Accidental Encounter, a flash fiction story

Tags

Fiction, flash fiction, short story, story, words, Writing, writing journey

My story went up on Every Day Fiction today. Its a bit different, not perhaps what I normally write. Or is there a normal? With flash fiction you never know what you are going to get – they are all surprising.

Perhaps its a bit on the lighter side even if dealing with serious issues. Well, that’s the beauty of flash fiction – the stories are so short you can try out everything. Some things work, some don’t.

I rather liked this one.

Accidental Encounter, a quiet little story about a broken relationship – its not as dark as it seems. HERE

Its good to have something published – this year I have hardly been able to write and submit. But my article on distraction, Never that Second Bird went up last week, and this week a story – so its been not a bad month for writing.

Of course, lots more to come.

The Pages, Flash Fiction Contest

Tags

contest, Fiction, flash fiction, short story, story, words, Writing

Flash Fiction, as a form, has arrived only recently, but with growing international interest. Literature Live, Mumbai’s premier literary festival is holding a flash fiction contest.

Literature Live  takes place in October – November each year, at the National Center of Performing Arts, Nariman Point, Mumbai. This year it is from 30 October to 2 November.

The Pages, flash fiction contest

Length – maximum of 250 words

Open to – anyone over 16

Deadline – 12 October 2014

Theme – books. The story does not have to be about books but a book, or books, must figure somewhere in it.

The email to which you submit is – workshops@litlive.in

What I am looking for – a complete story with a beginning, middle and end. No jokes please. No stories just created for a punchline.

The top three stories will be published and the top ten writers will be given the opportunity to have tea with an author during the festival. In addition, some stories will be displayed at the venue.

Read the full submission guidelines and send your best.

Submission guidelines – http://litlive.in/article/19

Autumn Rain Haiku Contest

Tags

contest, haiku, Literary festival, poems, poetry, short poems, words, Writing

Literature Live is a literary festival which takes place in October – November each year, at the National Center of Performing Arts, Mumbai. This year it is from 30 October to 2 November.

I have been attending it every year and watched it grow enormously in the last few years. This year they are hosting a Haiku contest and a Flash fiction contest – I am the judge for both. Here are the details of Autumn Rain. I will post the flash fiction details soon.

Autumn Rain Haiku contest

Theme – Monsoon or Autumn, since its autumn but the monsoon has not ended.

Open to all above the age of 16. Send five haiku by email.

The email to which you submit is – workshops@litlive.in

Deadline – 12th October 2014.

Detailed submission guidelines are here –  http://litlive.in/article/18

 

Please follow the guidelines and send us your best.

The top three haiku will be published by Lit Live, and the top ten poets will be invited to a special session during the festival, to have tea with an author.

In addition a selection of haiku will be displayed during the festival.

As a run up to the contest there were several workshops conducted at colleges.

Last week, Hemali Kothari taught Flash Fiction to eager Sophia college students and the next day I did a haiku workshop.

The response was very heartening and the poems they composed at the end of the two hours were excellent first attempts. I hope to see a lot of them participate in the contest.

Never that Second Bird

Tags

distraction, Fiction, ideas, short story, words, writers journey, Writing, writing journey

In the long journey of writing one problem I have faced, and all writers face, is distraction. Where distraction enters it leaves a battlefield of broken and dead  stories in its wake.

What do you do about distraction? If you do nothing, success is further than the furthest star.  And yet, its hard to tackle, or is it?

My article about distraction, Never That Second Bird, went up on Flash Fiction Chronicles yesterday. Do take a look.