Category: Flash Fiction

The Winner

21/8/2015

THE WINNER - these three photos were taken on the same day of our recent trip. We had a stunningly beautiful beach day at Balnakeil, near Durness. Then the fog came in, it lifted later to give us a beautiful pink sunset. More on this trip in future next blog posts

During our time in the West of Scotland, I had my partner choose a number - each competition entrant was listed and number 14 - Steven Darbyshire will be receiving the books, cards and e-mag soon. Everyone who entered has been sent a 10% off coupon code for my Etsy store. Thanks to all.

I was delighted to hear that my story 'Madame Doofay and the Six Sugar Candy Skulls' won first prize in week 6 of the Luminous Creatures Summer of Super Short Stories flash fiction contest - you can read it here, and I display my winner's badge with pride. Also, my story from week 7 'The Blue Bird' took 3rd place - you can read it here.

I have begun to make a dedicated place on this website for my writing - I shall take time over the next few weeks to populate it with my writing news and a few of my stories - you can find it here.

Cappuccino Bay - one of my recent paintings, was used as the prompt for last week's Three Line Thursday - flash fiction contest. This was a real honor. Some of the entries made my heart soar, some made me cringe and not want to paint again, ever. An interesting experience, one that needs more reflection on my part. You can read the entries here.

HAT STATUS: 4 hats went on holiday, 4 hats returned, intact, from holiday.

READING STATUS: Not enough reading time - something has to be done.

PAINTING STATUS: Nil.

WRITING STATUS: Submitted an entry to Shetland Noir's writing competition. Flash contests so far this week: Three Line Thursday, Mircro Bookends....hoping to submit to the final Luminous Creatures contest of the summer.

ENERGY STATUS: Exhausted.

WILDCARD STATUS: Pick a card, any card......

F. E. Clark, 21st August, 2015.

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Summer Flashes

30/6/2015

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'Shore Memories' by F. E. Clark, June 2015.

Summer Flashes - we are having summer, here in Scotland - bright sun, rain, thunder. As always it is up to us to make the best of it - catch the light, the blossom and the green. I am painting, intermittently - Shore Memories, above, is one the results. July is almost here and I am plotting a painting boost - watch this space!

Back in February, after a Valentine's Day outing to St Cyrus beach, I sat and wrote a short piece for Flash Frenzy at The Angry Hourglass - (one of my favourite Flashdogs recommended flash fiction contests). I wrote it straight off in half an hour. It was the first time I had entered this flash fiction contest and I was stunned and delighted to hear that I had won - read my entry 'Inheriting the Mask' here (may never happen again - so boasting seems ok). As a result of this wee win, I was invited to 'judge' a subsequent contest, and after lots of humming and hawing and bailing out (sorry Rebecca!) I finally did so this weekend.

There were 13 very different entries - all prompted by a rather dark and intriguing photo cue. Vastly unqualified to 'judge' anything, I knew I wanted to comment on each piece and then do my best to choose the 3 winners. It was as hard as I expected it to be - you can read the stories and results here.

I asked Rebecca Allred to say a few words about her creation - Flash Frenzy, and this is what she said:

"The Angry Hourglass and Flash Frenzy were the result of me not wanting to lose touch with the online flash community. I'd been writing for Rebekah Postupak's Flash! Friday for several months, but my outside projects had begun requiring more and more of my time, making it difficult to produce new stories on a weekly basis. I'd made a lot of friends and enjoyed the camaraderie at Flash! Friday, and I didn't want to give that up, so—imitation being the sincerest form of flattery—I thought I'd try hosting my own. I'm thrilled it has been well received and even more excited that it's helped inspire the #FlashDogs. I hope Flash Frenzy continues to inspire writers, old friends and new, and that the popularity of the flash form continues to flourish."
.

HAT STATUS: Rather put out that I did not get a new hat - if even for the day - while I was 'acting judge' for the Flash Frenzy flash fiction contest.

READING STATUS: Lots of flash fiction...and, the new Flashdogs Anthologies - Solstice - Light and Dark.

WRITING STATUS: Projects ongoing - my characters are all getting drunk and giving me the finger...

PAINTING STATUS: Rumours of changes afoot.

