Attention all contest competitors!
It has come to our attention that many of the participants are having difficulty creating a story that's 500 words or less. Thus we have decided to let you have more freedom. You're able to write a story over 500 words, but try and keep it as close to 500 as you can.
Here's a couple helpful tips to keep your word count down:
1. "Start in the middle." Most stories have an entire paragraph of a beginning. That's not necessary! Introduce your character and/or what'as going on in one to two sentences and then move on with your story.
Example: "My name is Bill, Captain of the cheer team and notorious playboy. I lived in California, a land of golden blondes and annual campfires hosted by yours truly. "Come on Bill, let's get this party started!" Ella said, shaking her pom poms.