Going Short, Nancy Stohlman’s new guide to Flash Fiction is released on 15th October and is for sale from the Ad Hoc fiction bookshop, Amazon in both paper back and as a Kindle ebook and on Kobo. Jude’s representing the publisher, Ad Hoc Fiction and hosting a launch on Zoom on Friday evening 16th October from 7.30 pm – 9.30 pm, London time . We’d love to see you there! Email Jude at jude (at) adhocfiction (dot) com to get your Zoom link. All welcome.
Nancy’s worked with many writers in different settings over the years — by phone, online in her many workshops, face-to-face in retreats and at the UK Flash Fiction Festival and via prompts such as Flash Nano the month of flash prompts in November, which she founded. We’re delighted that writers from different countries are coming to talk briefly about working with her in some of these settings and that they will read a short piece inspired by their work with her.
From the USA we’ll hear from Jayne Martin, Sally Reno, Beth Gilstrap and Christopher Bowen, from Italy Bryan Jansing and Charmaine Wilkerson, from the UK, Sara Hills, Cath Barton, Michael Loveday and Diane Simmons, from Austria, Sylvia Petter, from New Zealand, Nod Ghosh.
It will be a fun evening. Nancy will talk about the book and we’ll have the short reading/talking sessions interspersed with ‘break-out’ groups where guests can talk with writers and others from around the world. There will be virtual cake, and fizz and a draw with a chance for two guests to win a copy of Going Short . Also, because this guide was originally going to be published at the Covid cancelled 2020 Flash Fiction Festival, anyone who buys the book on the night will get a free Flash Fiction Festival Tote Bag to go with it.
In the meantime, do read the advanced praise on Going Short below and you can still pre-order from Ad Hoc Fiction with FREE world wide shipping and look forward to Nancy’s book trailer coming soon!
ADVANCED PRAISE FOR GOING SHORT
“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 (I especially like her idea of “swapping” sentences and paragraphs in revision and “strategic cutting”), 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. It’s all about paying close attention and getting it down with the necessary urgency. It’s not easy at first, it’s a tricky art form, but Nancy shares her sharp insight and offers short cuts to get you more quickly to your own satisfaction and your reader’s delight. And at the studio door when it’s time to leave, she hands you a scroll of a hundred good ideas and wishes you happy travel. Just follow the map.” ~James Thomas, co-editor of the Norton Flash Fiction books
