown on this page is set one hour later than the official countdown to allow for last-minute submissions, but anything submitted after the official clock may be marked late by NYC Midnight. Late entries will still be provided feedback by the judges, but will not be eligible to move to the next round. MAKE SURE YOU ARE SUBMITTING YOUR STORY BY THE OFFICIAL COUNTDOWN CLOCK!
ANONYMITY – The author’s name must NOT appear anywhere in the title or story. The author will have an opportunity to put their name on the story submission form below.
LENGTH – The maximum length of each story is 300 words, not including the title. The story submission form will not allow stories over 300 words to be uploaded. Please remember that any story deemed to be excessively combining words through hyphenation, lack of spaces, or other means to reduce the word count may be disqualified. View a guide to help avoid being disqualified for "Word Count Manipulation" at https://www.nycmidnight.com/wordcount.
SPACING - There are no rules regarding spacing your stories, so you can space them however you like. To double-space between lines or paragraphs, press ENTER or RETURN twice. You can view a tutorial on spacing on Submittable forms at https://www.nycmidnight.com/tutorials/submittable-story-spacing.