Category: flash fiction challenge

Going Short turns 1 year old!

On By nancystohlmanIn Craft Essays, flash fiction, flash fiction challenge, flashnano, interviews, podcasts, Reading, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized, writing

It’s been one year already! I’ll be celebrating and looking back all week and sharing some of my favorite “SHORT” memories along the way. Thank you to Ad Hoc Fiction and everyone who has been on the journey with me! Remember this book trailer??? (Below)

“A fun and eminently useful literary treasure map.”

~Kirkus Reviews  starred review

Winner of the 2021 Reader Views Award!

readers view award sticker

Finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Finalist for the International Book Awards

Order from Ad Hoc Fiction

Order Amazon/Kindle on Amazon UK  or Amazon USA 

U.K. folks: You can now order from Waterstones!

Or buy a signed copy from me here

“In Going Short, Nancy Stohlman captures the true spirit of flash fiction, those brief narratives imbued with all the urgency of life itself. An extremely practiced flash fiction writer, Stohlman is also a veteran teacher. She knows the territory and takes us on a trip from getting started to the finishing line, and everything in between. It’s hard to think of a more thoughtful, adept, and enthusiastic guide.” ~David Galef, author of Brevity: A Flash Fiction Handbook

“Nancy Stohlman has written the definitive, and appropriately concise, book on the flash fiction form. You’ll learn what flash fiction is and isn’t, tips on writing it, tips on honing, sculpting, and polishing it, along with thoughtful discussions on the flash novel and tips for pulling together a flash collection. As a widely-published master of the form herself, Stohlman brings years of teaching experience and her own engaging voice and wit to this useful, encouraging, and entertaining guide. A must-have for flash writers of all levels.” ~Kathy Fish, author of Wild Life: Collected Works 2003-2018

“Going Short embraces the urgency and compression of flash in presenting specific, fresh suggestions for creating, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing both individual pieces and full collections. It’s a book that knows and teaches by doing. It is inspiring and insightful, a masterful craft book written by a master of the craft.” ~Randall Brown, author of This Is How He Learned to Love

“This book is an invitation to flash dance with Nancy Stohlman, an accomplished partner who will show you the steps you can take, the fluid moves you can make on the flash fiction studio floor.  It is all about practice. She will spin you around and show you things you didn’t know you could do, and lead you to a kind of prose performance you didn’t think possible.” ~James Thomas, co-editor of the Norton Flash Fiction books

Order Going Short Now!

FlashNano 2021: It’s Our 10-Year Anniversary!

On By nancystohlmanIn flash fiction, flash fiction challenge, flashnano, The Writer's Life, writing

Can you believe we’ve been doing this FlashNano thing for 10 YEARS???

That’s A LOT of stories!

And A LOT of prompts!

And a lot of fun.

And many others have gotten on the November bandwagon, even dedicating the month of November to flash fiction in some journals.

Wow! All from a “silly” idea 10 years ago….

So, for the 10th year running, in solidarity with our NaNoWriMo brothers and sisters, join us again for a wild November of flash fiction. We are just ONE MONTH AWAY!

What’s FlashNano???

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Find out more and sign up for FREE here:

The Seasons of the Creative Process

On By nancystohlmanIn flash fiction, flash fiction challenge, Reading, retreats, Uncategorized, writing3 Comments

I’ve said for years there are few things I trust more than the creative process. The sun rises, the sun sets, the tides go in and out, and the creative process ebbs and flows…and ebbs and flows again.

I share this now, at the dawn of spring, because it can be tempting to take a snapshot of the creative process rather than seeing it as a continuum. When we are deep in winter here in Colorado, I take solace knowing that the Earth inevitably turns, and winter will soon be followed by spring. And conversely, when I am deep in the luxury of summer, I try to remember that it, too, will not last. 

It can be helpful, if you plan to have a long, creative life, to view your process like this. To roll with the changing seasons of our art. Periods of furious creation are followed by a slowing down as we recuperate. And those fallow periods are followed by new sparks and new creative discoveries…if we remain patient and trust the process. The key in any season is to embrace that cycles come and go. When we are in the creative mania stages, it can be hard to remember winter is coming. And when we are fallow, we may not recognize the new seeds germinating.

The more times you go through this process, the more you will start to trust that every season will retreat…and eventually return.

This cyclical nature is especially important when you are feeling creative FOMO (fear of missing out) or artistic jealousy. Your creativity is turning, always, but so is everyone else’s…on different cycles. Someone might be doing a lot of publishing outwardly, but behind the scenes they’re fallow. Someone else may feel insecure that they haven’t published lately, but they’re writing a masterpiece behind the scenes. 

Bottom line: It’s counterproductive to compare July to January. Instead, wherever you are in your creative process, remember you are turning and spinning, facing and retreating from the sun over and over. 

If you wait long enough, it will always be summer. 

To your beautiful, flowering creativity,

xoxoxo

Nancy

P.S. Speaking of seasons…are you ready for a flash fiction retreat in Iceland’s darkness? Early access to registration opens tomorrow!

Going Short wins a Reader Views Award!

On By nancystohlmanIn Craft Essays, flash fiction, flash fiction challenge, interviews, writing
Winners 2020-2021

While I am obviously THRILLED–I truly believe this award also belongs to all of you. THANK YOU for supporting this quirky little book.

And most importantly, this is a WIN for flash fiction!

Thank you Jude Higgins and Ad Hoc Fiction! Thank you Becky LeJeune and Sandra Bond! Thank you Janice Leagra and Maiya Winter! Thank you Samantha Lien!

It takes a village. I love you all. xoxo