tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post6909423620756740211..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: Flash Slam Dunk, Ali Bacon finds a new philosophy on a night out Katherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-65350762247811574702015-11-22T17:21:18.526+00:002015-11-22T17:21:18.526+00:00Hi Bill
On this occasion we had a 250 word limit. ...Hi Bill<br />On this occasion we had a 250 word limit. I don't think I could go much lower (!) even if it is, I agree, only the essence of a story. I see some flash fiction comps go up to 1000 words - NO-O-O!AliBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09611113709872287863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-45302296179206675352015-11-22T17:12:10.892+00:002015-11-22T17:12:10.892+00:00I suppose I should have made it clear that, for me...I suppose I should have made it clear that, for me flash fiction is a story of up to 200-300 words.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-59822495013801334972015-11-22T17:10:48.455+00:002015-11-22T17:10:48.455+00:00I love the flash fiction form, partly because I be...I love the flash fiction form, partly because I believe that all writing is better for being severely cut, but also because, unless you're utterly brilliant, you can never get ALL the story told. That sounds weird but if what you manage to do is give the essence of the story, readers (and listeners, I suppose, although I've never read at a flash fiction event), flesh it out with their own experiences and perceptions and make it personal. I'd call it an Ur-story if I knew what Ur- meant.<br /><br />Bravo Ali for taking the plunge.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-41083092713412304322015-11-22T15:33:45.142+00:002015-11-22T15:33:45.142+00:00Hah- I hadn't thought of that Susan, posting t...Hah- I hadn't thought of that Susan, posting the flash, I mean. Maybe I'll save it for next time :) AliBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09611113709872287863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-78581114590471249302015-11-22T12:32:08.146+00:002015-11-22T12:32:08.146+00:00I should add, Ali, that I don't think I could ...I should add, Ali, that I don't think I could write Flash Fiction at all. Short stories are hard enough!Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-57674543456737676152015-11-22T12:30:53.807+00:002015-11-22T12:30:53.807+00:00Catherine - What you need with the ten minute thin...Catherine - What you need with the ten minute thing is a bell. I did one once in Waterstones where we were give 3 minutes to read from a book we liked (only one author read her own work, quite a famous one who will be nameless!). It was supposed to be a book we'd read recently which we had enjoyed. One person had charge of a bell and a stopwatch and the bell was rung after 3 minutes and it didn't matter if you were in the middle of a sentence you had to stop. It worked very well. Great post Ali, and I admire your courage. I couldn't write flash fiction to save my life.Chris Longmuirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02488093821886798927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-32626397236370547082015-11-22T12:26:45.472+00:002015-11-22T12:26:45.472+00:00But what was your flash-fiction piece, Ali? - I en...But what was your flash-fiction piece, Ali? - I enjoyed your blog, but was looking forward to reading the piece you read out all the way through...Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-16342560387638090892015-11-22T11:53:19.273+00:002015-11-22T11:53:19.273+00:00Thanks Catherine - I agree writing 'to order&#...Thanks Catherine - I agree writing 'to order' only seems to work for a very lucky few (and how lucky is that, actually?) A.AliBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09611113709872287863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-26869756408750423782015-11-22T11:29:09.685+00:002015-11-22T11:29:09.685+00:00Also meant to add that I think you're right ab...Also meant to add that I think you're right about writing what you want to say. The problem with the gatekeepers is that they so often don't really know what the readers are going to want next. They are just going by what they wanted last year! Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-17133168995428832212015-11-22T11:27:48.404+00:002015-11-22T11:27:48.404+00:00I've done a lot of readings, but never the fla...I've done a lot of readings, but never the flash fiction thing - your experience sounds incredibly positive and also enlightening. Having attended various ordinary readings where people were asked not to exceed ten minutes, but then some guy (and I'm afraid it was invariably a man) stood up with a sheaf of papers and read for half an hour - without ever being politely asked to sit down and shut up - I can see the need for rules! I have a group of friends who are self publishing anthologies and small collections as eBooks and in paperback and they are now being asked to visit various groups, such as the WRI, and do programmes of short readings - it all goes down very well, and they always seem to sell a lot of books! But they do all live within the same locality. Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.com