Flash Fiction Friday
This week, I’m re-posting my entry for last Friday’s Flash! Friday contest. It didn’t win, and garnered only a couple of comments, but I liked it. So here it is!
The challenge: Write a piece of flash fiction (no more than 160 words) using this picture as inspiration:
My response (exactly 160 words):
The gentle hum of electricity seeped into Darren’s skin. His bones vibrated as every muscle, tendon, and nerve ending soaked up the waves of power from the box.
No-one else on the sidewalk could feel it. But Darren drunk it in like parched soil takes in water.
Three blocks ahead, stop lights flickered.
Two blocks behind, cars screeched to a halt as the lights suddenly flashed red. Darren heard the crunch of bumpers. He didn’t turn. He just smiled.
On the horizon he saw a plume of smoke. His fingers told him the stop lights had gone out completely on East Fifth.
Cars trundled to a stop on the street in front of him; drivers vented frustration with their horns.
Satisfied, Darren let go of the metal box. It would take about ten minutes for the electronics to right themselves. In the meantime, he could cross the road safely.
The same road that claimed his mother’s life a month ago.
Can I say a few words about rejection?
One of the biggest fears writers have to overcome is the fear of rejection. Indeed, fear of rejection is one of the biggest fears most people face in life, period, whether it’s rejection by publishers, agents, peers, a love interest, a prospective employer, and so on. For writers, this fear can be particularly debilitating since writers write to be read. As much satisfaction as the writer derives from putting words on a page, that joy is made complete knowing someone else is getting pleasure from his or her work. But this will never happen until the writer actually publishes his or her work in some way (online or in print). That means the writer must risk rejection. Bad reviews. People not liking his/her work. And one of the pitfalls of working in the Arts is that there will be people who don’t like your work. In fact, there will be people who hate your work. That’s not a possibility. That’s a guarantee. Just examine yourself. Do you like every form of music? Every band/artist you’ve ever heard? Every novel you’ve ever read? Every picture or movie you’ve ever seen? No. Some you love, some you like, some you’re dispassionate about, some you don’t like, and some you can’t stand. The power of Art is that it stirs emotions and evokes passion. That can be both a positive and negative thing, and Art doesn’t discriminate. It allows for both positive and negative reactions.
So rejection isn’t something a writer needs to avoid. It’s something a writer needs to learn to deal with. And you do that by sucking up your pride and letting people read your work. Such online flash fiction contests as Flash! Friday, or Janet Reid’s contests (like the one she announced today), are a good way to do that. Because the work is judged by people, they are subject to the whims of the judges. If you write sci-fi and the judges don’t like sci-fi, the chances are you won’t win. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enter. There may well be a number of people reading the entries that do like sci-fi, and appreciate your work. Hopefully they’ll write you some encouraging comments. But ultimately, you will learn from the discipline of writing flash fiction, and you will become more comfortable with putting your writing in the hands of strangers.
I’ve entered the Flash! Fiction contest a few times now, and haven’t even been selected for a runner up category. While I’ve been a finalist or winner in Janet’s contests a few times, there are many I’ve entered where my entry didn’t even get a “special mention.” That’s okay. The writing practice, the experience gained, and the skin-thickening that results is almost as good as winning. Almost.
Thoughts or comments–about the story, and/or rejection?
You are absolutely right about continuing to enter the contests for the “writing practice, the experience gained, and the skin-thickening results.” I won the first Ms. Reid contest I entered. Part of me thought I should count my lucky stars (which I totally did!) and not enter again (remember that Seinfeld episode about “showmanship” where you get out while the getting is good?) 🙂 But I keep writing and subbing. Like you, some times I receive special mention and sometimes I don’t. But it’s all worth it because it’s all for our craft.
Oh yes–yours was the story about leaving the child at the laundromat. That was a well-deserved win, Madeline. And that I remember it is evidence of the fact. 🙂 I’m glad you keep writing and entering because it’s not all about winning a contest, but becoming a better writer. Sure, the pat on the back from a respected NY agent is very gratifying and encouraging. But trying to craft a story with only a handful of words, and seeing how everyone else attempts the same thing is what it’s really about. I’ve learned so much as a result, which is why I promote her contests as if they were my own.
PS: I looked up your contest winner to make sure I wasn’t mis-remembering. The 5 must-have words were double, trouble, bubble, twin, and spin. Here’s the story for those that weren’t there:
“Delicates”
Lucy didn’t name them both because she couldn’t, wouldn’t, keep them both.
In the Double Bubble Laundromat, she chooses a washing machine already on spin. The name brand detergent? The person has a little money. The fabric softener? A woman. Lucy nestles the sleeping Girl Twin in the laundry basket, then turns away.
She lifts Marlon from the cart. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be good to his Mama. Girls are nothing but trouble. She knows. She’s one, and all she ever got, or gave, was trouble.
Marlon watches over her shoulder as they leave his sister behind.
(http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2012/05/contest-results.html)
Colin, thank you so much! I appreciate your kind words. 🙂
I agree about learning so much from the entries and the results. I love seeing what everyone does with the words Ms. Reid provides. It’s fascinating!
Ooooo. I really liked this flash piece. Wasn’t sure where it was going at first, but I loved how you ended it.
Thanks, Patricia! You know how I like to mis-direct… 🙂
I’d love to enter Janet’s contests, but they’re on the weekends, when I tend not to read blogs. Alas.
Flash is excellent writing practice. I love reading it, especially when the sinker is the last line, that makes you think and think.
After being in this game for a few decades, I can safely say I’ve gotten used to the rejection schtick. It simply doesn’t faze me any more. I’m glad for that. I believe my attitude comes because I’ve gotten to the point where most editors say nice things about me as an author “you’re talented, you’ve got potential, I really like your style, etc”, but they’re not interested in This Piece. “Send us more,” they say. So I do. Sometimes I sell.
That said, every once in a while I get my hopes up about something. When that rejection comes through, I do feel a little pang, but only a little one. After all, it’s now a case of finding the editor who does want this particular piece.
I hear you, Heidi–I wish there was a way to schedule comments. 🙂
It sounds like you’re in a good place with regard to rejection. It’s never nice, and we’d be less than human if it didn’t sting on some level, but it’s so important not to take it personally. Most of the time it’s a particular piece that doesn’t resonate, and maybe another will.