The Art of Flash Fiction

Going forward...

Jan 15, 2022

Hi friends,

I hope your new year is off to a great start and that you and yours are staying safe and healthy. I began this newsletter one year ago and since then, I’ve published twelve monthly craft articles + writing prompts + recommended reading lists. These have been based on my craft book in progress, The Art of Flash Fiction. In this time, I’ve gone from zero to nearly 3,000 subscribers. My last newsletter received over 8,000 views! And Substack named The Art of Flash Fiction one of its top performing newsletters in the Fiction category. All of this shameless bragging is to say I couldn’t have gotten here without all of you and I’m so astonished and grateful for the response. Thank you so much.

This newsletter will come into your in-boxes a bit less regularly going forward, as I get down to the business of finalizing my manuscript and querying agents. Those of you who know me well know I am a slow and patient, rather picky writer and I realized I need much more time and headspace to get this work done. New subscribers, I appreciate you! Please do avail yourselves of the archived newsletters on a wide range of topics related to the art and craft of writing, flash fiction in particular.

Below I have a few things for you, announcements and whatnot (keep scrolling for a craft article + prompt from Leonora Desar):

Announcing a New Round of Workshops TOMORROW!

If you’ve received my Mailchimp emails regarding my classes and registrations in the past, that means you’re on my list already, yay! Thank you!

If you’ve not received this information (I send out 2-3 times a year) and are interested, please get on the list by filling in the form HERE on my website. Begun in 2015, these classes have resulted in bountiful publications and awards for those who’ve taken part. I am, as ever, hugely grateful for your enthusiasm and support.

My Community Craft Zoom Class is January 25th & is ONLY Five Dollars!

Cassie Mannes Murray and Melissa Goodrich have teamed up to offer these AMAZING and affordable one-hour monthly writing classes and mine is coming up soon!

“Lessons from the Sandbox: Writerly Play & Experimentation” will be held on Zoom Tuesday, January 25th at 7:00 pm EST. Sign up to get reminders and the zoom link HERE. Instructors are paid directly and you may send $5.00 to me via my Venmo (preferred): @Kathy-Fish-1 or via PayPal at fishfastflash@gmail.com.

Join Me at the Literary Cleveland 2022 Flash Fiction Festival Feb. 20-26th!

Literary Cleveland is running this year’s online flash fiction festival from Feb. 20-26th. I’ll be participating in both a discussion panel on the 20th and running a 90-minute workshop, “The Flash Writer as Mosaicist: Creating Story from Fragments” on the 21st at 7:00 p.m. ET. Find the schedule and register for individual events or the entire array of festival offerings (recommended) HERE.

Announcing: Summer Writing Retreats in Spain & Grand Lake, Colorado!

I am happy to continue guest teaching with flash maestro Nancy Stohlman for her popular, inspiring flash fiction retreats. Past retreats have been held in Italy, France, Costa Rica, Iceland, and Colorado and have been enthusiastically received.

We are going to Spain in June and Grand Lake, Colorado in August. Go HERE for more information and early access! They sell out quickly!

Aaaaaand, last but not least! Your Craft Essay & Prompt courtesy of Leonora Desar:

The wonderful writer and columnist Leonora Desar has written a terrific craft essay based on her analysis of my story, “Everything’s Shitty at Price King” in one of my all-time favorite literary journals, Pidgeonholes.

Here is an excerpt of the essay and do try the writing exercise she provided!

“Copywork is a communion. You are engaging physically with a writer’s voice. You can feel their word choices, their syntax, their preference for em dashes and breathlessness over semi-colons and formality. You are partaking in a spell, inhabiting another consciousness, channeling the dead. And moreover, this works whether or not you are a craft believer. Hell, it works even if your brain has an “out to lunch” sign or an alligator-ridden moat when it comes to craft.”

I’m a huge fan of Leonora’s writing. She’s amazing. Here are some of my favorites:

“*69” from Smokelong Quarterly, reprinted in the most recent Best Small Fictions

“Three Ways of Saying the Same Thing” in New Flash Fiction Review

“Some Meaning—” in Cincinnati Review (and chosen for the Wigleaf Top 50)

While you’re there at Pidgeonholes, do partake of all the fantastic fiction and creative nonfiction on offer there. See also their excellent series of craft essays and writing prompts, “Lessons from a Distance” gathered from some of the best writers and teachers out there. Think of it as the most amazing FREE workshop you could take!

THANK YOU!

Once again, thanks so much for subscribing to my newsletter. It has been a rewarding year and although you won’t be hearing from me as regularly now, I hope you do keep checking in for information and updates and further craft pieces & prompts. I’ll keep you posted on the progress of The Art of Flash Fiction craft book as well.

Peace & Warm Wishes,

Kathy