In Conversation: Flash Fiction ✍️

I recently had the joy of meeting fellow fictionist and flash writer Jason Brick for a delightful conversation we shared via messages about this art form we love.

Read on for a few excerpts of our lively conversation about flash fiction—including the coolest place Jason’s newsletter has gone and Jason’s bio. Then, check out his newsletter and submit your flash fiction.

Also, my In a Flash craft book from Vine Leaves Press is the perfect holiday gift for yourself and your writer friends for the upcoming holidays!  Buy In a Flash! Writing & Publishing Dynamic Flash Prose  by Melanie at: Vine Leaves Press website

or at: Amazon

Or, for signed copies, Melanie’s Etsy page

Without further ado, the discussion about flash fiction:

Q: What drew you to flash fiction?

Jason: It’s the variety. For the reader and the writer, you’re not committing to a long narrative, so you get to play with genres, styles, crossovers, characters, languages, tropes you otherwise wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pencil.

Melanie: Flash is super flexible—it combines the narrative and action elements of fiction with attention to poetic language. It’s also compact and helps writers learn compression (which I always need!), integrating language like dynamic verbs and precise imagery, which I find exciting.

Q: What makes flash special or stand out from other literary genres?

Jason: Sort of what I mentioned above. It’s super-short, so there’s more room for variety and creativity than with other lengths of fiction.

Melanie: It combines the best elements of fiction and poetry and yet brings its own special qualities to the table, including a variety of formats and styles.

Q: Tell us about your book in a sentence or two, as if it were a birthday present you were describing.

Jason: Flash in a Flash is just the coolest gift, because I get to open it twice a week! It’s a literary newsletter that puts a super short story - under 1,000 words - in my mailbox every Monday and Thursday! All kinds of genres. All kinds of styles.

And it gets better! I’m a writer, and they’re seeking submissions. So with a little luck I can have my own micro-stories get out into the world. They’re a paying market, too!

Melanie: Very cool. Always great to learn about writing markets, especially those which pay.  My book, In a Flash, sizzles the pen and sparks a thunderstorm of dazzly new ideas that have never crossed your mind before and will continue to deliver awesome exercises and fabulous flash examples that you can return to again and again, at any season of your writing life ahead. You’ll want to keep it handy and gift a friend interested in the genre. 😊

Q: What’s the coolest or wackiest place(s) your book has been read OR where would you like your book to be read? 

Jason: The easy answer is that many people tell me, because of the short time commitment, they keep and read their copy in the bathroom. Besides that, I compiled the first volume in the series while living in Malaysia, so I read several of the submissions while on a boat in a river in Borneo.

Melanie: Wow! Malaysia and a boat in Borneo—so awesome! My favorite place readers have told me my book has traveled is in a gift bag to encourage a friend who has hit writer’s block or who isn’t familiar yet with the joys of flash. Writers are incredibly supportive and kind friends, and I love hearing that my book resonated with a reader so much that they want to gift it to a friend.

Q: Does your book contain exercises for writers? If so, what’s your favorite one that you’d like to share now?

Jason: Not exactly, but anybody can submit…and there is no better writing exercise that finishing a story and submitting it.

Melanie: I love what you say about finishing a story and submitting it. Very encouraging! My book contains a bunch of exercises that writers can use on days when they’re not sure what to write and how to even begin. I love hearing that someone used my exercises to draft a story, submit it for publication, and subsequently received an acceptance letter.

Q: What’s your favorite flash story? Or a flash story that you remember reading and being excited about exploring more in your own writing?

Jason: As of this writing, my favorite remains “The Apocalypse According to Dogs” from my first anthology. It just tickles me.

Melanie: I look forward to checking out that story you mention. The first flash I remember reading and thinking about how amazing it was and wanting to explore more in my own writing was the one often attributed to Hemingway: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”  That just hits me in the gut. As a poet as well, the imagery just says it all. That so very much emotions could be contained in six short words is super inspiring and challenging. Every time I read it, I both get the chills AND want to write something that eloquent and that compact.

Bio:
Jason Brick is the skipper at Flash in a Flash, a biweekly newsletter delivering fiction to mailboxes all over the world. When not writing and editing, he travels, cooks, practices martial arts, and spoils his wife and two sons. He lives in Oregon. 

Connect with Jason:

https://www.facebook.com/brickcommajason 

Contact Jason: brickcommajason@gmail.com

Jason’s books and projects

Check out More at The Porch Swing!🍂

Happy weekend, everyone!

Two quick updates: one, I’m delighted that more of my very fun conversation with talented poet and artist @gilliancourtneypoetry about my poetry and writing experiences was featured this week at @theporchswingpoetry on Instagram. Stop by to peruse and like the posts.

