Believe it or not, I’m beginning to think that its easier to write a 55 word story than a 150 word story since there is no room for embellishments that will lead to overwriting… With the return of the 55 word challenge I’m discovering a whole new world of writing that befits my ‘sparse style’ as one friend […]
Read More 55 Word FictionMaking a backup isn’t always enough – take it from me: go the extra step and make sure a) you’ve backed up what you think you have and b) it actually worked. I’ve just come back from a ‘catastrophic’ failure of my desktop computer. Fortunately I had done a system backup 3 days before it […]
Read More A Serious Word on Backups…Flash fiction contests can do a lot for writers, but it should come with an addiction warning. We’re coming up on the anniversary of my first submission to FlashFriday, and my first honorable mention. I went from writing sagas to writing not just short stories but… really short stories in no time flat. What […]
Read More Confessions of a Flash Fiction AddictWe all have those typos that live in infamy, those occasions where we edit but leave something behind… The following are a few of my favorites. As you may, or may not know, I’m working on editing the novel I started in NaNoWriMo. As I do, I find some errors that make me laugh. They […]
Read More Editing – a few of my favorite mistakesOkay, it’s not as traditional as the dog ate my homework but… my desktop won’t boot and I can’t get to my most recent edits… I was going to edit this afternoon, I really was, but my desktop has decided it doesn’t want to boot and unfortunately (or fortunately) I’m my ‘tech guy.’ This means, […]
Read More Call the tech guy!A lot of people talk about having a hook, or if we are going for a fishing metaphor lure, that catches the reader’s attention long enough to hook them and draw them in… but there’s a lot more to it than that. The first line in any story tends to set the tone. It clues […]
Read More Musings on the importance of the first lineThe answer, in my not so humble opinion, is yes… and no. Rhythm is in everything we do. It is the tick of the clock, the movement of the pendulum, the very beat of our hearts is rhythmic. Rhythm can be as simple or as complex as we want it to be, but it is […]
Read More Poetry Part 2: Is there poetry without rhythm?The predictability of being unpredictable. As I’ve stated earlier, I’ve been writing for flash fiction contests for over a year now, and although almost all the judges judge ‘blind’ (they collect the stories without the author’s information) they almost always know its me. “Why?” you ask. The easiest answer is: my voice. My voice is […]
Read More Musing on voice, its advantages and disadvantagesIt’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since I started entering flash fiction competitions but I’ve learned a lot in that year: the most important lesson I think is to trust your instincts and don’t get too hung up on the judging: focus on the story. Sure, winning is great (and addictive) […]
Read More Flash Fiction – a Matter of OpinionA lot of writing workshops and classes will talk about style and voice. These are the spices that flavor your writing and make them yours. Finding your voice as a writer is very important: it helps you establish a rapport with your reader and gives them a connection that will, hopefully, draw them into your […]
Read More A few thoughts on voice and cover letters.