Hello writers and readers.

Today, I’m stepping out of my normal routine of poetry and serial romancing to bring you a couple of exercises on writing flash fiction and some prompts to help get you started. (Think 1-800 word count, 1000 tops)

Now, I’ve talked in length about the fine art of flash fiction and what its doing in the field of literary wonder these days. Many a journal, website, and anthology are accepting these tiny powerhouses of storytelling as submissions. Their growing popularity, I believe, has to do with our shortened attention spans as well as our lack of free time. (Well, I mean we’d have more free time if we weren’t captivated by tiny screens most of our waking hours, but that’s a soap box for a different day).

A flash fic piece will tell the reader a whole story in a few hundred words and usually pack some kind of emotional, suspenseful, or humorous punch (‘humorous punch’ feels strange to write. Like slapstick?). For more on the logistics and down and dirty of them here’s a great blog on the topic… https://thebeautifulstuff.blog/2020/08/06/the-beautiful-writers-workshop-26-flashing-for-fun-and-profit/

So, if you are interested in trying it out, or if you’re an ‘old hat’ in the flash arena, I’m offering up some fun prompts to work with this week, to help boost your submission pool and get you used to the art of brevity. If you find one you like, let me know and I’ll give it a shout out and a bump on the site (AHEM–you could also submit it to my Anthology due out at the end of the year: https://thebeautifulstuff.blog/2022/01/27/call-for-submissions-2022-anthology-a-beautiful-twist/

I will also post one of mine next week to show solidarity for all of our creative endeavors. You aren’t in this alone, after all. OK–here’s a bullet list because I know how much we like that kind of thing.

• A man/woman/nonbinary person goes about their normal day, not realizing that they died three years ago.
• A dog comes back to its owner after a rousing game of fetch, but instead of the ball, it’s carrying a human skull.
• A dinner party, a raccoon, an affair (don’t ask me, it’s your job to make it work)
• A parent’s first night in an empty nest
• Time freezes at a traffic light, for everyone but the man in the third car
• After kissing a stranger at a party, a woman finds she can no longer lie
• Maybe it’s puberty, maybe they’re a werewolf
• A demon finds a portal out of hell, but it empties into the ball pit at a fast-food playplace.
• A man who can smell colors. And he’s a chef.
• A lake, a toad, the agony of getting what you ask for

Okay–get writing. Go make something beautiful and strange.