Tag: micro fiction

Back to Winning Writing

~ Jim Flanigan ~ Leave a comment

After some recent writing disappointments, I was determined to right write more betterer better. My first baby step toward that goal was a micro-fiction story in the humor category. I was pleased with the story I crafted – funny throughout with a twist at the end. And … drumroll please … success! It was selected for publication. You can click here to read it.

However, it was not awarded as the best humor story. The awarded humor story I did not find very funny throughout. In fact, it made me a bit sad. Sour grapes? Perhaps. I prefer to think that it’s my keen sense of humor that presents a high bar to clear to elicit guffaws from me, or maybe it’s my predeliction for fart jokes. Not one in the “winning” story. But what it did have was a twisty ending I didn’t see coming. Kudos to the awarded writer for that ending. Nicely done. You can click here to read the awarded story.

I am quite pleased with my story’s picture, created by AI. I continue to mess around with AI in the hope that I can compensate for my lack of natural intelligence.

Winning Writing

~ Jim Flanigan ~ Leave a comment

I’ve continued my improbable writing winning streak on the curatedmicrofiction.com website. Sure, this latest one from me was not awarded (more money), but it was published which gets me 10 bucks. I kind of knew this one would not be awarded since I chose the Literary/Creative prompt. I think I provided a suitably creative comic twist at the end, but I don’t think it was literary which connotes serious writing to me. The awarded story in the Literary/Creative category was oozing seriosity.

But still, my winning streak of 7 stories continues on. The current prompts are tough. Nothing jumps out at me. But I have a possible idea for a funny story. Unfortunately, it is for the Literary/Creative prompt again. Ugh.

Tired of Writing

~ Jim Flanigan ~ Leave a comment

I alerted you almost a month ago to a writing contest at Weird Little Worlds Press. It wasn’t easy, but I wrote a mostly-coherent sci-fi story of just under 5,000 words involving lizard people and pencil sharpeners. But then came the editing … and the rewrites … and the formatting into their accepted style … and finally the self-doubt. It’s not like the humorous stories I write. It’s easy to tell if a story is funny or not, and I’m pretty self-aware of whether my stories are chuckle-inducing gut-busters (typically not). But writing sci-fi is a new experience for me. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I am learning.

The submission deadline was May 31. The day before I had finished another micro-fiction story that I submitted to www.curatedmicrofiction. And why not? They have published and paid me for every story I’ve submitted. Here’s my most recent one that they liked that I wrote to their sci-fi prompt. Maybe I was practicing for the Weird Little Worlds contest with sci-fi micro-fiction.

So, by the time I finished the submission for Weird Little Worlds Press, I was just tired of writing, editing, etc. Today has been a dreary, rainy day – perfect for writing! And there is a website I had my eye on with a submission due today. But I just can’t. I have cranial writer’s cramp. My brain hurts.

What I can do is plan for the future. There’s a new window open for submissions at www.curatedmicrofiction.com. I have my eye on the Literary/Creative prompt but with a humorous twist. First submission is free! Come join me. And I may be able to use my sci-fi submission to Weird Little Worlds Press for this contest from the Scientologists. Finally, I have a story in my head about a carnival sideshow wild woman that will definitely have to be written before I forget it. For a memory of the most famous of carnival sideshow women, Lydia, click here.

Milestone Made

~ Jim Flanigan ~ Leave a comment

When I wrote my last post, I had no idea that it was my 2500th post until after I published it. I guess that’s somewhat of a milestone unless you discount all the dumb posts, memes, and cartoons. If I just count what I would consider legitimate posts, I’m at 37. I’m not sure if this one will count as #38.

I do find it ironic that my 2500th post was titled “Write Weird.” I started writing this blog to practice writing, and now I’m encouraging others to write weird. How about writing well? That’s kind of a foreign concept for me. Or, is it?

I submitted more micro-fiction to a curatedmicrofiction.com prompt that I blogged about. Rather than loading my 300 words with dad jokes, fart references, and invented words like last time, I decided to change tack.

Continue reading “Milestone Made” →

Write Weird

~ Jim Flanigan ~ 2 Comments

Last year, I submitted a vampire story to Weird Little Worlds Press for their Playlist of the Damned anthology. They didn’t like my story enough to select it. They were right. It can be better. I’m rewriting it for possible use later, although a rewrite by me may not necessarily make the story better.

It’s time to write weird again. Weird Little Worlds Press has a new anthology they are putting together, and they want new authors. Hey, that could be you or me. The problem is that we only have until the end of this month to submit a story. So, start writing weird. We have no time to lose if we want to place a story in their anthology.

