Bath Flash Fiction Award

Notebook Writes, May 5th

It’s the fifth day of my posts colour-co-ordinating outfits to my old note books and offering prompts. This series is going to be happening all month, so there are plenty of ideas to choose from. Do remember that if you write a story inspired by any of the daily prompts and that story is published, at any time, I will send you a free entry to Bath Flash Fiction Award (for another story).

Today I am holding a notebook I used when I was about eleven years old in the early 1960s. In it, on one page,I have listed the pocket money I would have saved,from October to December and the Christmas presents I was going to buy for my friends. All bubble baths at one shilling and nine pence each.

Your writing challenge is to write a story about pocket money, losing it, saving it, not having enough for a longed-for item. Or maybe not even childhood memory-based stories. Maybe the money you find in your pocket and how you don’t want to use cash anymore.
Include word(s) from the list and item(s)from the table. Go for about five hundred words. Time yourself for a fast write. Twenty minutes.

Notebook Writes. May 4th

Day 4 of my series of pictures of me colour-cordinating clothes with my stash of old notebooks and throwing in a daily prompt. A good distraction for me. And hopefully, you might feel inclined to write a flash.

To remind you, I am running this series of prompts all May leading up to a big birthday at the end of the month. There will be occasional extra fun things where you can win prizes. And continuing every day, I am offering a free entry to Bath Flash Fiction Award for a different flash fiction (£1460 prize fund), to anyone who writes a story to the daily prompt and gets it published. Many places are open for submission either now or regularly and I will shortly make a list to go on another page.

Today, I have a notebook patterned with dragon flies.They don’t sting, but the writing challenge is to write a flashfiction based on a time when you were stung by an insect. Use the memory details and go off piste by choosing a word or words from the list and an item or items on the table. Let me know how you get on

And for more flashy fun, my new Zoom group taking place on Tuesday mornings 10.30 am to 12.30 pm still has some places. The first meeting tomorrow is free. More prompts, feedback, focus and fun.
Contact me ASAP if you are interested.

Notebook Writes. May 3rd

It’s Day 3 of my Notebook writes series. Because May is my birthday month I am offering daily prompts and colour coordinating with outfits. I found a shiny red notebook in my unfinished notebook stash and it was fun matching it to some of red clothes I’ve had for years with a touch of black thrown in.

Today is International Dawn Chorus Day and I went out at 5.00 am down the lanes to catch the first songs. Several blackbirds at full warble, always perched on the apex of roofs. Lots of other birds and many songs I didn’t recognise.

The prompt today is to write a story based on a time when you were up at dawn, maybe recently, maybe a long time ago. Include a word or words from the list and one or more items from the table. I’ve placed ‘The Roster’, by Debra A Daniel, the novella in flash highly commended in the 2019 Bath Flash Fiction Novella in Flash Award, on the table as it has a nice splash of red on the colour. And it is a very good book. You can read more about this in the interview with Debra on the Bath Flash Fiction Award website. And there’s some lovely songs her husband wrote, inspired by the book linked there too.

Remember that if you write a story inspired by this prompt or any of the others already posted, and get it published at any time, let me know and I will give you a free entry to Bath Flash Fiction Award (for another story).
As an added bonus for the rest of the day (I am posting this in the afternoon) here’s another challenge. I’ll give a free Ad Hoc Fiction anthology to the person who guesses the number of marbles in the yellow vase ( to the nearest amount).

I am running my trial Zoom writing class on Tuesday 5th May from 10.30 am to 12.00 pm. If you haven’t yet got Zoom fatigue, do have a go. It is suitable for beginners and experienced writers. During the class I’ll offer more prompts and feedback and we have Alison Woodhouse dropping in to talk about writing a winning drabble (100 word story). Contact me on my email asap.

Notebook Writes. May 2nd

It’s the second day of my Notebook writing prompts series where I colour co-ordinate an outfit to match one of my stash of unfinished notebooks. A purple/mustard combo here with my banana paper journal.

