#AtoZchallenge Flash Fiction

Flash Fiction

We host Flash Fiction periodically here on our blog, and it's something I do occasionally on my own, so let's talk! There are a lot of different definitions for flash fiction and what it entails. Some are incredibly restrictive, such as writing a full story in 10 words or 140 characters, but others allow some wiggle room, expanding to limits of 1000 words or more. If you’re writing for fun, the limit is up to you – but remember it’s always a good idea to give yourself a challenge! You never know what you can do until you push your limits.

When I tell writer friends that I enjoy writing flash fiction, the most common response is “I couldn’t possibly write a full story in that many words/that little time!” Beb, yes you can. Writing flash fiction doesn’t have to be scary. Think of it as condensed novel-writing that doesn’t need all the elements of a longer story. You aren’t required to have fully fleshed-out characters and flawless worldbuilding. Exposition should be kept to a minimum, and some of my favorite flash fiction makes use of open endings, allowing me as a reader to end the story the way I want (and cleverly saving time and words for the writer). Sometimes, you can even get away with not naming your characters.

Many flash fiction contests will provide a prompt. It might be a word or phrase, or occasionally a picture or other image. Let’s use the word “Sunrise” as an example. Once you get your prompt, start casting about for whatever comes to mind when you hear the word. Sunrise. Sunrise over what? Over a lake. Okay, how big is this lake? What else is on it, in the area? Birds? A boat? A cottage? Let’s go with a cottage, and let’s also figure out what our POV will be. How about second person present tense, that’s a fun one. Head on over to that cottage. Ew, it’s creepy. I’m not sure I like this place. But what makes it creepy? That it’s abandoned? That there are dead birds in the corner? That the floorboards upstairs are creaking even though nothing could possibly be living there? See, we’re off to a good start already!

The trick to flash fiction is not thinking too much. With a full-length novel, there’s plenty of time and space to meander and try things out, see where plotlines lead. But with flash fiction, you’ve got limits on both those things. You’ve basically got to pick a plot to follow and stick with it. Even so, you’d be surprised to discover what’s living in your mind when you let it run the show. While flash fiction has its constraints, it can also be incredibly freeing. You might discover that you have a knack for horror, even though you’ve never written it before. You might find that you actually prefer writing in first person despite everything you’ve written in third. It sounds cheesy, but don’t limit yourself to what you know you can achieve!

Why publish short fiction if I'm a novelist?

As promised last week, here's the second part of that longer article, this time looking at why publishing those short stories is a good idea, even if you're certain writing novels is what you really want to do.

The scary thing is that moment when you know you’ve done as much to your story as you can. Because where do you go from here? Publishing feels like a big step, but writers write so they can be read, and a story hanging out on your hard drive is only going to be read by one person – you.  I’d jumped the gun with publishing, and had sent out a couple of those early, awful novels only to have them rejected, probably (hopefully?) unread. 

Before submitting a story to a publication, it’s a good idea to take a look at some other issues of that publication to get a feel for what they like.  It’s also a good idea to look at things like how often they publish new work, especially when it comes to online publications.   A site that publishes a new story each day is going to need far more content than a publication that might only publish one piece of short fiction per month or quarter, so is probably an easier place to get accepted.

I’m not going to lie to you.  Your story is very likely going to be rejected.  But this isn’t a bad thing.  Publishing is full of rejection (I’ve logged over 300 rejections in my career), and if you’re serious about being a writer, it’s something you need to learn to deal with.  And it’s way better to have a short story that may have taken a few days to write rejected than a novel that may have taken a few years.  I’m not saying it won’t hurt, or that it won’t be disappointing, but after the first few times, it does get easier. Honestly.  I wouldn’t lie to you.

And while your story is out in the world, waiting for its chance to shine in that literary journal or anthology, you can get to work on your next story.  Or your novel.  Just remember, the more publications you submit to, the more chance you have of getting published.  Rejections are just one of the stepping stones along the way.

