Good morning! I’ve two pieces of writing/publishing news to share with you today. Firstly, the winner of the Paperswans Fourth Flash-Fiction Competition wasn’t me. It was SueAnn Porter with Trip to the Pier. Congratulations, SueAnn! If you’re interested in knowing which of the entries was mine, it was The Air Is Still, and I’ll be posting […]
This week, I have a flash-fiction up for public vote in the latest Paperswans contest. The requirements were to write a 160 words (max) story, inspired by the image to the left. The entries are displayed anonymously, so I’m guessing I’m not supposed to tell you which one’s mine, but I’d be grateful if you’d […]
The day it happened, I was perched on the rocky outcrop overlooking our ranch. I’d had enough of Jake, my little brother, teasing me about the field-hand who’d said I was ‘blossoming into a very pretty flower’. I’d gone up there to let my cheeks cool. I’d gone up there to be alone. You could […]
If you like taking part in flash-fiction competitions, head on over to 1000words and check out the latest contest: Word limit: 200 words Deadline: 5pm BST Sunday 27th July 2014
Today, I’m very pleased to welcome flash-fictioneer Karl A Russell to my blog. At 1000words, we have published two of his tales: the humorous Stormin’ Norma (a 1000words National Flash-Fiction Day 2013 winner) and the haunting (and very recent) Such Sights To See. Hi, Karl. Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. What prompted you to […]
I find him sitting on the steps of the motel, elbows on his knees, hat tipped forward over his eyes, a shield against the evening sun. Yesterday, I’d have been thrilled to see him there, my very own cowboy, all legs and shoulders and work-worn denim. ‘London?’ he says, lifting his head, an eyebrow arched. […]
Every year, my kids take part in the Summer Reading Challenge. At some point in July, we toddle off to the local library, sign up and take out a book or two. By the end of the summer, they’ve usually read and reported back on more than the six books required to complete the challenge […]
If you enjoyed Calum Kerr’s Breaking Distance, the odds are you’ll enjoy his recent book, Lunch Hour. The premises of both books are the same: every flash-fiction-length chapter is set in the same place, at the same time. In Breaking Distance, every story occurred in a motorway service station at the moment someone dropped a […]
Today, my short-listed National Flash-Fiction Day 2014 Micro-Competition story gets its first public airing at The Pygmy Giant. It’s called Moments, is only 100 words long and starts like this: You hate it that she can’t remember the moment you met. To read the rest, head on over to The Pygmy Giant … I hope […]
(This story won in the ‘Desire’ category of the 8 Days of Ether Contest.) ~A Price Too High~ ‘You’re sure now?’ asks the shopkeeper, planting his hands on the counter. The badge pinned to his leather apron reads: weswapanything.com. Manager Patrick ‘Yes,’ I reply, stabbing my hands into the pockets of my parka to stop […]