"I am one with the chaos. The chaos is one with me."

Twelve hours. Less time than it takes to binge-watch your favorite show, but somehow you're going to create something magical.

Your story is officially a short story now. Not a novella, definitely not a novel, but a short, powerful, emotionally devastating piece that will make readers screenshot it and send it to their friends with sobbing emojis.

Here's your secret weapon: stream of consciousness. Don't think, just feel and write. Let your subconscious take the wheel while your conscious mind is too busy panicking to interfere. Some of the most beautiful, raw, honest writing happens when we stop overthinking and start trusting our instincts.

If poetry is calling to you, this might actually be your perfect timeline. Intense emotions create powerful poetry, and I'm guessing you're feeling pretty intensely right now.

Spend hours 1-2 figuring out your basic concept and falling in love with your character, hours 3-9 writing without stopping (seriously, become one with your keyboard), hours 10-11 reading through once and fixing only the things that would make readers confused, and hour 12 making it pretty, submitting it, and sending up a little thank you to the universe.

READ your story with your heart, not your head. Does it make you feel something? Does it have a voice that feels authentically yours? If yes, then it's ready. If something feels emotionally flat, add one perfect detail or one line of dialogue that makes you feel the feels. Ask yourself: Does your story make you feel something when you read it? Is there at least one moment that gives you chills? Does your character's voice feel real and honest? Can readers connect with the emotions, even if the situation is different from their life?