As well as toughening my hide against the pain of rejection, publishing short fiction helped me build some publishing credits.  When querying a novel, having a publication history shows agents you’re serious about writing, and if you’ve been published in a well-known magazine or journal, it speaks to the quality of your writing. It also helps to build an audience for your long-form work.  If readers have enjoyed a short story you’ve written, they may also like a novel.  After reading the story, they might do some research to find out if you’ve written something else.

I don’t actually know for sure if any of the readers of my short stories have read my novels, or vice versa, but it’s certainly possible, right?

Which is a reason why it might be a good idea to continue writing and publishing short fiction even after your first novel is published and available.  Writing a novel takes a long time, and readers may be impatient to hear from you again.  Publishing short fiction keeps your name and your voice in the minds of your readers so they don’t forget you between novels.

Some publishers regularly compile anthologies of short or novella length fiction partly for this very reason – to keep their authors in the spotlight between novels. But also to discover new writers who might have unique and interesting voices. I’m lucky enough that my publisher is one of these, and last year I got to stretch my writing muscles with a novella-length story (Run to You) in an anthology of stories each of which started and finished with a kiss.  It’s called Kissed if anyone’s interested…

So, there are any number of reasons why writing and publishing short stories is not a waste of time for novelists.  So get out there and write yourself some short fiction.  I'd love to read it.

Why write short fiction if I'm a novelist?

There were no questions for O'Abby this week, so I thought instead I'd share an excerpt from a longer article I wrote a while back about why, as a novelist, writing short fiction can be valuable.

Next time we're without a question for O'Abby, I'll share the other part of this article, which is about why publishing that short fiction is equally valuable.

Hope you find it useful!

I wrote my first novel when I was still a teenager.  Barely a teenager.  I’d never written anything except stories for school before, and had no idea what I was doing.  And the finished novel was a complete mess.  So were the next two I attempted, and the fourth.

It wasn’t until I took a step away from pouring myself into novel after novel that I learned how to be a writer.  And what taught me those valuable lessons, was writing short stories.

Writing short fiction has many benefits for novelists, whether you’ve written your first novel or your fourteenth.

Writing short fiction helps you discover what you love writing.  There are thousands of publications out there asking for stories in every genre from crime thrillers to romance to fantasy and beyond.  Why not test your ability across a range of genres and styles?  Find out what you truly love to write before you invest the hundreds of hours required to write a novel.

While I figured this out for myself, I wrote sci-fi, fantasy, horror, erotica, historical fiction and more.  And throughout all this, I think I knew my heart was always going to be in YA, but I don’t feel at all like I wasted my time by writing more broadly.  In fact, I think writing all those different genres helped me find my own unique voice because I tried so hard to change it when writing stories that weren’t wholly my own.

Writing short fiction is also a valuable tool for honing your writing craft.  When a publication is asking for a story of only five, three or one thousand words, there’s no room for waffle.  The story itself needs to be focused and crafted so it has a beginning, a middle and an ending.  The writing must be powerful and evocative.  In short fiction, every word must have a purpose and pull its weight.  There is no room for flabby writing.   Nor is there room for a cast of thousands or myriad subplots.

I like to keep this in the back of my mind when I’m editing longer works.  Each chapter can be looked at like a short story, and each word in that chapter needs to push the story forward, not send it off into some dark alleyway with no exit in sight.

As a writer, I find writing short fiction is fantastic for keeping my writing tight. Novels give us the freedom to explore subplots and side characters and elaborate on worlds, but sometimes it’s valuable to go back to short fiction and try to get to the core of the story in as few words as possible.  Once you get back into the habit of making every word count, it will transfer into your novel writing and make your writing there stronger and tighter too.

Building Your Writing Bio with Short Story Credits

(source)

When I first started querying, I kind of dreaded my bio at the closing of my query. I didn't have any credits, hadn't won any contests, nor could I put that I had a MFA in creative writing, or was working toward one. 

Which, before I continue, let me say-- You don't need ANY of that. If you have a fabulous story with a stellar query that lends itself to an agent requesting material (and possibly offering rep), then that is all you need. 

But for myself, I've found that having something to include in my bio helps to give me a boost of confidence before pressing send. Seeing those acceptances in black and white at the bottom of my query letter lets me know that I can do this, that someone has found merit in my work, and that I'm not a total hack (aren't we writers so lovely to ourselves?). 

