Fragmentary Flash: Beauty from The Broken

Photo by Riho Kitagawa on Unsplash

Hello, friends!

First, a reminder to my free and monthly subscribers: When you upgrade to an Annual Subscription by November 30, 2025, you’ll receive a FREE spot in my ninety-minute online workshop Flash in Motion: Writing with Power and Urgency (a $60 value) to be held on December 13th, 2025.

This workshop is an exclusive benefit for annual subscribers and will not be offered to the general public. You’ll also get lifetime access to the recording — so even if you can’t attend live, you can return to it whenever you need fresh inspiration. Paid subscribers receive a number of perks, including access to my Flash Immersion Extravaganza events!

“Kathy Fish is a master of flash fiction. I love her writing - it always inspires me to write from deep and interesting topics - and she is a generous and insight teacher. Her newsletters have been filled with insightful flash tips and prompts as well as links to great stories. I am looking forward to learning more as a subscriber.”

I am very much enjoying the natural beauty of Japan, the vibrancy of Tokyo, the peaceful shrines and temples and gardens. It’s good to get away from one’s routine sometimes, to embrace a bit of newness and confusion. To be a traveler is to accept a few things will go amiss along the way and to just sort of roll with it. My favorite experiences have often sprung from those times when plans went awry. So too, it benefits us to embrace the unknown, try new things, and find the beauty in the broken in our writing.

This week’s prompt will have us playing with fragments, emulating the Japanese art of kintsugi. By assembling various pieces and shards of language, image, sensory detail, and moments, we create new meaning, a new piece of art. I think you’ll enjoy the challenge of letting go of traditional structure. As always, I’d love for you to “trust the exercise,” to see the work with fresh eyes, and stay open to surprise.