I’m excited.  Today my first flash fiction piece went live! Please read SLAM and leave a comment if so moved.

https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2017/10/23/slam/

You know how it is: the writer is the one who’s always taking notes — the one for whom everything is material. You know this because you’re one of us.

The spark for this story rose out of an actual experience. My inadequate response to an uncomfortable situation forced me to reflect deeply on my relationship with the world and with those I perceive, despite my talk to the contrary, as not me. Reflection meant writing my way through it, trying on other points of view, exploring the sometimes messy business of being human — of judging and distancing and forgetting.

What do you have to say about your experience with the world?  How might flash fiction work for you as a writer?  (Check out my August posting about flash fiction.)

Your comment will appear below shortly after posting it.  Please don’t hold back.  Let’s have a conversation.

As Jean Luc Picard would say, “Engage!”

 

 

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

                                                                                                                                                                                       …  Mark Twain

     If you write poetry or prose, fiction or nonfiction, essays, articles, stories or songs — you are a writer.  And because you generally write alone, this blog is for you. In answer to the question, “Is anybody out there?” consider mine the voice of a friend, sister, and supporter.

     In my own writing practice, my writing rules are simple and few:

                    Put the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.

                    Never a day without a line (nulla dies sine linea — Horace 65-8 bc).

                    Get it down, don’t wait for it to be good.

                    Once it’s down, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

     Some days my butt hits the seat and nothing happens. Stuck, blocked, whatever you want to call it, I can’t get going. At such times, I assign myself simple exercises with an emphasis on fun.  Intentionally basic, these can serve sophisticate and novice alike.  Here are some favorites:

     Vivid Verb Play

     She  went, walked, waddled, sprinted, sauntered, staggered, stumbled, strutted, bounded, ambled, plodded, galloped, raced, tip-toed, crept, crawled, limped, darted, drove, bounced, cartwheeled  across the lawn.

     Well, which was it?  Did she sprint or saunter, walk or waddle?

     Which is the most accurate and vivid verb?  How many ways can one cross a lawn?  Which verb eliminates the need for an adverb?  If she walked slowly, for example, isn’t it more precise to say she sauntered or ambled or plodded or meandered?  Economy and precision strengthen a piece.  Yes?

     Brainstorm at least ten verbs for each sentence below.  Have fun with it.

                    The cow ______ over the moon.

                    The mouse ______ up the clock.

                    The horse ______  …

                    The drunken woman ________ …

                    The silly young girls ________ …

                    The spacecraft ________ …

Specificity

     For added fun, scan the original sentence, “She _______ across the lawn.”   Note the lack of specific, concrete detail.  Who is the “she” who “what-evered” across the lawn? Now, check out this alternative:

     Eighty-year-old Lucretia Batz sprinted across Mathilda Dumwitty’s front lawn as Mathilda’s terrier, Crackers, lunged and snapped at her heels.

     Overdone, perhaps, but fun.  Word play stimulates the mind and strengthens the writing muscles.  The sillier or more outrageous, the better.  For now, go wild.  It’s a great way to work through a block and play with specificity.

     Rewrite the following:

     1. She lifted a great weight.  (Who is she?  Other verbs for lifted?  “Show” this great weight with words.)

     2. The thing broke the window.

     3. The stuff came out of the container.

     4. They had a fight there.

     5. The car went down the road, went around the corner, went into the guard rail and …

     6. The concert audience came into the auditorium, went to their seats and did things while they waited.

     Create more of your own.  Specificity and vivid verbs are the goals here. Editing comes later.  Play and have your wild way with words.

     Until next time,

                                    MLB

“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.”  

(Blaise Pascal translation; William Highsmith, “Flash Fiction FAQs,” Writer’s Digest) 

 

Flash fiction pieces are short compact stories of fewer than 1500 words.  My experience is with those that land between 500-750 words. They are an excellent means of sharpening your skills, no matter your experience level.

Claire Guyton, a writer I greatly admire, first inspired me to explore flash fiction as a writing practice.  As illustrated in the above quote, writing such fiction takes time and great care.  It requires carefully selected details and precisely chosen words.  Imagery and dialogue (if any) must carry layers of meaning. No word must be wasted.  Only that which serves the story must remain. In the words of William Highsmith, flash fiction requires the “verbal efficiency of a poet.”

I’ve been writing short stories for years because they necessitate strict economy and the willingness to regularly “kill your darlings.”  Until my introduction to Claire, however, I hadn’t considered the challenge of the short short.  Then, as I launched into writing my first novel to explore a more expansive form, I was asked to contribute 500-700 word bi-weekly pieces by a small daily paper.

Recently, a prompt was offered by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance ( http://mainewriters.org ) inviting members to enter a contest.  We were to write a piece of not more than 500 words beginning with a provided sentence.  It was great fun and provided another opportunity for practice.  Mine did not win, but that mattered little.  Contests present useful deadlines!

I’ve since had a 600-word piece accepted for publication in Flash Fiction Magazine! As so many stories do, it came out of an actual experience tempered by hindsight, self-reflection and a bit of fantasy.  I’ll post the link when it appears in October.  Meanwhile, I highly recommend Claire Guyton’s latest.  It is brilliantly executed.       https://atticusreview.org/gun-metal-days/

Until I post again, I encourage you to explore the offerings of online sites specializing in flash/micro/sudden fiction and to consider adopting a daily or weekly practice.  It’s a great way to exercise those writing muscles in short but powerful bursts. It’s good for the brain, for getting to know your inner editor, and for letting your inner poet come out to play.

Let me know what you think.  Posting comments here is easy and they will quickly be available for viewing.

Now, seat to the seat!

mlb