Why not dig out one of your notebooks and write some flashfiction in longhand? Today’s challenge is to write a 100 word micro, using my prompt, for the National Flash Fiction Day New Zealand Micromadness contest, which ends on May 15th.There are two contests actually. One is for ‘Lockdown’ micros, the other is on any theme. It’s free, so give it a go. Include one word or more from the list pictured and also include an item on the table. National Flash Fiction Day New Zealand publishes a story a day from the beginning of June up until June 22nd. If you get a micro published using this prompt, let me know, and I will send you a free entry (for another story) for Bath Flash Fiction Award

The notebook I am featuring today is made from banana fibre. I have hardly written in it but the paper is lovely and smooth, just right for longhand in fountain pen ink. It’s fun trying to match outfits to books of any kind, because it makes you consider different colour combinations you wouldn’t normally wear. I really like the mustard and purple mix.

I am running a trial Zoom session on Tuesday 5th May 10.30 am – 12.30 pm following the structure of the classes I have run face-to-face in Bath. Flash fiction prompts for in-class writing, feedback on stories from a couple of participants submitted in advance, a focus. Next week that will be on very short flashes. What works. Alison Woodhouse who won National Flash Fiction Day UK, micro competition in 2019 was commended this year and has been successful in several other contests since, is popping in for a guest spot to talk about writing to a very short word length. It’s all fun. Contact me asap if you want to join.

Notebook Writes, May 1st

As a distraction during the last weeks, I have been having fun colour coordinating outfits to flash fiction books published by Ad Hoc Fiction,the small press I direct, which focuses entirely on publishing short fiction. Check out the gallery of pictures I posted on the Bath Flash Fiction Site of Series One: The Older Writer/publisher Dressing Up To Go Nowhere

Series Three, which I have just begun today, will continue all May, and I will colour coordinate outfits to some of my large stash of unfinished notebooks. I will also offer a daily prompt. I know others like me who are enticed by the lure of a new notebook but never fill up the pages. Today’s notebook is one I bought in 1995 to record dreams. Plenty of blank pages in that one and some interesting dreams, many still on the same themes as today!

As it is May 1st, a day steeped in ritual and tradition, the prompt is to write a flash fiction story based on a superstition. Include some or all of the words on the list pictured below and any of the items on the table. If you are interested in taking up this writing challenge and you complete the story and get it published, I will send you a free entry (for a different story) for any round of the Bath Flash Fiction Award. Just send me the link to the story or your email with the offer of publication. It could be from any online or print magazine, or a flash fiction competition.
For anyone wanting more prompts and story feedback, I am shortly beginning a two-hour Zoom class following the structure of the popular face-to-face classes I ran in Bath before lockdown began. Two writing prompts and in-class fast writes. Feedback by the group on two or three first drafts of flashes submitted in advance. A story example to study. Fun. We’ll have a trial go at this, and then subsequently it will be £15 a session. Maximum ten people. Contact me via my email asap if you are interested.

Flash Fiction Fridays

Your chance to sow some seeds for a longer piece of fiction this year. I am running a series of four flash fiction sessions from 10.30 am – 12.30 pm in Bath Central Library on February 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th. The focus is on writing a longer piece in flash (the flash fiction novella or memoir). But it is suitable for anyone who wants a New Year boost and to learn more about flash fiction. Exercises and ideas to get you going, plus feedback. Additional input from Diane Simmons, whose novella-in-flash ‘The Inheritance’ is published by V. Press this February and also from multi award-winning short story and flash fiction writer, Alison Woodhouse, whose novella-in-flash was longlisted in the 2019 Bath Flash Fiction novella-in-flash Award. Fun and friendly.
For more information and for me to send you details to pay via bank transfer, contact me on my email asap

Celebratory Flash Fiction Readings and Book launch, 28th September, Bath

I’m hosting hosting a celebratory evening of flash fiction readings on 28th September from 7.30-10.00 pm at St James Wine Vaults, Bath where we will be launching ‘All That Is Between Us’ the stunning new collection of Flash Fiction by Bristol based author and writing tutor Ken Elkes.
I’ll be reading here too, along with Flash Fiction Festival team members, presenters and volunteers Diane Simmons, Santino Prinzi, Alison Woodhouse, John Wheway, Grace Palmer and Carrie Etter who are all widely published flash fiction writers. Free entry, free glass of wine, nibbles, late bar, Ken’s book and other books published by Ad Hoc Fiction for sale with cash or card. Do come! There’ll be a great variety of flash fictions to listen to and you never know, you might just get hooked!

