"I Am A Writer"
As you know, I am pursuing a side hustle as a writer. I don't expect to make much (any) money at it; I really just want to stretch my creative muscles. Although, let's be honest, being paid would be kind of validating.
To that end, I have devoted quite a lot of my time this past year and a half to writing blogs and short stories, as well as chipping away at a novel I have no idea how to structure. I am having fun. I am in my bliss. I have had the kind, no-punches-pulled support and feedback of various other writers through the auspices of Brian Henry at Quick Brown Fox. One thing I have learned from this experience is that not everyone's writing is for the masses. Some people love it, others are indifferent or just plain put off. Surprisingly, these disparate reactions to my pieces have strengthened my writing style and confidence. It helps me to discern what is important to me about what I say and how I say it. Intriguing side benefit.
This brings me to the point of this blog - I am going to toot my own horn. I signed up for a flash fiction contest in July. I had never even heard of them but was intrigued. Flash fiction contests come with parameters of:
number of hours to write a complete & original short story (48 hours)
a maximum number of words (1,000)
genre, object, and location that must be prominently included
These were mine:
Genre: not going to reveal just yet
Object: ice tray
Location: boulangerie
In this particular contest, there were over 4,000 participants from around the world. One hundred and twenty categories with 35 writers in each. My entry came in 7th place out of the top 15.
I was over the moon seeing my name on that list.
I am currently working on the 2nd round challenge which is due tonight at midnight. A whole new set of parameters landed in my inbox:
Genre: fairytale
Object: spotlight
Location: a hat shop
If you care to follow along, I present to you my Round 1 submission ... drumroll... Honeymoon for One.
Honeymoon for One
.pdf
Download PDF • 137KB
If you can't guess the genre, email me. I'll let you in on the secret. Thank you for reading!