Besides taking less time than writing a novel, writing short stories and submitting them can help alleviate the tedium of the querying process. With short stories, the wait to find out whether you've been accepted is often much shorter, and it's fun to anticipate cover reveals and even work on edits, which can help you get a feel for the process.

If you're interested in submitting work to the short story market (as well as flash ficton, poetry or magazines), the below links are a few places that you can find calls for submissions:

Ralan

Jeanne Lyet Gassman

NewPages

Coffintree Hill

Dreaming Robot Press
Brave New Girls

What are your thoughts on writing credits and short stories (flash fiction, poetry, etc.)?

Guest Post: Why Every Fiction Writer Should Be Writing Short Fiction, by Terra Luft

This post originally appeared on Terra's website, terraluft.com, on July 12, 2015.
**********

I know you. You’re a novelist, an aspiring writer of the next great novel. Forging ahead through the jungle of self-doubt and rejections. I know, because I am just like you. Only I found a shortcut to success in the most unlikely of places: writing short stories.

Short fiction is an amazing avenue—even for those of us novelists who would never dream of writing short stories. Online magazines beg for content. Open calls for anthology submissions abound, hoping to find the next great thing. Many small presses use quarterly anthologies to find new novelists to sign. Flash fiction sites boast daily publishing for readers who want their fiction in tiny snippets. Land any one of these opportunities and that query for your novel just gained legitimacy—the kind that only comes from publishing credentials.

Opportunities aside, the best reason for aspiring writers and seasoned veterans alike is short stories hone your writing craft. Beginning novelists can take years to complete a first draft, then must repeat the process multiple times to polish their skills enough to land a publisher or sell well in today’s indie market. Why not learn all that on a microcosmic scale instead? Take months, not years, to learn the same lessons.

Can you never get from the dreaded middle to a neatly wrapped up ending? Write a short story. Do you struggle with dialogue? Write a short story using only dialogue. Not sure if you can pull off first-person present tense? Try it out on a short story. Do you avoid the overwhelming, often dreaded, prospect of editing your work? Write a short story, then edit multiple times to perfect it. My first published story went through eleven drafts. Imagine the time that would have taken with a novel! But once you’ve acquired these skills in an accelerated way, you can apply the experience gained to your longer fiction.

Veterans can use short fiction to further refine established skills. My editor’s favorite question is this: Does your writing do more than one thing at a time?

For example: The pendant hung from Susan’s neck where it always did. She loved the intricate scrollwork surrounding the pearl in a starburst pattern. She walked down the street, worrying about the events of the morning. Three sentences, thirty-four words.

Instead of separate sentences describing the pendant and the action, an experienced writer will combine the two: Susan eyed the storm clouds, thumbnail caught in the scrollwork of her mother’s starburst pendant like it always did when she was worried. One sentence, twenty-three words.

In that single sentence, we have tone, setting clues, action, and description. Plus, this shorter version shows us a characteristic when she’s worried, instead of breaking the cardinal rule of telling us she’s worried. Writing succinctly will set you apart in the eyes of readers and acquisition editors alike.

When you can write with an economy of words, stripped of the superfluous, your writing at any length will be more compelling. Use these benefits of short fiction, perfecting your own voice in the process, and your fiction writing overall will be improved.

************

Terra Luft is a speculative fiction author and prolific blogger. An overachiever by nature, she tackles every project with coffee and sarcasm, and believes all rules exist to be broken. She works full time by day and writes by night; always searching for that ever-elusive work-life balance people tell her exists. A member of the Horror Writers Association and a founding member of The United Author Association, she lives in Utah with her husband and two daughters, their naughty dog and a cat who stole her heart.

www.terraluft.com

facebook.com/TerraLuftAuthor

terraluftwrites@gmail.com

https://twitter.com/earthandair

www.onceuponakeyboard.com

Meet Jack Sprat! Issue #1

Attention Comic-Con Fans! 

(and authors!) 

