Short story

So, I got this email about a short story contest put on by the Kenyon Review for writers under 30. The submission can be no longer than 1,200 words (which now seems quite short after working on the NaNoWriMo novel). I'm totally going to enter -- the winner gets to attend their writers' workshop in the summer for free and gets their story published. The only problem is, I don't know what to write a short story about. The entries are due at the end of February, so I do have a little time, but I wonder what to do.

I just took a few minutes to read the two runner-up stories from last year (the winning story isn't online), and I don't know... One is good, the other seems kind of pretentious. Also, I don't have an MFA in creative writing. I did take that one creative writing course in college...haha.

I guess we'll see...I'm nervous to put myself out there with writing because I don't really fancy a knock-out punch from the rejection fairy in this area. Making up stories is the one thing I'd like to continue dreaming that I'm good at. I suppose winning contests isn't everything, and I'm not pinning being a successful writer on doing well in some contest, but my ego's fragile, damn it (and already so bruised from never having any good job prospects). Oh well...I'll give an update when I come up with some story scenarios or characters or something.