Any children’s author will tell you that writing a picture book can be as challenging as crafting a novel—with 32 pages to convey a story, every single letter and punctuation mark matters. The same is true for flash fiction—a story in 99 words requires great skill, a big eraser, and, unlike a children’s author, flash fiction writers don’t have the help of an illustrator! Which makes the work from our young writers this month all the more impressive: from Sir Terry Pratchett-esque fairy tales to mini-thrillers to poignant tales of friendship and loss, a myriad of ideas and themes were explored in minimal words. Read on to find out what our Guest Judge, Will Kostakis, has to say about your tiny, yet powerful, tales.
WINNER: Sophia by deanbuzzwell (United States)
The best flash fiction gets under your skin and stays there long after you’ve finished. Sophia is remarkable, sinking its claws into you with its direct second-person address, and not letting go until the final paragraph leaves you with an aching heart. This is such a lovingly crafted piece. Read aloud, its sounds convey the precise feeling of the words. Truly, what an achievement.
RUNNER UP: The Traders by Ryann_OverimaginativeFloof (India)
Reading The Traders gave me whiffs of Sir Terry Pratchett - and this is just about the highest compliment I can pay anybody writing about the intersection of stories and fantasy. I mean, “though I did once see them accept a thread from a wizard’s robe” is the sort of well-observed aside that makes a ludicrous story feel real. For an overimaginative floof, the author’s command of language is impressive, and it left me wanting more of this world, its humour and its danger.
Finalists:
- Reunited by karinaeid (United States)
- All Things Diaphanous by SheBelievedSheCould (United States)
- The Child’s Name by Wendi Z (United States)
- The Skaters by The_musings_of_me (Australia)
- Spiro and Verus by nooo (United States)
- On The Run by Jason Lee (South Korea)
Best Peer Review: Selected by Write the World
To grasp Baba’s world, reviewed by Bolotin (United States)
One difficult thing about editing others’ work is keeping in mind the genre and set of rules that the writer is working within. Bolotin does an excellent job providing feedback for a piece of flash fiction within the especially constricting bounds of its genre. While praising the writer, they write: “The amount of detail you were able to pack in such a little word count was incredible. Every single word held meaning, and importance in the story.” In general, Bolotin’s balance between positive and constructive feedback is superb, and they do an excellent job of asking probing questions. The whole review is warm and welcoming from start to finish, while also being helpful. I would love to receive a review like this one!
Peer Review Finalists:
- The Kaffeeklatsch, reviewed by Blank Notebook (Australia)
- Keeping the Promise, reviewed by elliebear916 (United States)
- A Faint Light, reviewed by grxce (Canada)
- If grapes could bring her to me, reviewed by MariaFaustina (United States)
Highly Commended:
- Snickerdoodles by Dorothy SB (United States)
- Bíjooyił by Hamporter7 (United States)
- Tap Tap Tap by Sophieburkard (Canada)
- Black-eyed peas by Eblinn (Belgium)
- They Cannot Change Us by Enheduanna (Australia)
- All I Can Do by Bruhmoment (India)
Thank you to everyone who entered. Check out our upcoming competitions here.