Meet Jack, Issue #1 from Jack Sprat Magazine 

(FREE download until September 15th)

http://jackspratpress.com/jack-sprat-e-zine/

If you're a reader looking for something fun and unusual, check it out! It's free until September 15th! Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway (below) for a One Year Subscription to Jack Sprat Magazine.

If you're an author looking for something outside the normal realm of publishing, hop on over to the submission guidelines and THEME for Issue #2. (submissions are officially open September 15th.)  And do enter the Rafflecopter giveaway (below) for a One Year Subscription to Jack Sprat Magazine.

From the Jack Sprat Press website: 

What we’re looking for:

Genre mash-up, inspired by a classic crayola crayon color, no more than 1000 words. It must be a complete, stand-alone story with a unique twist. Make us go, “hmmm…”

Complete 4-page comics, art included, also inspired by a classic crayola crayon color. We like dark stories with a whimsical twist (e.g. Tim Burton or Neil Gaiman). Any style is accepted. We’re fans of manga, superhero, even stick figures. Wow us with your originality.

The genres we’re interested in:
Science Fiction
Fantasy
Horror
Magical Realism
Superhero
Literary
Comedy
Steampunk
Verse

Good luck!! :-) 

Enter for a chance to win a ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION:

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Apex Editor Jason Sizemore on "Publishing Myths: You Need an *In* to Get In

Publishing Myths: You Need an *In* to Get In

I’ve been thinking about the publishing business even more than usual lately due to the release of my second book, For Exposure: The Life and Times of a Small Press Publisher. In the book, I lay bare the ups and downs of running a small press and pull back the curtain on some of the more lascivious details of my ten years as editor. After somebody reads the book, inevitably I’m asked questions related to the book industry in general.

There is an incredible the amount of misguided opinions and mythical beliefs about publishing that writers and non-writer civilians hold as gospel. Perhaps the worst of these is that writers and editors, as a whole, are making money hand over fist. My own father, who I’ve spent many hours explaining how Apex functions as a business, still believes that I am a dragon hoarding away my publishing gold coins and making a conscious decision to eschew living high on the hog for a life of vanilla middle class.

Dad, you should know me better than that. I’m a high maintenance country boy!

Alas, I think this belief is a lost cause. No matter what I say, no matter what the facts are, people are still going to believe that writers and editors all make the big bucks. Instead I’ll focus on a myth I hope to push a stake through and actually have it stick. The myth that goes like this: in order to be published, you need to know somebody in the business.

I’m sure this belief started early in publishing history. I can picture it now: a lowly writer-type approaches Johannes Gutenberg after he invents the printing press.

“Sir, would you kindly look at my manuscript? It’s a historical romance that is a cross of the Ming Dynasty and the adventures of Joan of Arc!”

And this one lowly writer, having her work published by Gutenberg, then gives Gutenberg a good word about her friend. So begins a long line of ‘begats’ similar to the Bible’s unrolling of bloodlines in the first chapter of Matthew.

Having your book (or short story) published isn’t akin to cracking the Voynich Manuscript. The key is a simple one: have a great idea and then write a good book.

Notice I didn’t say you have to write a ‘great’ book. Don’t worry about building a masterpiece out of your first publication. Very few in the world will write a cultural touchstone like To Kill a Mockingbird or Doctor Zhivago on the first try. If you know how to plot a book and write sentences that make sense and then wrap those skills around a knockout idea for a plot then you’ll be in business.

Perhaps saying this will get me trolled…but I’m a cold-hearted editor, so I’m going for it—two of our generation’s most popular novelists broke in with first novels that succeeded based more on plot and less on writing mechanics. Stephen King’s Carrie is an amazing first novel. So is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Both rely on standard tropes, but the fascinating and engrossing tales that spin out of these books kick-started literary movements on their own.

Having said all that, I won’t lie and tell a writer that having an “in” won’t help. Sometimes, it does. Perhaps a writer pal of yours has a great relationship with his agent. The agent isn’t taking on any new clients, but agrees to look at your manuscript based on the recommendation of your pal. Or you make friends with a popular author leading a writing seminar who puts in a word for you at a short fiction zine.

