Being a Flash Fictioneer (like a writing Musketeer…or something similar…)

Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Scribbling notes onto scrap paper, improvising stories in the playground, acting ‘spies’ in the park with my brother and creating long detailed character lists for future epics was how I spent half my childhood…drawing and reading occupied the other half!

Then I grew up and life got busy!

I continued to imagine and write, but barely more than a diary entry or shopping list…
It took years before my confidence recovered enough to allow my creative side freedom once more. When my youngest was born I began to write again creating a world of fantasy and dragons for my children, and I knew I had to let my writing develop wings of its own.

After discovering Twitter, some random follows lead me to Five Sentence Fiction with Lillie McFerrin. Over Christmas last year I read lots of entries, but wasn’t sure of blogging etiquette and whether I could just join in…I could! I threw myself in feet first with Clandestine and there it was my first ever Flash Fiction!

I got some encouraging comments, another first for my humble little blog, and I couldn’t wait for the following week’s word, hoping my ability to string together a little paragraph with a twist wasn’t just a ‘flash in the pan’ (pun intended!)
The following week gave my writing purpose and creativity.
Til then everything I’d written over ten years had been lengthy works in progress and one finished book. I hadn’t written anything short, bar occasional poetry. Five sentences had fired my brain, making me think hard and forcing me to create a whole story in nothing more than a few lines.
It made me confront structure, characters, language, nuances, metaphors and twists; I even had to brush up on grammar, though I’m no way an expert, so forgive a few semi-colons lurking where they shouldn’t!
Five sentences had me trying prose, a snapshot of a moment, a whole story and many other variations in creative writing in response to a single prompt word.

And along the way I made friends who, without knowing, built up not only my self-confidence and writing skills, but my self-worth at the same time.

When, in April, I saw many friends entering Anna Meade and Susi Holliday‘s Once Upon A Time Contest I read the entries eagerly, but didn’t think I could enter, then several bloggers asked if I was, and I suddenly realised I’d become part of a wonderfully supportive writing community, and if I believed in my writing it was time to diversify! So I entered and this adventure ended with my story being included in the Once Upon A Time: A Collection of Unexpected Fairytales book amongst authors I really admire!

Since then my Flash Fictioneering has grown, my blog has become a writer’s blog and my skills have expanded.

I’ve taken part in the Forbidden Love Bloghop hosted by Lillie, Ruth and Janelle; yearningforwonderland’s Faerytaleish Pinterest Contest with The Coat, for which I got an Honourable Mention, and Waiting; I wrote an Unzombie Tale for zombiemechanics flash fiction contest and completed Terri Long’s Blogflash2012.
I’ve written actual stories, learning how to craft and structure, I’ve learned how to cut what doesn’t matter. I’ve learned  how every word counts, especially in anonymouslegacy’s Visual Dare and jezri’s Nightmare’s 55 Word Challenge, both Angela and Lisa’s challenges show that every word makes a difference and you quickly discover what you don’t need!
These visual prompts allowed me to explore different genres and ideas and put me on the spot, 55 Words only allows 24 hours…think fast!

Becoming a Flash Fictioneer has helped me no end, there are still new prompts I want to try sweetbananaink’s Friday Night Write‘s musical prompt chief among them, though I’ve learned that right now my weekend’s are usually too busy to write! And try oneword my latest find, hit the button, see the word and you have sixty seconds to write!

So if you want to flex those creative muscles, get over to one of these sites, I shouldn’t need to prompt you now, should I?

*Note: There are other Flash Fiction sites available: glitterword’s Tuesdaytales, caramichaels Menagemonday and Donna B. McNichol’s Write4ten to name a few. If I’m missing any you love, feel free to comment below!

Blogflash: Day Thirty: Winning

Photograph by Bekah Shambrook manipulated by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Thirty: Winning

Flood Part Twenty-Six

The ocean retreated, military posts swelled and strengthened with every rediscovered survivor, and the reclamation effort thrived whilst encompassing feelings of both shock and joy.

“Would a rainbow be another promise?”

“For what dear?”

“Not to flood again…”

“God forbid!”

Golden skies threw diamond sparkles over the sea and a path of light across the sand.

“Come then sweetheart…it’s time to get all hands on deck…off to work…”

“There’s a lot to do, isn’t there?”

“It’s a brave new world out there, and we’re part of it!”

Adam took Evi’s hand and they walked, together, across the vast shore…

(100 Words)

http://terriglong.com/blog/category/news-events/events/blogflash2012/

Back to Day Twenty-Nine

This is my final entry into Terri Long’s Blogflash 2012 and I wish my lost sailor couple all the best as they head out in to the world!

Blogflash: Day Twenty-Nine: Masquerade

Photograph by Bekah Shambrook (Please do not use without permission)

Day Twenty-Nine: Masquerade

Flood Part Twenty-Five

“Why’re you sitting down here on your own sweetie?”

“I don’t know what’s left for us…for anyone…”

“Please don’t cry sweetheart.”

“I just don’t think I can keep up this façade, constantly smiling, I’d rather be back on the boat!”

“No you wouldn’t, we have food, water and shelter here…”

“Not enough water, but too much water!”

“Got that right, but we’ve got to keep going. You don’t need to smile all the time, nobody expects us to be overjoyed, and life is going to be hard from now on.”

“Hold me darling, just hold me, please just hold me.”

(100 Words)

Terri Long’s Blogflash2012-day-twenty-nine-masquerade entries

Back to Day Twenty-Eight

Blogflash: Day Twenty-Eight: Frog

Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twenty-Eight: Frog

Flood Part Twenty-Four

“What’s wrong sweetheart?”

“Everything! This isn’t what I expected…”

“No, but we were out at sea…we couldn’t see what was going on here!”

