I discovered flash fiction by accident when I walked into a Barnes & Noble almost twenty years ago. My eyes were drawn to a seafoam blue book cover with a simple illustration of a girl wearing pigtails. The book was Girl on the Fridge by Etgar Keret. I devoured those stories and as any ignorant youngun will do, I started writing the most profound flash fictions the world had ever seen. They were, in fact, so profound mere mortals couldn't grasp their transcendental symbolism.
Since then, I've gotten a lot dumber, and now I can't even understand my old flash fictions. They're so complex and mercurial.
I see me now seeing me then, and I wish I had had an essay like this one from you, Kathy, to help me understand that profundity is a trap, and a false target. The truth is, I'm scared people will judge me shallow, vapid, and dull. If only I'd known to slow down on those fears, the pain I feel at wanting to be equal to my heroes, and craft flash fictions from that.
Kathy! What a marvelous post! I loved all the writing you shared, particularly Hippo Brain, and how Barlow Adams braids facts and information seamlessly into the story being told. Really loved that piece. And, loved both your pieces! The Gateway was fascinating to me, pulled me along like I was watching a film. The introductory comments from the journal, and your author's notes were very helpful. Sometimes I'm not so good at saying why I liked a piece, other than to say I felt something big and powerful. But it's important to break it down, and also gain some insight into an author's intentions and inspirational spark, because that helps me better understand what the hell I may be trying to do! Glad to see you are on the mend. I am also looking forward to digging deeper in the quiet season approaching. xo
Oct 18, 2023·edited Oct 18, 2023Liked by Kathy Fish
I loved The Gateway! It feels like there are layers of meaning behind the basic plot of the story. What those meanings are I couldn't tell ya, but I sense their presence and they add a beautiful mysteriousness.
Thank you for this really informative piece, Ms. Kathy, your prompt sounds like a real brainteaser, I'm definitely going to try it out for one of my upcoming competitions. Thanks again!
I discovered flash fiction by accident when I walked into a Barnes & Noble almost twenty years ago. My eyes were drawn to a seafoam blue book cover with a simple illustration of a girl wearing pigtails. The book was Girl on the Fridge by Etgar Keret. I devoured those stories and as any ignorant youngun will do, I started writing the most profound flash fictions the world had ever seen. They were, in fact, so profound mere mortals couldn't grasp their transcendental symbolism.
Since then, I've gotten a lot dumber, and now I can't even understand my old flash fictions. They're so complex and mercurial.
I see me now seeing me then, and I wish I had had an essay like this one from you, Kathy, to help me understand that profundity is a trap, and a false target. The truth is, I'm scared people will judge me shallow, vapid, and dull. If only I'd known to slow down on those fears, the pain I feel at wanting to be equal to my heroes, and craft flash fictions from that.
Well, there's always today, right?
Great essay, and thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for this Kathy. I'm using it right now to work through an idea I've had!
Kathy! What a marvelous post! I loved all the writing you shared, particularly Hippo Brain, and how Barlow Adams braids facts and information seamlessly into the story being told. Really loved that piece. And, loved both your pieces! The Gateway was fascinating to me, pulled me along like I was watching a film. The introductory comments from the journal, and your author's notes were very helpful. Sometimes I'm not so good at saying why I liked a piece, other than to say I felt something big and powerful. But it's important to break it down, and also gain some insight into an author's intentions and inspirational spark, because that helps me better understand what the hell I may be trying to do! Glad to see you are on the mend. I am also looking forward to digging deeper in the quiet season approaching. xo
Excellent prompt and wonderful flashes, Kathy! I hope you're taking easy now. Have a lovely fall with your loved ones.
I loved The Gateway! It feels like there are layers of meaning behind the basic plot of the story. What those meanings are I couldn't tell ya, but I sense their presence and they add a beautiful mysteriousness.
My gosh, this is a treasure trove of great advice. Thank you, Kathy. And I hope you’re feeling better! Kate
Thank you for this really informative piece, Ms. Kathy, your prompt sounds like a real brainteaser, I'm definitely going to try it out for one of my upcoming competitions. Thanks again!
Gosh, these were beautiful. Thank you.
Essential reading, as always, Kathy!