Photo by Giulia May on Unsplash Hi friends, UPCOMING WORKSHOPS First a bit of business: I’m soon to announce the upcoming round of workshops. If you’re interested and are not already on my Mailchimp mailing list, you may sign up on my website
Love it!! Your instructions to use sensory details and discussing each writer’s unique perspective and voice is so right on. Couldn’t agree more. You shocked me by mentioning David Foster Wallace: He’s not someone I’d quickly think of when it comes to flash fiction!!! The man was a mammoth maximalist. Your writing is so strong, your prompts very helpful. I’m not surprised you have over 5,000 readers. Good for you. And I love how you post only once a month or so. I’ve been posting more and more slowly and as a result I’m putting out stronger writing...and gaining more subscribers.
Sep 16, 2023·edited Sep 16, 2023Liked by Kathy Fish
I like what you say about beauty not being about pretty, necessarily. Pretty is sort of one dimensional whereas beauty is complex, often with contradictory elements, or points of view if you're writing a story. I agree that it relates to something being artfully done, even when it's a difficult or painful subject, especially then actually. How can we take the things that stab us in the heart and make it feel like medicine for the soul. The other thing I really like about Flash is what is left out, and therefore left to the reader to imagine for themselves the parts that aren't said. Stories mean different things to different people anyway so why not engage them. I think that's part of the attraction. People are pulled into the story in ways that other forms maybe don't do. One piece that I like a lot is called Conservation. It takes the tragic and makes it beautiful and even uplifting in a poignant way. https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2023/04/26/conservation/. Thanks so much for what you do Kathy. Keep up the good work.
Really appreciated your thoughts on flash and what makes a piece of writing beautiful. Building on your thoughts and those of others here, a piece of beautiful writing always gives me pause. Even if I never come back to it, I find there is a remaining echo...sometimes just an image, or a few words, or simply a deep feeling of emotion or memory. Your piece, Procession, is now one of those. The images, words, story were all gorgeous, but it's the specific cadence you created with the repetition and the punctuation that is lingering in my mind. I'll step outside the box here and offer Mary Gauthier's song, "Last of the Hobo Kings" as an example of a beautiful piece of writing. I just finished reading her wonderful memoir, Saved By A Song. In it, she talks a lot about her writing process. I learned so much about my own writing, and how to pay better attention to details. What she says about creating lyrics reminds me so much of what you are saying here about flash. I love when genres cross hands! https://www.marygauthier.com/news/behind-the-song-last-of-the-hobo-kings
Love it!! Your instructions to use sensory details and discussing each writer’s unique perspective and voice is so right on. Couldn’t agree more. You shocked me by mentioning David Foster Wallace: He’s not someone I’d quickly think of when it comes to flash fiction!!! The man was a mammoth maximalist. Your writing is so strong, your prompts very helpful. I’m not surprised you have over 5,000 readers. Good for you. And I love how you post only once a month or so. I’ve been posting more and more slowly and as a result I’m putting out stronger writing...and gaining more subscribers.
Keep it up.
Michael Mohr
Sincere American Writing
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
I like what you say about beauty not being about pretty, necessarily. Pretty is sort of one dimensional whereas beauty is complex, often with contradictory elements, or points of view if you're writing a story. I agree that it relates to something being artfully done, even when it's a difficult or painful subject, especially then actually. How can we take the things that stab us in the heart and make it feel like medicine for the soul. The other thing I really like about Flash is what is left out, and therefore left to the reader to imagine for themselves the parts that aren't said. Stories mean different things to different people anyway so why not engage them. I think that's part of the attraction. People are pulled into the story in ways that other forms maybe don't do. One piece that I like a lot is called Conservation. It takes the tragic and makes it beautiful and even uplifting in a poignant way. https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2023/04/26/conservation/. Thanks so much for what you do Kathy. Keep up the good work.
W. Peter Collins
Clarity With a View
Really appreciated your thoughts on flash and what makes a piece of writing beautiful. Building on your thoughts and those of others here, a piece of beautiful writing always gives me pause. Even if I never come back to it, I find there is a remaining echo...sometimes just an image, or a few words, or simply a deep feeling of emotion or memory. Your piece, Procession, is now one of those. The images, words, story were all gorgeous, but it's the specific cadence you created with the repetition and the punctuation that is lingering in my mind. I'll step outside the box here and offer Mary Gauthier's song, "Last of the Hobo Kings" as an example of a beautiful piece of writing. I just finished reading her wonderful memoir, Saved By A Song. In it, she talks a lot about her writing process. I learned so much about my own writing, and how to pay better attention to details. What she says about creating lyrics reminds me so much of what you are saying here about flash. I love when genres cross hands! https://www.marygauthier.com/news/behind-the-song-last-of-the-hobo-kings
“Procession” is a brilliant experience in shifting perspective through form. Wow!