Category: Blog

2021- Thanks for your support

Thanks to everyone who came to the events I organised in 2021. I was just checking through and found I have been pretty busy! To summarise, I ran a regular international weekly generative with feedback, flash fiction group (with breaks) most of the year, a series for flash fiction based on dreams, free weekly sessions on writing Hermit Crab flash fiction stories, a workshop called Flash Fiction Fireworks on November 5th, for the US based Culturama event organised by John Brantingham, a workshop entitled Happy and Hopeful, for the Crow Collective organised by Sage Tyrtle. I also devised and hosted the full programmes for the eight online flash fiction festival days sponsored by Bath Flash Fiction Award and Ad Hoc Fiction.

With the help of co-director, Diane Simmons, I have been organising an in-person flash fiction festival in Bristol for the weekend of 8-10th July. We’ve a fantastic line up, a brilliant caterer. And other details are nearly ready for booking to be open by the end of January.

And think of this tree pictured as a metaphor. If you want to grow some spring leaves on the bare branches of your writing, come to my on-going Tuesday flash fiction group in 2022, it begins again on Tuesday 11th January, from 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm GMT. £15 for a two hour sessions. Pay as you go.

And I’ve organised three more flash fiction festival days in January, February and March. The first is on Saturday 8th January with workshops, talks, two contests with cash and other prizes and readings. Only £30 for the whole day with videos sent afterwards. Free places for those for whom cost is a barrier. Book now at flashfictionfestival.com

Other things I have been involved in are the Bath Flash Fiction Award I founded, the short short fiction press, Ad Hoc Fiction, I direct and the Novella in Flash Award for Bath Flash Fiction. It was a privilege also, to be asked to judge the Mslexia Flash Fiction Prize, this year and have the opportunity to read more great flash fiction.

I’ve also been writing. Lots of rejections but fifteen flash fiction pieces published and a couple forthcoming. Listed here. Plus my first nomination for Best Micro Fictions.

Looking forward to meeting you again in the New Year at one of my 2022 events

Pop Up Flash Session —Solstice Sunset Stories

Join me for a FREE two hour Winter Solstice writing session. Beginning at 4.00 pm GMT on Monday 21st of December, which is sunset where I live in the UK but could be sunrise in other parts of the world. It’s the shortest day — eight hours of light here — so of course the aim is to write very short fiction. I’ll be offering several appropriate prompts to get you writing at least four micros during the session. It will be fun and hopeful and I’ll have the candles burning to welcome you and the return of the light. Email me ASAP for a zoom link. All welcome!

Dreams into Fiction, a workshop for Culturama

Culturama, a weekend arts festival at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California is all online this year. Organiser and professor at the College, John Brantingham, prolific writer of amazing poetry and flashfiction, who was a runner up in the 2019 Bath Novella in Flash Award, with his novella Inland Empire Afternoon and who, with poet, Grant Hier gave a fantastic workshop at our 2018 Flash Fiction Festival, has asked me to run a workshop. I’m very happy to be running another version of my popular Dreams Into Fiction workshops, on Friday November 20th from 9.00 am – 10.30 am PST, which is 4.00 pm – 5.30 pm GMT. All welcome from around the world and it’s FREE. You just need to register on the site. The arts festival actually runs over three weekends in November and many great workshops are on offer.
My workshop will be a fun and interactive and you’ll come away with three drafts based on your dreams and new ideas to write more.
To get you thinking in advance, why not look at this photograph I took from the garden of my house as if it were an image from a dream you had last night. What’s the story?

Autumn Equinox workshop —rescheduled


My internet connection broke last Saturday 19th just before my workshop So it is now rescheduled for this coming Saturday. And you are welcome to join me for this Equinox-themed flash fiction workshop on Zoom.
3.30 pm – 6.00 pm (London Time). Saturday 26th September.
Cost £30 (includes individual written feedback from me on one story created in the workshop, any time afterwards).
Some free places. Suitable for beginner and experienced writers.

The trees are only just beginning to turn but Autumn is in the air. This year, the Equinox is on 22nd September and in my workshop a couple of days before, we’ll:

  • focus on some rituals and superstitions associated with this time of the year;
  • look at the balance between light and dark in stories;
  • write using several different kinds of ‘Equinox ‘prompts to create micros and longer flash fictions;
  • generate ideas for further writing, including novellas-in-flash

There’ll be large group sessions with input from me and writing time and small ‘break out’ groups, where you can meet other flash fiction writers from around the world and discuss what you’ve been writing and get some initial feedback if you want. It will be fun and friendly and you’ll come away with at least three drafts of new stories plus plenty of ideas. Hope to see you there!

After you book, I’ll send you a Zoom link and something to do to prepare for the workshop. Contact me via this email for more details or if you want to apply for a free place.

Contact me ASAP via the email if you would like to come and I will let you know how to pay. There are still a couple of free places for the cash-strapped writer too.

Flash Fiction Tuesdays

Join my international group of flash fiction enthusiasts on Zoom.
Every Tuesday 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm BST. I’m offering the same format as I used to in my face-to-face groups in Bath:

  • Two in-class writing exercises and a chance to get first-draft feedback;
  • group feedback on a few micros submitted in advance by participants;
  • a weekly focus on some angle of flash with examples;
  • And now the added feature of drop-in flash fiction writer guests offering more ideas and insight.

    • First session free for you to try. Thereafter £15 a session. Payable on a weekly basis by bank transfer (contact me) or Paypal here.

    All welcome. Contact me for more details