Why flash?

In my experience there are two benefits in writing flash fiction:

1. The need to work to a trigger and a timeline provokes hidden creativity and convinces you that you can find a story almost anywhere. It can even take you into milieux you never thought you'd invent.

2. The short 1000 word format forces focus and tight writing.

3. You can get a flash first draft written in its entirety very quickly.

I imagine that many stories that start out as flash grow and, in their final form, are longer than 1000 words. I know most of mine do. Nevertheless, the discipline of 1000 words for the first draft is great for finding out if the concept and the main characters work.

Since the format is so tight it's easy to find yourself writing a story that wants to be 1500 words or more. That's often happened to me and I've thrown away two or three drafts before getting one that's tight enough for the format. But the story is better for that, I think, because it's tight and I'm clear in my mind what the story is, even if it grows in later revisions.

Triggers
========

First line has to be:

"It was around two-thirty when I heard the ansible ring in the kitchen."

Somewhere in the story, two men have to bust in with guns blazing.

To learn more about ansibles please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansible

Rules
=====

Flash fiction, 1000 words max.

Closing date for entries: 18.00 GMT Friday June 20th (about four weeks from now)

Closing date for crits and votes: 18:00 GMT Friday July 4th (about two weeks to read, crit and vote)

Usual Hatrack rules for content apply. Please, no fanfic, no use of copyright stuff--except "ansible" is okay because Le Guin released it.

Submission Guide
================

e-mail your story in .doc, .rtf or plain .txt format to me by 18.00 GMT on the closing date above.

Please do not put early drafts of your story through the regular F&F threads for first 13s, for that would destroy the annonymity of voting.

(If you use Word 2007 please save in .rtf or an earlier .doc format because we don't all have the format converters for earlier versions of Word.)

In the e-mail subject line please put "Hatrack Contest--Story name--author's Hatrack name" in order to get past my spam filters.

In the body of your email please put your Hatrack name and your e-mail address.

On the first page of the manuscript (and nowhere else) put your name and the word count.

Voting and Critting process
===========================

Voting and critting is anonymous.

I will delete names from manuscripts, assign them numbers, reformat them only to the extent necessary for ease of handling, combine them into one file and send it to all contestants. (If you can't read Word .doc files let me know.)

I'll create a fresh thread for first 13s and post them all there so we can vote on them.

Winner to be decided by vote. You vote for your top three first 13s and top three stories. I will tally the votes like this: three points for your first choice, two for your second, one for your third. You cannot vote for your own story.

I will not be submitting a story or voting myself. (I will write one anyhow, just for fun, and workshop it later after voting is complete.)

In case someone doesn't vote, please include at the end of your 'vote-and-crit' e-mail your votes for the other stories, but not crits.

You must crit your first three choices and send the three crits together with your vote to me by 18.00 GMT on the voting due date above. (Votes without crits don't count.) If you don't vote I'll delete your story and redistribute the votes.

Please use this vote and crit format in your e-mail to make my administrative life easier:
--------------------------
Your hatrack name

First 13 1 -- story number
First 13 2 -- story number
First 13 3 -- story number

Story 1 -- story number
Your crit of story 1

Story 2 -- story number
Your crit of story 2

Story 3 -- story number
Your crit of story 3

Story 4 -- story number
Story 5 -- story number
Etc
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You are honour-bound to crit the other stories within a week or two of the close of voting. If there are more than eight stories submitted you only have to crit eight max--your top three and your choice of another five.

If any stories don't get at least three crits, I'll crit them and request the three winners to help me, so everyone should get at least three or four crits.

If for some reason you're unable to submit your story or vote on time, please let me know and we'll make due allowance.

If I don't hear from you by the due voting date I'll delete your story and redistribute the votes received appropriately.

===============

How's that? Any comments, questions? Dates okay?

If you're in, please confirm with a reply in this thread. I think from the previous thread we should have four or five takers so far.

As skadder said in the previous comp, this is just a bit of fun which hopefully will help everyone improve their writing. Although there will be winners, there will be no losers!

Cheers,
Pat

[This message has been edited by TaleSpinner (edited May 25, 2008).]

[This message has been edited by TaleSpinner (edited May 25, 2008).]

[This message has been edited by TaleSpinner (edited May 25, 2008).]

Don't worry about your sanity. It sounds to me as if writing that particular flash with that particular start was the sanest thing you could possibly have done.

quote:

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And if it qualifies as science fiction or fantasy, there are plenty of markets you can send it to.

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And Unwritten, even if it doesn't qualify as such, there are still plenty of markets for mainstream/literary/genre of your choice stories out there!

Kind regards,

Paul

"The first line of the flash fiction contest," said the Voice from Afar, "could alternatively be, 'The old man trudged slowly up the road.' "

Well, thought I. Let's see. We don't have all that many takers so far. Maybe they're on vacation and didn't read the invitation yet. Maybe they couldn't get past TS's long-winded instructions. Maybe everyone's too busy writing.

But maybe, maybe, the ansible puts people off, either because it practically mandates an SF story, or because it's derived from a Le Guin idea--and been used by several writers.

"Do you think we should have two alternative opening lines, the original with the ansible and this one with the old man?" I asked.

"Perhaps," said the Voice from Afar. "Would Unwritten like to enter it still in the competition, and allow others to use the old man trudging up the road as a first line?"

"Dunno," I said, "I'll ask. It might open the comp to more contestants, and that can only be good, right?"

"Yeah--but what about the guns?" asked the Voice from Afar.

"What about the guns? You don't like guns?"

