A Bio-Flash From Sal Buttaci
A BIO-FLASH FROM SAL BUTTACI
I love writing flash fiction. In my boyhood years, 1946 to 1956, my comic-book heroes saved the day in a limited number of colorful cartoon panels and speech balloons. I voraciously read those comic books as well as the illustrated classics that delivered to me Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Moby Dick, and a string of others I’d never have time to read in their originals. Brevity became for me the way to get to the heart of the matter without sweating through the verbosity of excessive description and dialogue.
It was also my parents who taught me treasures could likewise be found in small packages. One of those treasures was the short succinct “No!” when I wanted to do something to which they rightfully objected. Add to that my father’s impromptu parables, his way of effectively teaching us valuable lessons in lessons. Unlike today’s electronic age of cell phones where much is spoken and little is said, back then a limited number of words were worth a gallery of pictures!
Despite seeing my poems and stories in publications since the age of 15, I still experience that initial joy of a publisher’s or editor’s acceptance of my work. When Phil Harris of All Things That Matter Press published my first collection of flash fiction, 164 short-short stories called Flashing My Shorts, I was ecstatic as a lover of books let loose in a free Barnes and Noble’s.
The positive reaction to that first flash book encouraged me to write 200 Shorts. Once again I thank All Things That Matter Press for believing in me.
England’s Chester University added 200 Shorts to their Flash Fiction Special Collection at Seaborne Library in 2011. What a sincere honor to be listed with Isaac Asimov and so many other great authors in the world’s largest flash-fiction library! http://www.chester.ac.uk/flash.magazine/bibliography%20%20
I love flash fiction stories enough to continue writing and promoting them. I highly recommend others to try their hand at it, especially those who find it difficult paring down their work. Writing flash fiction teaches us writers how not to fall in love with our early drafts. It also teaches us how not to be satisfied unless every word used in a flash does its job developing an interesting plot.
May I say it again? I love writing flash fiction!
Flashing My Shorts is available in book, e-book, and audio book versions http://www.amazon.com/Flashing-My-Shorts-Salvatore-Buttaci/dp/0984259473
200 Shorts is available in book and Kindle editions at
Salvatore Buttaci
Princeton, West Virginia
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