my flash at Matchbook Lit review (this link works!)

My new flash, "Vegan", is up a Matchbook Lit.

Story up at Right Hand Pointing

Emerald, a tiny story, up at elimae

Making it Special Prompt

Write a story about something that most anybody would consider average, but your main character considers special. This can be an animal, a person, a toaster... anything. Have your main character consider it to be very special, and let the story involve the main character's exaggerated adoration of this person/animal/thing.

Beatles Song Prompt

Pick any Beatles Song (I'm thinking of Lovely Rita, for my own). Take the theme of the song, and write a story from it. You can borrow words from the song, of course!!!

The Author (me) Interviews a reader (Tim Jones-Yelvington) on Flashfiction.net!

I interviewed Tim Jones-Yelvington about my story from SmokeLong Quarterly, Issue #21, Calfornia Fruit.

microfiction prompt - just fine!

write a story max. 100 words, about how everything is perfectly fine! Dandy! Lovely! Just swell! Make sure that things in this narrative are NOT really swell, that the voice in the story is trying to hide the truth.

feeling "miffed" prompt! 200 words max.

okay, so i like the word "miffed" because it's a fairly outdated word. I want to bring it back to life, so i'm hoping to encourage it's reanimation through prompt work! Yes! Miffed lives!

The theme for a little story (how about 200 word maximum) for this prompt is feeling miffed, and here are some words to incorporate:

percolate
hang open
ultraviolet
delicacy
waves of applause
Gin-Fizz
hunch
undercoat

My Postcard Life Story on Michael Kimball's Site!!

Prompt words: advanced

here are your words. this is your assignment. it looks impossible from here.


knees
ice-cream
focus
thumb
mumble
turkey-neck
fuckin'
schnapps
watery-blond
short-armed
buddy
guilty
flips

a competition

Two people compete for something. It can be anything, a dog's attention/love, a woman's attention/love... a game of Monopoly. There is something, some contest, and one clear winner.

Prompt Words:

pseudo
lipped
clogs
parted
glossy
lurk
boxers
worn
faze
pink
flap

Why Are You Telling Me This?

Write a situation in which someone is telling your main character something they don't want to know, don't want to hear about. The focus of the story will be the aftermath, trying to get the thing the person told them to feel less oppressive.

some prompt words:

nighttime
fist
shiny
frame
married
crucial
pocket

a little habit of not saying what they mean

ok so this character has a little habit of not saying what they mean, beating around the bush, being indirect. This character wants something very badly but can't ask for it.

Prompt words:

right
twist
center
ankle
shiver

Four Things You Never Want to do Again and one Thing You Love

write down four things you never want to do again, and one thing you wish you could do again strongly. Incorporate them into a story vaguely or quite directly - Slip in the thing you love somehow - let it make a wistful guest star appearance.

prompt words:

hoot
celery soda
jelly
bad
quiz
sting
twist
miniature
beard

Hanging Moss Journal - Steve Meador's baby!

My friend Steve Meador's Hanging Moss Journal. A cool place to submit poetry and read poetry and to get to know Steve. Very unusual site.

Thank you for including me in this one, Steve.

micro issue of FRIGG!!!!

OK - i'm ready to faint. I'M IN IT, along w/ Randall Brown, Kim Chinquee, Lydia Copeland, Kathy Fish, Scott Garson, Barry Graham, Tiff Holland, Mary Miller, Kim Parko, Jennifer Pieroni, and Joseph Young. Jeeeeezus!!!!!!

Out of Character

Write a piece in which your main character is acting "out of character," talking and acting in a way that is just very, very odd considering who they are. In the writing of it, you'll figure out why this is so, then you can really get a handle on the story. Let the reason come to you IN the writing, not before you start.

words to play with: reason, confident, only, clock, dead, window, strange, parents, mustard, lawn, mirror, stem, tight, disease, glass.

A family secret

Make one up, or use a real one - but don't tell the secret. Your narrator will not tell the secret no matter what. Somehow this drives the story.

gum
insist
pretend
month
long
shiny
married
drizzle
prize
Applebee's
well-tended

prompt - a friend's moving sale

My friend (a former client) Dan Santy, pres. of Santy Adverting in Pheonix, sent this to a large group of friends and associates. I knew that Dan's ad agency had recently moved.

I love the potential for a bulletin board to tell little stories. I was inspired not only to buy the Hungry Man Dinner and the good toilet reads on e-bay, but to think about using the photos of these strange, assorted items as prompts. I love finding things, and this kind of treasure hunt works my imagination.

Dzanc books new creative writing/mentoring program

I'll be offering instruction in flash fiction one-on-one, online, along with amazing flash fiction writers like Kathy Fish, Myfanwy Collins, Blake Butler, Craig David, Molly Gaudry, Hary Jones, Amy Minton, Alissa Nutting. Dzanc has made it very affordable to work privately with Mentors. The money goes to support bringing writing/literacy to kids in public schools.