Subscribe to read more amazing content by talented authors (and some fresh poems from yours truly) in the near future! 🍂

**

Check out my latest poetry book, Does It Look Like Her? Available now at Amazon or for signed copies, check out my Write Path Productions Etsy page.

I also wrote an amazing craft book called Poetry Power with tons of exercises and inspiration to keep your poetry pens moving; available through my awesome publisher, Vine Leaves Press.

#writeeveryday #ThePorchSwing #WomenPoets #PoetryCommunity #WomensVoices #CreativeExpression #SupportWomenWriters #PoetryJournal #Inspiration #WomenInArt #PoetryLove #WriteHer #FemaleVoices #CateAlicePoetry #IndiePoetry #poetryislife #poetryislove❤️❤️❤️ #poetryislove

Interview Published about Self-Care for Creatives at Bold Journey! 🥳

Excited to share this interview with Bold Journey! A bit about the magazine: “Bold Journey is a space to share stories and learn from each other's experiences.”

Melanie, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
I’m a professor, tutor, freelance editor, and writer. I absolutely love being surrounded by motivated writers through my teaching and freelancing.

I’m also an introvert. A big part of being verbally connective for hours at a time and sharing what I know in support of others’ writing journeys is also maintaining ways to care for myself to ensure that I bring my best to personalize my responses to students and writers and to connect with my students, friends, and family in meaningful ways. 

One of my doodles—another way I rejuvenate. ✍️

A big part of my self-care routine in the past four years has been to support myself in taking breaks. Freelancers tend to work morning, noon, and evening, so I make a point most days to take at least two small breaks. Making mint tea (my favorite), reading a novel, sending my sister a funny meme or gif, or watching a few minutes of a streaming show or movie are all good, quick rejuvenators mid-day or at day’s end.

I’m certainly not perfect, and some days I only get one break…or none at all. I had a day this week with no break. In that case, the next day, I take a whole hour or two off (in the morning or early afternoon, to ensure that I work it into the day) to doodle, write, read, or take a nap to make sure I don’t burn out. The times I’ve gotten very close to burn-out have been disconcerting enough that I want to do all I can to ensure that I have the energy to support my own well-being so that I can give more support to others as well.

I’ve also gotten better over the years at telling myself what I would tell a friend, “You’ll actually have more energy and focus if you give yourself this break. Go for it!” 99% of the time, I’m amazed that, returning from even a 10- or 20-minute break, my thinking is clearer and my outlook is refreshed.

Taking walks, listening to music, and my writing practice are also huge parts of my self-care routine.

A shadow self-portrait I took one day for the fun of making something new. 📸

So is something like painting my nails a bright color or taking my camera out to capture some photos. As an introvert who is also communicative, these little, personal breaks to create something (which gives me renewed energy) often act as springboards to work I wish to share later. There are other times when I write or draw or photograph something just for the sheer joy of expression. Sometimes, I think we put too much pressure on being good at an art rather than practicing it just for our own fulfillment, and I want to tell everyone who is reading this that learning an art or a craft or a sport you always wanted to learn can be a great part of self-care and encourage your path–as well as a lot of fun.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I have been a published author and an educator for over 20 years, and I’ve been a writer since I was a child. I love to challenge and motivate myself to try various forms of creative expression, from writing narrative poems to autofiction and a Regency novella to film photography and drawing.

My most recent meaningful adventure was learning how to design my own book cover and self-publish my latest collection of poetry, called Does It Look Like Her?, about a painter, her teaching journey, and her son. I also love writing craft books about various writing topics, from writing flash fiction and poetry to the publishing process and photography, and Vine Leaves Press has published six of my craft books where I share tips and anecdotes of my writing journey with fellow writers. Motivating and supporting others in their path to creativity and personal expression has been an important part of my journey as a teacher, artist, writer, and friend, and I value and appreciate the writers I get a chance to meet and to share this writing path with as I develop my own art.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
As a writer, perseverance, hope, and determination keep me rolling ever onward on my path. A sense of humor and the camaraderie of fellow authors certainly help as well.

Developing a support network as you practice an art, launch a small business, change careers, or any other venture in life is very helpful and often sustains our creative work as well as a feeling of connection in the literary community. Being a supportive, listening ear to others is also meaningful and a wonderful way to develop as an artist, writer, friend, and/or educator.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The number one obstacle I face and which my fellow writers and students often mention is time. Our lives are so packed with activities that having empty pockets of time has become a luxury. At the same time, to make art or a good novel draft or other worthwhile parts of life, we need time to daydream, to dawdle, to plan, and to relax. It’s a real challenge and something that doesn’t seem to get easier to solve over time. Squeezing those self-care breaks into each day or a few times a week seems to work best. So does trying new hobbies or even new foods. Reading a book about something new energizes me as well, even if I can only dip into a few pages each day.

