Short Stories & Flash Fiction

At any given time I’m working on a few short stories and flash fiction to provide a bit of variety and experiment with aspects of writing. Writing a novel/novella has a long payoff period – as well as providing much needed practice the shorter form also gives some sense of satisfaction for actually finishing something.

I remember being told at a workshop that for someone like me with absolutely no contacts in the industry, getting short stories published can be a good way of getting to know both the craft and the processes of writing/publication. That way, when you are looking at trying to interest someone in a novel, you have at least enough thin strands of credibility to cover your modesty.

That is probably true, but I must admit I am enjoying the shorter forms as an end unto themselves much more than I thought I would. It is interesting to explore a more focused range of ideas, and in the case of flash fiction attempting to get across an entertaining story in such a small number of words is very challenging. It also forces a discipline with writing, trying to make every word count. I’m having a ball with it.

I’ve had a few flash fiction pieces published at Antipodean SF and more recently longer pieces published at Electric Spec and Robot and Raygun – see my bibliography for more details.