WILDCARD STATUS: Shuffling the deck.

ENERGY STATUS: Comes and goes like a true Scottish summer.

F. E. Clark, 30th June 2015.

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Solstice

21/6/2015

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Flashdogs Solstice Anthologies - Dark & Light, by Tamara Rogers.

Solstice day here in Scotland and my big news is that the 2nd Flashdogs Anthology is out and available and I have somehow managed to sneak 4 of my stories into it. This 2nd Anthology comprises of 2 books - Solstice Light, and Solstice Dark. The Light book has my stories: 'Conjuring Light' and 'Twilight, Deadman's Loch'; the Dark book 'The Light Run' and 'Creature of Her Own Myth'.

All royalties from sales of the Flashdogs Anthologies are to be donated to The Book Bus - a charity which works with children in Africa, Asia and South America - providing books and literacies schemes. This is a cause very close to this writer/reader's heart - to read gives such joy and power.

Flashdogs are an international group of writers - they write flash fiction - very short stories. I had dappled a little with writing flash, then had begun reading interesting tweets from a bloke called David Shakes (one fo the Flashdog's founders) - I was intrigued. There are many flash fiction contests run online, and I began entering a few this year. From the daily practice of making daily paintings I had found that having a short time to 'just get on with it' helped me to make paintings and I wanted to apply this to my writing, which had been flagging.

2 books, 143 stories, 48 writers, 1 charity - We were given 4 photograph prompts - images by: David Shakes, Sharon Nicks, Tamara Rogers & See-ming Lee - and the theme 'Solstice'. As always I find the depth and variety of writing on these, really mind-blowing. More on my own writing process in a later blog.

Read more about Flashdogs and order the anthology here on the Flashdogs website. (Also find out about the 1st anthology - the e-book of which will be free for a limited time.)

For those who asked - YES thanks, I am still painting, here are a couple of paintings from last weekend, drying on our windowsill amid the tomato plants. I find that writing and painting can work well together, and shall ignore those who think I have no business attempting both. Solstice blessings to all, and all that jazz.......

READING STATUS: Eagerly awaiting paper copies of The Flashdogs Solstice Anthology.

WILDCARD STATUS: I baked the Moniack Mhor Clementine Cake, and it disappeared rather fast.

ENERGY STATUS: Still settling

PAINTING STATUS: Yes, yes, I am still painting.

WRITING STATUS: Research and imagining - scrying a story - soon be time to conjure it up.

HAT STATUS: No hats have been lost, purchased, borrowed or filched during this time.

F. E. Clark, June 21st, 2015.

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New Day

9/2/2015

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The first nine daily paintings for February 2015, hung on my studio wall. Paintings and photo by F. E. Clark, 2015

NEW DAY - this month I restarted my practice of painting a small piece every day - and if feels good! February 2015's paintings are all on thick board, with fixings on the back, and are ready to hang - which has been rather fun - I am enjoying seeing them on my walls here (please excuse the rather wobbly arrangement above). For better quality images of these paintings - please go to my gallery pages. These paintings are all available directly from me. I continue to draw great inspiration from the world around me here in North East Scotland.

Three of my personal favourites so far:

HAT STATUS: The headline of the last two weeks has been what is under my hat, or rather what was under my hat - after having at least a foot of hair chopped off. It will grow............

PAINTING STATUS: February daily painting - full steam ahead. Very much enjoying painting on board - more robust that paper, and to see the pieces immediately on the wall is very exciting.

WRITING STATUS: After becoming inspired by the Flashdogs Anthology, I have begun to take part in some weekly online flash fiction contests: Three Line Thursday and Flash Friday. One honourable mention so far, and I have also become .....a #Flashdog! I have written a few flash fiction pieces in the past, they feel a little like daily paintings, but in written form.

READING STATUS: Just started the latest John Connolly - The Wolf in Winter, and The Harvard Referencing System Guide - don't ask....

ENERGY STATUS; New days, fresh starts, snow cold air..........and bright sunshine - fabulous.

WILDCARD STATUS: Summoning.

F. E. Clark, 9th February, 2015.

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The Winner

Summer Flashes

Solstice

New Day

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