In Favor of Flashing (Fiction Y'all)

Last time I taught for 49 Writers I was in AnchorageIf you follow me on social media, you know I've been guest blogging left, right, and center this winter, making great strides in getting the word out about my two online classes. The first class is halfway through and rockin' and rollin'. The 12 participants are writing, reading, discussing, posting drafts (aka keeping me busy!), and putting real heart into their work. Another chance to explore flash fiction with me in an online forum kicks off in just a few weeks, this time through the fantastic 49 Alaska Writing Center. (And no, you don't have to be a member OR live in The Last Frontier in order to take this class). Here's a teaser of what I had to say over on their blog:



"What do The Ramones, visual arts portraiture, and the elusive creative genius all have in common? Flash fiction, of course, though I should probably confess that, as a bona fide obsessive when it comes to the flash genre, it’s my personal opinion that all roads lead back to this jaw-dropping, fun, short-form style of writing.

The Ramones packed their songs with energy (proof), using concision, repetition, and rhythm much like any well-written flash piece. Portraiture captures a person at one particular moment in time; but the visual, tonal qualities of the artwork itself can suggesta life lived and events to come. The creative genius might be elusive, but one of the great equalizers is the theory of abundance. In other words, there’s always more where that came from, which is pretty much what reading any good flash fiction anthology feels like..." 

(Read the full post HERE.)