Flash Fiction and where to send it

Recently, I ran a flash fiction workshop for WhitLit’s Write Mind, a new initiative linking the act of writing with wellbeing. For the workshop, we looked at dribbles and rabbles (50 word & 100 word stories – title not included) as well as their longer-worded cousins, as a way to get started with getting our work out into the world. (This is not to imply that flash fiction is somehow “easier” to write than longer pieces – far from it – but the form seems particularly suited to giving opportunities for new writers, as there are so many festivals and on-line sites that actively want submissions.) As I promised the workshop participants a round-up of upcoming deadlines for flash fiction – here it is!

My workshop took place during the Flash Fiction Festival, run by Bath Flash Fiction. Bath has upcoming deadlines for flash fiction (a 300 word limit, which is called a trabble) on 13 October 2019 and novellas-in-flash (a short novella, not more than 18K with each flash no more than 1K) on 12 January 2020. Of their work, Bath Flash Fiction Festival says: Our goal is promote flash fiction for both writers and readers and to bring the genre to a wider audience. Running a three-times-a-year rolling flash fiction award with substantial prizes and chance of publication gives writers a big incentive to create great flash. And our new novella-in-flash award provides the opportunity to have a longer work released in a quality publication.
They also run Ad Hoc Fiction, which offers a weekly (and free) micro fiction competition as well as novellas-in-flash publications. Why not send them something? Follow the links to learn more about deadlines, guidelines & entry fees – a thorny issue for writers. (But publishers are aware that entry fees are not doable for many writers – many competitions have subsidised or free spots – and Reflex Fiction below offers a “choose your own fee” – surely, this is the way of the future!)

New Flash Fiction Review is the portal for the Anton Chekhov Price for Very Short Fiction, judged by Angela Readman. Submissions 800 words or fewer. There’s a 15 July deadline – be quick! 

Here’s a link to The MsLexia Flash Fiction Award: Submit your best trabbles (300 word stories) before 30 September 2019.  Sorry/not sorry this is women only. Placing 3rd in a MsLexia short story contest gave me a real boost, when I was starting out, and there will always be acreage in my heart for MsLexia.

Reflex Fiction runs the quarterly Reflex Flash Fiction Competition which lets writers “choose their own fee” for submissions – a great idea! Reflex is ALWAYS accepting submissions with a rolling series of deadlines for their contests – and they publish a story every day! Still trying to figure out what flash fiction “is”? Check out this Reflex page.

Best Micro-Fiction is an anthology, looking for work with fewer than 400 words.  Accepting submissions until 1 December 2019.  

The on-line flash-fiction magazine SmokeLong Quarterly publishes stories weekly & quarterly.   They accept submissions for work under 1000 words for publication – as well as for the prestigious Smokelong Quarterly Award – be sure to check early 2020 for details about that. Smokelong is a terrific resource of stories, demonstrating what flash fiction is & can do, as well as interviews with writers.   

Can you write a story in fewer than 40 words using the prompt “milk moustache?”  Then the One Sentence Story Contest is for you! Enter by 8 September.  

Paragraph Planet publishes 75 word stories – on-line, every day!   
Every Day Fiction:  features “bite sized stories for a busy world”, taking submissions under 1000 words.

National Flash Fiction Day may be over, but NFFD are already planning for 2020. There’s plenty of time to write your dribbles and drabbles – and submit!