Fiction Writing and Miscellany

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For several years, I had the gumption to believe I could be an actual fiction writer. Not a lot of gumption, but enough to prompt me to participate in flash fiction challenges. The nature of flash fiction fit my style for the most part. I hate editing and rewriting. Most rounds of the contests required a completed story in 24-48 hours, so there was no time to hash and rehash and sweat details and whatnot. A big problem I did have was that I sort of specialized in vignettes, but the judges always wanted a structured story. It was challenging, and I did have some successes, but never won, and eventually I had my fill. I got to know what the judges were looking for, and realized it wasn't what I wanted to give. Below are some of my submissions.

This may be the first of my flash fiction contest entries. I felt pretty good about it at the time. This was in the hey day of writing group, when we were all still into writing and reading to each other and talking about it. We phased out of writing together, but we're still friends! 

I do remember this one, and I actually liked it. The judges, if I recall, were not so fond of it.

Funny enough, I barely remember this one. I should have kept a record of the prompts for these. I probably have them somewhere. If I find them, I my revise this text.

I don't know if it was always this way, but the flash fiction competitions little by little became a screenwriting contest. I don't know when, but I became aware of this bent at some point, and so tried to write more "cinematically". They seemed to always want something that would "pop", something, I guess, that would translate to the screen. I tried to adapt my stories and my style to what I thought they would like. I really just wanted to win once.

I did probably the most research I've ever done to write this story. I familiarized myself with the specific timeline of Edgar Allan Poe's life, and studied the history and layout of the University of Virginia to try to be as authentic as I was able. I felt like a real writer - no one's going to pick up on these details, but it was important to me that they be there.

I think this is around the time I realized they wanted something more like a TV show concept. The prompt was, perhaps, "ghost story."

The prompt was probably "rom-com" or something equally outside my wheelhouse. I don't even have the heart to read it before I write this blurb. I'm gonna say, not my best effort.

Again, if I can find the prompts for these stories, I'll add them here. This style of contest was fun for a while because I got to write things I never would have thought of on my own. 

I wrote a review of the Godzilla Burger (with tofu) at Katsu Burger, back when they had just one location down in South Park. Going there was a special occasion. Anyway, it's probably not what you're thinking.

 On a routine fishing trip with her husband, a woman is pulled by an octopus into the North Sea. She fights to free herself from the beast; he fights to free her from the sea.

This was a submission for a Seattle Public Library contest. "I read up on Octavia Butler in preparation. I was not familiar with her or her work previously, and I regret that. I'm sure I would have read a lot of her work by now. I bought a short story collection and read a couple of those. Good, but dark. I may pick up one of her novels later this year."