New Year Flash Fiction Series in Bath

Want to find out more about writing short short fiction this New Year? I’ll introduce you to different styles of flash fiction, (stories of 1000 words and under), we’ll write drafts in the session and you can bring pieces for feedback from a supportive group of keen writers. The sessions take place on Wednesdays 12.00 pm – 2.00 pm at The Ram Public House in Widcombe, Bath. We meet in a quiet room, take a short break for lunch, and have fun. The Winter/Spring series begins Wednesday January 16th and meets weekly, ending Wednesday 17th April. Payable by paypal or via any card
£96.00 for the first eight sessions, then decide if you want to join the block of seven sessions continuing until Easter. Maximum twelve people.
Dates of first eight: Jan 16th, 23rd, 30th, February 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th, March 6th.

Continue reading “New Year Flash Fiction Series in Bath”

Adventures in short-short fiction

Reading my flash fiction at Christopher Fielden’s charity anthology launch in London.

The Autumn series of flash fiction sessions is up and running at The Ram, Widcombe Bath 12.00 pm – 2.00 pm on Wednesdays. Contact me at my email address below, if you want to drop in. There’s sometimes room. You’ll learn about writing fiction under 1000 words. We’ll read different examples of the form, I’ll prompt you to write, you’ll get feedback on your drafts and learn ways to hone your pieces ready for submission to magazines or contests. Continue reading “Adventures in short-short fiction”

Looking forward to May

May is looking great for flash fiction and related events. First up -Friday May 4th at St James’ Wine Vaults Bristol, 7.30 -9.30 pm. I’ve organised an evening of readings for Ad Hoc Fiction’s third birthday party with ten or eleven writers reading their Ad Hoc Fiction wins. One of these writers is Louise Mangos, who is coming all the way from Switzerland. She’s illustrated all three wins and her picture here goes with her story, ‘Heat’. Free entry, free wine and free birthday cake. Do come.

On May 16th there’s a reception in Bath for finalists of the 2018 Creative Bath Awards. Bath Flash Fiction Award is a finalist in the category of Publisher for the anthologies, pictured here, published by Ad Hoc Fiction in 2017. You can buy them all at bookshop.adhocfiction.com Or if you’re in Bath, buy from Toppings bookshop and Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights. I applied for these awards at the eleventh hour and am thrilled to be a finalist.

May 18th- 19th is the Saboteur Awards weekend. These prestigious awards happen yearly and initially, they ask for nominations to create a long list and then afterwards, further voting for the best of writing and performing in several categories. Charmaine Wilkerson’s wonderful novella-in-flash ‘How To Make A Window Snake’, in one of the four anthologies published by Ad Hoc Fiction last year, is short-listed in the novella category. I’m off to London for the day to hear the outcome at the Awards announcements on the Saturday evening and hoping that she’ll win.Vote for her by the May 9th deadline.

I was also very pleased that my own chapbook, The Chemist’s House was longlisted for the Saboteur Awards short story collections category awards, and another Bath Flash Fiction anthology, ‘The Lobsters Run Free’ was long listed in the anthology category.

I’m also looking forward to the results of few flash fiction contests I’ve entered. I think they’ll be announced in May. My birthday is at the end of the month so getting writing recognition at my enormous age would be a bonus birthday treat. Further on this year and there’s the second Flash Fiction Festival I’m directing, to look forward to. Everything suggests it’s going to be another fab event. Book up at flashfictionfestival.com if you are a flash fiction friend and haven’t yet, because I’ll miss you otherwise…

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