Day 6

Day 6. Keep truckin', everyone. Your stories--fully developed, rife with conflict and transformation--are due in all their literary glory on Monday. We're right in the middle of this summer session, heading into the final stretch come next week. Please hang in, keep writing, and allow yourself to change your "ideas" about the stories that you are writing. Allow yourselves to throw out whole chunks, whole pages; embrace the concept that writing is "expensive." You're off to great starts. Now's the time to consider what we've been talking about in class and actually apply these techniques and craft tips to your stories. If you're writing from real life, don't stay married to the "facts" of the story; maybe it would be more interesting if the main character (in real life, you) decided against calling your ex (which didn't happen) as opposed to calling him (which did). Or what if you added, say, a dog into the mix? Or a mother-in-law? Allow the story to move where it will, letting go of preconceived notions as much as you can.

And in the meanwhile, if you're interested in revising and entering your flash fiction in a contest, here's an opportunity:

(I'd be happy to discuss any short shorts that you want to revise further with you one-on-one; just let me know.)

Newport Review Flash Fiction Contest 2007
Newport Review will sponsor its Third Annual Flash Fiction Contest. We offer awards of $100, $75, $50 and publication in our prestigious small journal, 25 years in print, now online.

Deadline: Postmarked by October 1, 2007
Guidelines: Short-short stories up to 750 words
Entry fee: $7 per story, 3 for $20

Mail manuscripts w/check or money order made out to Newport Review to:
Newport Review Flash Fiction Contest
P.O. Box 126
Tiverton, RI 02878

Include business-size SASE for notification of contest results. Manuscripts will not be returned unless requested; include SASE with sufficient return postage. Please include name, mailing address, phone and e-mail on all manuscripts. Unfortunately, we are not set up to accept PayPal or e-mail contest submissions at this time.