Stopping to have gratitude for the small moment and the little things we appreciate each day is also an energizer and helps to combat the frustration of our overly packed schedules.

Blog Tour: Interview with Lisa Haselton 🌟

So pleased to have this interview as my blog-tour stop today. It was a pleasure to talk to Lisa about many facets of the writing life, such as finding time to write, as well as a few other topics, like when I first called myself a writer, what I’m working on currently, and both the Space Race and space diapers! Also, a sneak peek into my chapter, “Celebration Station.”

Intrigued?

Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

“What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I alternate projects, so some of my projects sit on the backburner for months or even well over a year before the muse strikes to get back to them again. I work on projects intuitively, so I’ll write a chapter or a handful of poems or an article or two at a time and then either start a new project or rotate back to an already-started one that feels ready to work on again. Last weekend, I worked on two chapters of a project I hadn’t worked on since May.”

Read on: clickety-click!

Many thanks to Lisa Haselton for the insightful and fun questions. If you’re in the market for an editor for your writing project, please check out her editing services, her resources pages, as well as her blog for more wonderful interviews with authors.

Let the Fun Commence! Blog Tour Interview and Win a Copy! 💌📚

Super excited to launch my WOW! blog tour today for From Promising to Published! 💗

To get us started, I had the great joy of being interviewed by talented Nicole Pyles at Women on Writing. We dished about many writing topics, including submitting writing more than 1,300 times (aka: perseverance and keeping work in rotation), why I love teaching creative writing and what I’ve learned from my students, and the road to claiming the title of “writer.” Read on!

Check it out here: The Muffin interview clickety-click.

Also, after reading the interview, be sure to enter for your chance to win a free copy of my book (entries taken through December 18th) by filling out the Rafflecopter form located after the interview. Good luck! 🎊🍀

There’s also a copy up for grabs at The Mommies Reviews between now and December 10th . 📚

Giveaway: The Mommies Reviews clickety-click!

"The 5 Things You Need To Be A Successful Author or Writer" Published

A great joy that my piece, "The 5 Things You Need To Be A Successful Author or Writer," was published this week at Authority Magazine, along with an interview about mistakes I’ve made in my writing journey, a long-time-arriving acceptance letter, and more.

Photo by Worachat Sodsri on Unsplash

Art & Interview in Bait/Switch 🥳

A true delight to get to participate in Bait/Switch, an innovative, inspiring “call and response art publication” where creatives are given a piece of art as a prompt to then create a new piece of art.

I had the best time creating my cyanotype, “On the Move,” and had a blast talking art, letter-writing, and more with multitalented editor and executive director Lu Valena. Check out the latest/fall 2022 issue for the work of wonderful creatives here: clickety.

Extra props and a very special shout-out to powerhouse of art and dear friend Christine Tierney. Many thanks for your encouragement to submit to Bait/Switch and for the marvelous poetry and life conversations. Such a joy to be publication twins with you, and kudos on your group show! 🥳Check out Christine’s gorgeous collage art and interview in the issue as well as her fabulous poetry book, chicken+lowercase=fleur .

To continued artistic inspiration!

Exciting Update: Interview😀🎊

Recently, I had the great joy to share my thoughts with multitalented author and editor Roz Morris about writing, publishing, books, persistence, a fulfilling artistic life, and so much more: clicky here to dive into the fun.

Be sure to check out Roz’s excellent books, from her riveting, prize-winning novel, Ever Rest, and the many stellar reviews it has gleaned to her wonderful craft books sure to encourage novelists on this writing path.

Also, Roz has a meaningful newsletter, insightful interviews with fellow creatives, and more at her site to motivate and to bring out the very best in your writing.

Author Interview: Check out Aôthen Magazine! 🌞

Thrilled to be interviewed for the first issue of a wonderful new literary magazine, Aôthen Magazine. Check out the interview here.

Shout-out to the fabulous Samantha Ng, Editor in Chief, who was a joy to work with—I highly recommend checking out the magazine for a great read, considering submitting creative work, and/or advertising options for authors.

More about “Aôthen Magazine (named after the Doric Greek term for the earliest dawn) is an upcoming zine dedicated to all kinds of Classics inspired content! (art, poetry, essays, photography, etc.).”

Check out their submission guidelines for future issues.

Author Interview: I'm Featured Today on Hasty Book List 🌞

I’m thrilled to be the featured author on Hasty Book List today. Check it out! Also, my book was a book feature at the site: ta-da!

Many thanks to the very talented Ashley at Hasty Book List. Check out her awesome Instagram here as well as the work of many talented writers on the Hasty Book List site.