If that’s too soon for you to write 500 to 5,000 words without a specific prompt, try this one instead.

Continue reading “Write Weird” →

An Unexpected Award

~ Jim Flanigan ~ 4 Comments

In a recent post, I promised (threatened?) to share my 300-word micro-fiction short story with you that was comprised of dad jokes, a fart reference, and an invented word. I planned on copying and pasting the story here, but I don’t have to do that now. I received an email stating, “Your story ‘The Sarcopha Guys’ has been recognized by our curation team as exceptional in your category.” Exceptional? Me? What category, fart fiction?

I figured I had an outside chance for one of the $5 awards, but now my comfortable retirement is assured after securing a $60 award. Anyway, enough complaining about winning something. It’s time to share it with the world, regardless of the world’s recalcitrance toward reading it.

Click HERE to link to the page showing the weird prompt and my story that you can then click on to read. After the minute it takes you to read 300 words and ten minutes it takes you to stop guffawing, then click HERE to go to the current challenge. Pick a prompt and start writing. I think the first submission is free. Let’s see if some real writing can challenge my fart fiction. Yes, I do have a story planned in the Humor category. That’s another tough prompt, but somehow I have a story concepted about a librarian that involves flinging mashed potatoes. I think I really need to seek professional therapy.

Is an Editor Necessary?

~ Jim Flanigan ~ 1 Comment

In a word – YES! I’ve come a long way as a writer in the 8+ years since I started practicing writing on this blog. I’ve won a couple awards, been published, and think I’ve improved as a writer. Regular readers of this blog may disagree with good reason.

So, it should come as no surprise that I now use my editor/cousin/godmother/writing mentor less and less. I think I write better now. Who needs an editor? Plus, I feel guilt. I have never paid her a dime for her services. The problem is that even when I send something to her just to read and specifically ask her not to edit, she can’t resist editing. And she’s an excellent, although brutal, editor. She does not pull punches with me. Her editing is outstanding, and I value her general opinion of my writing even more. But still, I don’t want to take advantage of her skills. Sure, I send her a box of orthopedic socks at Christmas, but is that really enough? Probably not. Maybe I should consider a membership for her in the Jelly of the Month Club.

I blogged about a FREE micro-fiction contest. Hey, you writers out there. Yeah, you. Write, dammit. Bookmark that website and enter their next contest. What have you got to lose? I entered. And did I need a professional edit after 3 stories of just 100 words each. Well, 2 stories I wrote were kind of dopey, so I didn’t care about them so much. The third story I kind of liked. I thought it had some legs. I couldn’t screw up 100 words, could I? Here it is. You be the judge.

Continue reading “Is an Editor Necessary?” →

I Participated!

~ Jim Flanigan ~ 2 Comments

The judges’ results are in, and I definitely participated in a 100 word micro fiction short story contest. If you are too lazy to click that link, I don’t blame you, but you’ll miss out on rereading the thrilling story I wrote, rejected, and did NOT submit to the contest. Here’s the 100 word micro fiction short story that I deemed contest-worthy and entered in the contest.

Continue reading “I Participated!” →

Micro Fiction Short Story

~ Jim Flanigan ~ 2 Comments

I continue writing this slog of a blog to hone my writing skills. No, seriously, stop laughing. It’s true! Okay, maybe that’s not the case with the weekly, award-shunning Mite Be Funny cartoon every Sunday. But this forum keeps my writing skills sharp as an eraser.

For an added test of my writing skills, I entered a contest for a 100 word micro fiction short story at www.nycmidnight.com. I learned of that website from the person who plagiarized my Elvis story for one of their other writing challenges. I thought the 100 word limit with a 24 hour time limit and writing to prompts would be interesting.

The prompts I received were that it had to be of the horror genre (Yes!), include the word “tell,” and involve riding a skateboard. Easy peasy. I got not one, but two stories written. My wife and I rejected the first story, because I had misread the directions and thought I needed to include the phrase “riding a skateboard” in the story. I had incorporated that phrase, but in sort of a stilted, clunky way. Why do I have to read and follow instructions anyway? Isn’t this the US of A, land of the free? Don’t take my freedom away to write whatever the hell I want to write. Must be a writing contest run by Socialist Democrats.

Anyhoo, I liked the second story better as it seemed more horrific to me and the ending was more clever (cleverer?). So, what do I do with the first story after I tightened it up a bit? Give it to you, I guess. I mean, if you read the normal drivel in this blog, you’ll read anything, and this will be a definite upgrade. So, click the “Continue reading” link to get to the unused story.

Continue reading “Micro Fiction Short Story” →