“Careful where you step dear…mind that, that’s glass…” Fragments of glass splintered beneath planks of wood, razor-sharp sheets of corrugated iron threatened to serrate anything that passed close enough and crushed, fractured homes disintegrated beneath survivors feet. “…everything’s gone…trees down like matchsticks, homes lost…”

“We’ll be okay sweetie…”

“…and illness, we should get our jabs in the Red Cross tent…and Eeeewwww!”

“What else?”

“Frogs…all these frogs!”

“Well, at least it was good for the amphibians!”

(98 Words)

Terri Long’s Blogflash2012-day-twenty-eight-frog entries

Back to Day Twenty-Seven

Blogflash: Day Twenty-Seven: History

Photograph by Bekah Shamrbook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twenty-Seven: History

Flood Part Twenty-Three

“Storms knocked out communications…”

“Like the lightning did on our boat, losing the radio?”

“Yes, but satellites are pretty much fine now the rain’s stopped and communications around the world are rebuilding via links from ships with satellite equipment.” 

“So where’s the government dear?”

“The Major said that when ‘Rainburst’ trials started to deviate from plans they fled to the best military ships. They disappeared when the TV networks went down.”

“That figures, so where are they now?”

“Out on the ocean somewhere. The likes of us left to fend for ourselves…”

“So what of ‘Rainburst’?”

“Torpedoed…to stop the floods…”

(100 Words)

Terri Long’s Blogflash2012-day-twenty-seven-history entries

Back to Day Twenty-Six

Blogflash: Day Twenty-Six: Seeing

Photograph by Bekah and Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twenty-Six: Seeing
Flood Part Twenty-Two

“I can barely hear you above the rotors dear…these headsets aren’t easy!”
“LOOK BELOW…”
“I got that! You don’t have to point…or shout!”
Below the scenery was breath-taking. The landscape, known and loved, was gone, vanquished by the ocean in an almost endless expanse of water. The wooded headland jutted out, a high point on the brand new coast, but the newly-formed ocean spread wide leaving only small pockets of green; small islands in a sea of blue.
The helicopter’s rotors clacked, trees bent in broken submission, the little boat bobbed below and unspoken words fell as tears…

(99 Words)

Terri Long’s Blogflash2012-day-twenty-six-seeing entries

Back to Day Twenty-Five

Blogflash: Day Twenty-Five: Blue

Photograph by Bekah Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twenty-Five: Blue
Flood Part Twenty-One

“Look at the sky dear…”
“Beautiful blue isn’t it?”
“No, I mean up in the sky…”
“Later, will you help me with the anchor? I think we should drop anchor, there’s no point drifting anymore. If we wait long enough…the water will go down enough for us to actually be on land…”
“No, look! Listen!”
Gulls squawked and the ocean lapped, and a distant rotary hum broke the monotony.
“Is that..?”
“It is! It is! Look…up there, look!”
“You’re kidding me! Shout! Wave your arms, SCREAM!”
“I AM, I AM! Hey, Hey, WE’RE HERE, DOWN HERE!”
“Rescue…at last”

(99 Words)

Terri Long’s Blogflash2012-day-twenty-five-blue entries

Back to Day Twenty-Four

Blogflash: Day Twenty-Four: In The Woods

Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twenty-Four: In The Woods

Flood Part Twenty

“You seeing much with those binoculars dear?”

“There’s a lot of debris…”

“Do you have any idea where we are?”

The boat rose and fell on the waves and an inconspicuous twisted branch narrowly missed the bow as it floated by.

“I think so, I’m looking for landmarks…we’ve definitely been out on the ocean, not inland. There are woods up there across the headland…”

“And in the sea too dear…look, flotsam and jetsam…” 

“Aren’t they eels in Disney?” 

“I’ll ignore that dear. So how do we get closer?”

“Well we’re still drifting, so we’re not out of the woods yet…”

(100 Words)

Terri Long’s Blogflash2012-day-twenty-four-in-the-woods entries

Back to Day Twenty-Three

Blogflash: Day Twenty-Three: Cooking

Photograph by Bekah and Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twenty-Three: Cooking
Flood Part Nineteen

“For the love of a dove! I can’t believe it! Honey, kiss me again!”
“Love you darling, I knew things would work out!”
“We’re cooking with gas now!”
“Oooh, I wish we were…bet you’d like that steak now!”
“Food…no more fish…”
“Now I’m drooling, I know that’s not attractive, but I am!”
“Sooo hungry. What are you looking so worried about now sweetheart?”
“Well, we don’t know how high the water rose, we don’t know what we’re going to find on land…”
“Well, that seagull on those rocks over there…that’ll do…”
“Tell me you wouldn’t eat your dove?”
“I would!”

(100 Words)

Terri Long’s Blogflash2012-day-twenty-three-cooking entries

Back to Day Twenty-Two

Blogflash: Day Twenty-Two: On Holiday

Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twenty-Two: On Holiday
Flood Part Eighteen

“You know that feeling? You know the one when you finally see your holiday destination in the distance? That’s it…that’s the feeling. Sweetheart, look over there…this time I know it’s land, there’s nothing else that can be. We’re there, here…look!”
“Wooooah! Don’t drop me! Wow…it really is, it’s really there…land at last!”
“You okay? You cold? You’re shivering.”
“Not cold, just a bit scared…”
“Wipe that tear away, it’s finally over…”
“I know…I know, but I’m still scared at what we’re going to find…”
“It doesn’t matter what we find.”
“And look…right on the horizon…your dove dear! There’s your dove!”

(99 Words)

Terri Long’s Blogflash2012-day-twenty-two-on-holiday entries

Back to Day Twenty-One