Flash Fiction Chronicles

For the week of February 12 through February 18, Flash Fiction Chronicles is  having its fourth String-of-10 Contest—String-of-10 FOUR—for the best 250-word story written from a specific prompt: a series of ten words posted at this site on February 12, 2012.  

This year’s Guest Judge will be Robert Swartwood.

Here’s what Robert calls his “Short and Sweet Third-Person Bio.”

Robert Swartwood was born in 1981. His work has appeared in such venues as The Los Angeles Review, The Daily Beast, Postscripts, ChiZine, Space and Time,Wigleaf, and PANK. He is the editor of Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer, which was chosen by The Nervous Breakdown as one of their favorite books of 2010, and was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday with Scott Simon. For a more in-depth and up-close view of what Robert does, check out his website, Occasional News, Insights, Rants, and Other Miscellaneous Stuff.

PRIZES STRING-OF-TEN FOUR FLASH FICTION CONTEST

1st Place: Winner will have his or her story published at Every Day Fiction in April, 2012 and be paid the standard payment of $3.00 per story.   But this year we are upping the ante, a $50  Cash Prize from Flash Fiction Chronicles to the first place winner. A copy of The Best of Every Day Fiction Four along with a copy of Pomegranate Stories by Gay Degani, editor of Flash Fiction Chronicles will also be awarded as well as an “I Write Every Day” t-shirt. As a special bonus this year, Robert has decided to throw in a copy of his own collection of  (very) short fiction, Phantom Energy.

2nd and 3rd Place: Winners will have their stories published at Flash Fiction Chronicles in April. (There is no payment for publication at Flash Fiction Chronicles.) A copy of The Best of Every Day Fiction Four along with a copy of Pomegranate Stories by Gay Degani, the editor of Flash Fiction Chronicles will be awarded to 2nd and 3rd place winners.

GUIDELINES in Brief

1. The prompt for String-of-10 Four will be available at 12:01 on Sunday, February 12, 2012 here at FFC.
2. There is no entry fee.
3. Submit stories up to 250 words.
4. Enter up to two stories per author.
5. All stories must contain at least four words from the String-of-10.
6. Seamless integration of any four of the prompt words is the goal.
7. Entries must be received by 11:59 PDT Saturday, February 18.
8. Winners will be notified sometime in March 2012.  Publications will follow in April.

PRACTICE WRITING FLASH STORIES EVERY DAY USING PROMPTS FROM FLASH FICTION CHRONICLES DAILY PROMPT AT THE FFC FACEBOOK PAGE HERE.

Stories from the third String-of-10 Contest

1^st Place—Pretending by A. S. Andrews

2^nd Place—Today She Will Write Cool Things by Romit Berger

3^rd Place—Wingless by Karolyn Reddy

 

Stories from the second String-of-10 Contest

1^st Place—Salvation by Ann Pino

2^nd Place—Gypsy Flour by John Towler

3^rd Place—Good Morning Susan by Brittany Soder

Stories from the first String-of-10 Contest

1^st Place—The Haircut by Sharon E. Trotter

2^nd Place—The Forever Summer by Mary J. Daley

3^rd Place—Choices Made by Jim O’Loughlin