Flash fiction is something that I have become very fond of; part prose, part poetry, and all wonderful narrative, telling a story in as few words as possible can be as rewarding as it is complex. Distilling a novel’s worth of experience into a few pages, or even a few paragraphs, means that you must pay attention to not just every sentence that you write, but every word that you choose. If done properly it should reward the reader too – hopefully – with a concise and concentrated dose of literature where, in a lot of cases, mood and tone maters more than plot because you are starting near the end of the story itself.
And that is what makes it so addictive, as both a writer and reader, to keep on doing.
I’ve been very lucky to have had my shorter work – six-word stories, drabbles (100 word), micro fiction (less than 250 words), and flash fiction – published but, more so over the last year I’ve had the absolute pleasure of being invited to read at Flash Fiction Armagh events in various venues in Northern Ireland. On the 19th September 2019 I’m going to do it again 🙂
This time I’m going to be reading a dark fantasy/speculative fiction piece (with a splash of humour thrown in for good measure), called ‘Playing Both Sides’ which I wrote during Pride month and plays on my love of geekdom and the underdog.
Flash Fiction Armagh this time takes place as part of the award-winning Armagh Food and Cider Festival; the readings take place in a teepee in the grounds of Crannagael House, which should be amazing! It promises to be a lot of fun, with cider tasting, locally sourced food, music, and of course all of the fabulous stories from the amazing writers (and me 🙂 ):
Gaynor Kane At Castleward
Maria Mc Gilly Green and Bitter
Csilla Toldy Wallflower
Jay Faulkner Playing Both Sides
Rachel Toner On The Shelf
Kerry Buchannan The Ages of Nan
Tim Hanna The Birds
Rosemary Tumilty The Homecoming
Ellie Rose Mc Kee The Caller
Brid McGinley Dogs in Space
Gerry Mc Cullough Not Quite Dead
Lorna Flanagan Boots Trudged Across the Yard
Yvonne Boyle The Silver Casino PlayerGary Hunter Rain and Smoke
With thanks, as always, to Byddi Lee and Réamonn Ó Ciaráin, the organisers of Flash Fiction Armagh, for this opportunity!