In most cases, having an “in” will get you a look, but that doesn’t guarantee you a sale. You still have to succeed on the strength of your work. If you feel you have a great idea, I want to encourage you to use any “in” you might have. Grease the wheels of success all you can, because the road is bumpy and there is a lot of traffic out there.

In For Exposure, I recount my encounters with a real person I pseudonymously name Hickory Adams. Hickory is an unpleasant individual who has found me at half a dozen conventions over the years, each time pitching me an awful sounding novel. Each of which I’ve passed on. Over the years, the chip on his shoulder grew. He’s accused me of favoritism. He’s accused me of only publishing my friends. The last time I met him, he bragged to me that he had sold his books to a real publisher. One that he found based on a recommendation by a friend who happens to work with the publisher. He said gatekeepers like me were censoring the hard work of writers like him, even though he’d just told me that his friend worked for his publisher. I could only roll my eyes and find a way out of the conversation post-haste.

Don’t be like Hickory Adams and allow the hucksters of the internet to fill your head with nonsense about gatekeepers and needing to know somebody to be somebody. The profession of writing often rewards hard work. Sure, luck can be involved, but don’t underestimate the value of persistence and patience.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

For Exposure: The Life and Times of a Small Press Publisher
Apex Publications
182 pages
ISBN: 9781937009304

http://www.amazon.com/Exposure-Times-Small-Press-Publisher/dp/1937009300

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born the son of an unemployed coal miner in a tiny Kentucky Appalachian villa named Big Creek (population 400), Jason fought his way out of the hills to the big city of Lexington. He attended Transylvania University (a real school with its own vampire legend) and received a degree in computer science. Since 2005, he has owned and operated Apex Publications. He is the editor of five anthologies, author of Irredeemable, a three-time Hugo Award loser, an occasional writer, who can usually be found wandering the halls of hotel conventions.

Short Thoughts on Short Stories

Lately I've been writing in short formats -- short stories, picture books, magazine stories.

I started out in college writing short stories, like most creative writing majors, but the genre didn't appeal to me that much as much as novels -- they are often too open-ended for me as a writer and reader. But now I'm writing for children, from preschool to YA, and stories are more tightly structured and compressed, with a real beginning, middle and end. As a reader and writer, that contained story has its appeals and challenges -- character, voice, plot, and (in the case of spec fiction) world-building in a few pages or even a few dozen pages? Hard!

Why short formats?
It may be that my attention span or commitment isn't there for another novel, but the ideas that have been calling to me are short. I hope it helps me in my novel writing and revision -- it's easier to pay attention to every word when their are fewer of them. I tend to write long, I'm hoping I can retrain myself to be more succinct and precise even in longer works.

But mostly, I think there are more opportunities for shorter formats now because they are so effective  on e-readers. There are more markets -- anthologies aplenty in addition to magazines, and stand-alone e-publishing, whether self-published or small press. Five years ago, a novelette or novella had few options. Now novellas are hitting the New York Times Best Sellers lists (Cari Quinn's NO DRESS REQUIRED, Entangled Flirt) and being optioned for film (Hugh Howley's WOOL, self-published sci-fi series). Established writers are self-publishing story collections, previously published, or those that otherwise might not have found a home. Traditional publishers and self-publishers alike are releasing free or inexpensive digital prequels or shorts to build interest in new titles.

Do you write or read more short fiction lately? What are your thoughts on the new markets and trends?

If you write shorter fiction, here are a few interesting calls for submissions I've come across

Luna Station Quarterly - speculative fiction written by women, including science fiction, space opera, new fairy tales, deadline August 15.

Real Girls Don't Rust, Pugalicious Press - YA steampunk anthology for short stories 5500 to 7500 words, deadline September 1.

Science Fiction/Fantasy, Chamberton Press -  Short fiction with SF/fantasy themes (YA and crossover) new worlds, alternate universes, fairies, vampires, werewolves, deadline August 1.

StoneThread Fantasy & Science Fiction Short Story Contest, StoneThread Publishing - anthology honoring Ray Bradbury, deadline July 31. 

Young Adult Anthology, Chamberton Press - YA shorts that "inspire hope, feature main characters that have overcome great odds/obstacles, or leave the reader inspired," deadline September 1.