"If Hatrackers want to write fantasy, they might want two men to bust in brandishing swords."

"So," said I, "The comp would offer two alternative opening lines, one with the ansible and one with the old man trudging, and somewhere two men would have to bust in either with guns blazing or swords a-brandishing?"

"Yes," said the Voice from Afar. "But why are you asking me? I'm just your inner editor nagging you via the ansible of your imagination. Why not ask Hatrackers?"

So, what do you think, people? Leave the contest as it is or open it up with Unwritten's first line as an alternative--and, would that be okay, Unwritten? I'll quite understand if you'd like to keep the idea for yourself.

Cheers,
Pat

Also I would recommend setting a target number of participants, e.g. 12. If you get less then the competition doesn't go ahead--you'll always get a few drop-outs. People then know if they commit it will be to a competition that is significant or alternatively will not happen. I would hate to commit to a competition of this nature and find myself one of three.

Also advertise it on the main discussion board.

It's what I did, seemed to work.

quote:

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...really had my 13-line rule fingers itching.

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And once I finish doing that, I'll sign up for this contest.

I'm okay with the opening line as is. Haven't read any LeGuin (tho' she's a favourite of my girlfriend's, and on my "to read" list...), but I really like the idea of an intergalactic telephone. Opens up many otherwise impossible possibilities.

quote:

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...my 13-line rule fingers...

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quote:

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Would Unwritten like to enter it still in the competition, and allow others to use the old man trudging up the road as a first line?

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It was such a great line that I was considering having it trademarked, but since you asked so nicely, I suppose I'll share.

"It was around two-thirty when I heard the ansible ring in the kitchen." (Or some other long-distance communications device--a crystal ball that rings, maybe?)

Or

"The old man trudged slowly up the road." (Or woman, or alien, or beaten track, or path, as long the character is old and trudging.)

And somewhere in the story, two characters (men, women, alients, evil robot monkeys) have to bust in with weapons.

Contest only runs if we get 12 entries, and everyone's guaranteed at least three or four crits.

Sorry about the 13 lines, Kathleen, I got carried away by the Voice from Afar!

So far I see 5 contestants:

illiterate
Unwritten
JustinProse
IB
Jeff M

Cheers,
Pat

quote:

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Skadder, who is shane?

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quote:

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Skadder, who is shane?

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No, I haven't Skadder...I'm only 19 :P Plus, I don't watch many gun slinger movies (westerners or something) if that is what he is from.

I'll keep my eye open though!

Am I that old?

Contestants so far:

illiterate
Unwritten
JustinProse
IB
Jeff M
Cheyne (if work schedule allows)
WouldBe
kathyton

Contestants so far:

quote:

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Would an extra week or two help with scheduling, Cheyne?

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lliterate
Unwritten
JustinProse
IB
Jeff M
Cheyne (if work schedule allows)
WouldBe
kathyton
Annepin
Grant John
shimiqua

Triggers relaxed, because as IB says, the idea is to get ourselves writing.

Choice of two triggers which are either first lines or reasonable facsimiles thereof:

"It was around two-thirty when I heard the ansible ring in the kitchen." (Or some other long-distance communications device--a crystal ball that rings, maybe?)

Or

"The old man trudged slowly up the road." (Or woman, or alien, or beaten track, or path, as long the character is old and trudging.)

Timescales extended by two weeks (not only Cheyne has challenges, methinks):

Closing date for entries: 18.00 GMT Friday July 4th (about four weeks from now)

Closing date for crits and votes: 18:00 GMT Friday July 18th

Just waiting for one more contestant (but let's get writing anyway, we can at least exchange crits if nothing else) ...

If you'd like to post progress reports here that would be great, so everyone can see that everyone else is actually writing and we won't get to July 4 without any stories.

Mind, that won't happen, I've received one already!

Just a reminder, please send your story to me, and I'll post the first 13s after the closing date so we can vote on them.

Plus, I just mailed out my May story (I have this little rule, to get something new out there every month), so the decks are cleared for ansible adventures.

Even though I'm not entering a story I'm writing one anyhow, to workshop after the contest finishes. I have plot, main characters and milieu in back story, and a title I'm pleased with.

Will that persuade you to join us, snapper?

That makes us thirteen:

lliterate
Unwritten
JustinProse
IB
Jeff M
Cheyne
WouldBe
kathyton
Annepin
Grant John
shimiqua
snapper
TS

Cheers,
Pat

As to something on topic: I have finished my first draft and am still liking it enough to only change wording that doesn't make sense. Will see if I still love my baby when the close date is closer or if it has become a toddler that needs to be trained.

Tell you what, how's about I enter a story but don't vote. That way, I can reserve my crits for any stories that don't get crits.

Good to hear you're making progress, Grant. I've gone a step backwards, plot deflated due to poor character motivation and dodgy engineering--but the milieu is fine, so no big problem.

You can have cloaks and daggers of you like, JP--just take care not to get blood on the manuscripts because it makes the pages stick together.

quote:

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"The old man trudged slowly up the road."

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Oh I can hear IB's critique already

"The old man what old man? trudged slowly is it possible to trudge quickly? up the road what kind of road? Driveway? Wagon trail? Interstate freeway? ."

Hey Judge!

Not to mention slowly is an unecessary adverb that does nothing to enhance the verb "trudge"--only weakens it. Also, I wouldn't care much what kind of road it was (in the first sentence), but "up the road" is Pennsylvania-Dutch for "on" or "along" the road. (Which makes me automatically envision it as going up a hill.)