“The Secret Lives of Flashers” — A Guest Post from Nod Ghosh
It’s not all dirty raincoats and running from the police. Flash fiction writing has entered the sphere of respectability within literary circles. W.W. Norton’s Flash Fiction Anthology published in 2015 features short short pieces from Etgar Keret to Christchurch authors Frankie McMillan and James Norcliffe. The third edition of the Best Small Fictions series has recently selected winners from thousands of submissions from around the world.
The number of publications specialising in flash seems to be proliferating.
In New Zealand we have the annual National Flash Fiction Day contest (https://nationalflash.org/) and Flash Frontier, An Adventure in Short Fiction, both developed by Michelle Elvy.
There’s a lot to be gained from being part of a larger community of like-minded flashers. We offer each other encouragement and feedback, or bail one another out if we get caught loitering outside school gates in raincoats. Oops, wrong kind of flashing.
Witness the popularity of Facebook public groups such as Nancy Stohlman’s ‘Flash Fiction Lovers’ and Ash Chantler’s ‘International Flash Fiction Network’
On line or print versions have flourished recently. I’ve just finished reading the review copy of Flash Fiction Magazine − Issue 3.
Shannon Huffman, chief editor for Flash Fiction Magazine (FFM), provides this blurb on the forthcoming edition:
“An enthralling anthology of brief encounters…
Some tales can take a lifetime to tell, others unfold in an instant. This third issue of Flash Fiction Magazine once again celebrates the latter.”
Sound good? I enjoyed it, and am pleased to have my piece Shadow included in the collection.
Reading the FFM collection started me thinking about the role of anthologies and how they support the flash writing community.
Australian Matt Potter runs the Truth Serum (https://truthserumpress.net/), which publishes anthologies and the on-line publication Pure Slush. Recently they have brought out True, an anthology of stories, essays and poems, another opportunity for writers of short form to get stories out there.
Paul Beckman is a stalwart of the flash community. His stories have appeared in a multitude of flash publications. Asked what he sees the role of flash anthologies to be, Paul replies:
“I’ve always been a fan of anthologies and I’ve been fortunate to be in quite a few: Blue Lyra, Heart Beats, Best Small Fictions 2016, Matt Potter’s prompt anthologies for Pure Slush/Truth Serum, (Truth, Feast, Wiser, Inane, Tall-ish, Summer etc.) I’ve made many friends after sending a note telling authors how much I enjoyed their story and how my creativeness feeds off their work.”
This sums up how well we thrive off one another within the flash community.
Thank you Helen for this opportunity to chat about flash fiction.
~ by Nod Ghosh
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Nod Ghosh
About Nod Ghosh:
Nod Ghosh’s work features in Landfall, JAAM, Takahē. Nod is an associate editor for Flash Frontier. Further details: http://www.nodghosh.com/about/
Nod-
What a great article and thank you for the kind words about me. You were very generous and I appreciate it.
All that and I’m a big fan of your writing, as you know.
My Best,
Paul
Helen-Thanks for giving the terrific writer, Nod Ghosh a forum to talk about our growing world.
Best Regards,
Paul
Hi Paul, As a writer whose very first fiction publication (as opposed to poetry) was ‘flash’, I am delighted to have the opportunity to support Nod and the community.
Thanks Paul and Helen.
Perhaps we could have a link to your original flash, Helen?
Hi Nod,
As far as I know that flash publication is not online. It was ‘Cold Cass’, first published in ‘Home, New Short Short Fiction By NZ Writers’, Random House, 2005 — almost certainly still available in any good library near most NZ readers. 🙂
Will have to look it up!