Sometimes events converge. We call these coincidences, accidents, chance meetings, any number of names. Sometimes these convergences lead to bad days; sometimes they lead to opportunity. The jury is still out as to a] whether I will experience such a convergence this coming weekend and b] in what category it will fall.

I participate in many of the quarterly Writers Weekly 24-hour Short Story Competitions. I also may be facing writing a 48-hour short story for the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Short Story Championship, depending upon the success of my story The Hole In One Lofton Cole in the 2nd round. If I earned a top 5 spot in my group of 20, I'll be facing a weekend in which I must write not one, but two completed short stories in a 48-hour period.

What's my strategy? I don't believe seat-of-the-pants will work under these circumstances. Without intensive, careful (and brief) up-front planning, I fear I'll flounder. 

Can I do my best work given that I'll effectively have half the time to write my NYC story as others will have? Honestly I can't say. Being a website designer has taught me one thing: sometimes a deadline is exactly the right medicine for producing work under a deadline.

I have considered scrapping the Writers Weekly competition. My buy-in was a mere $5 and they prestige and payout is less than the publicity and cashola I stand to gain from NYC.

I may have just talked myself out of the Writers Weekly competition. See? It all comes out in the writing. So there's my plan:

If I move to the last round of NYC, I'll focus on that alone.
If I don't make it, I'll concentrate on Writers Weekly.

Why risk losing both due to my perfectionist streak?