microfiction

Allison

2025 Writing Goals

As I mentioned in my last post, I felt disconnected from the writing community during 2024. I want to change that because I’ve made many great writer friends and love having people who understand the fickle job of writing, with its highs and lows. Community will be key for me this year, even though the former gathering ground of Twitter is now a hellscape that leads me to doomscroll and roll my eyes for hours instead of connecting with anyone.

Many of those same writers are on Instagram, though, so I’m going to aim to be more active there. To comment and DM instead of just scroll and like. To foster connections and feel a sense of community. I’m also a member of Sisters in Crime, which has community forums and online webinars and goes out of its way to foster connections between members. I’ll lean heavily on them since one of my writing-specific goals is to finish my mystery novel.

About that novel… I ghostwrote 28 books last year but didn’t finish one of my own. (That’s great, considering my novel won’t pay as much as working for others.) Still, it’s a goal to publish a novel under my name, and I want to make progress toward that this year.

  • Step one: finish a draft.
  • Step two: revise the hell out of it.
  • Step three: let others read it – yikes!
  • Step four: revise some more.
  • Step five: query an agent? I’m not sure I’ll get there, but it’s nice to have a rough plan.

I also want to finish revising my Young Adult novel from 2010. I’ve been getting feedback on chapters from a writing group and it’s pushed me to think differently about this book that was so familiar to me at one time. The distance since I first decided to revise it in 2018 or so also helps. Not to toot my own horn, but I feel like it’s close to being ready, and I think it’s something that could find an audience, so I’m hoping to polish it up and see what I can do with it.

Beyond those big projects (if I can take on any more), I want to reconnect with the flash community. I haven’t even been writing short pieces lately; I’ve been so focused on paid work that I really miss how flash made me feel like a writer. I know any type of writing takes creativity and skill, but flash made me feel so in tune with myself and the world around me, like I was seeing secrets everywhere I looked, letting my imagination unearth the story average people and items hid. I want to get back to that. I don’t like going through every day just working and keeping myself and my kid alive… though some days that’s enough and is a struggle itself. But actively writing flash felt like little escapes out my own life and my own head, and not having that for almost a year has really made me feel like a brittle, boring person.

I specifically have about four novella-in-flash/collection ideas I want to work on, so that will be my focus – not that I’ll turn away any other ideas that come to me!

Basically, I want this year to be the year I focus on my ideas, foster my own writing, and see where it takes me. Here we go!

Allison

2024 Writing in Review

This has been a strange year for my writing… I’ve focused more on paid work, which is great for my bank account, but makes me feel really out of touch with the flash fiction community.

I still did some fun things, like writing during National Flash Fiction Day and taking part in the Ekphrastic Marathon. I wrote some books and outlines for major publishers, and that news will hopefully come out next year. I judged four contests for Flash Fiction Magazine and ghostwrote some books I’m really proud of, so I feel like I had a very creative year even if my submission spreadsheet isn’t reflecting that.

I only had 45 submissions this year, despite initially having a goal of submitting 5 pieces per month. I had 13 acceptances from those submissions. (I submitted 111 times in 2023, 134 in 2022, and 52 in 2021.)

I also only took one writing workshop (plus a few two-hour Zooms), while I used to take a lot more. I generate a lot of content during workshops because I thrive with the prompts and accountability, so I think that might be a big part of my lack of content this year.

I started writing reviews for MicroLit Almanac. Several were books I’d already read or wanted to read, but a few weren’t even on my radar, so I’m grateful I got the chance to read and review them, hopefully helping spread the word of these indie writers so they can get the attention they deserve.

In addition to the online stories and reviews you can read here, I had a flash fiction piece published in Stanchion’s Away from Home anthology and another in the Third Bullshit Lit Anthology.

I also launched my own writing services: Lightning Flash Writing

If you need help polishing your work (flash fiction, short stories, novels – I do it all!), getting your ideas on the page, or marketing yourself or your book, I’m here to help!

Related Posts:

2023 Writing in Review

2022 Writing in Review

2021 Writing in Review

Allison

Published in Stanchion’s Away From Home Anthology

I’m thrilled to have a piece in the Away From Home anthology from Stanchion!

I wrote “Bonnie’s House” as a micro in a Sarah Freligh workshop – I know that’s not a surprise at this point, as most of my pieces that eventually get published start there! I loved the idea for this anthology because I’m obsessed with getting glimpses into other people’s houses, so I knew I didn’t want to miss my chance to explore that.

I can’t wait to read all the other amazing stories included in this anthology! It’s officially out on September 10th, but you can preorder the book here: Away From Home Anthology

Allison

Showcased in the Ekphrastic Marathon (Again!)

Last month I took part in the Ekphrastic Review‘s Ekphrastic Marathon for my second time! Last year was Lucky 8 and this year was Nine Lives. (Here’s my post about last year.)

As with before, I wrote several pieces based on amazing works of art. I really enjoy using art as writing prompts, so I look forward to this marathon every year.

I’m excited that my story inspired by “If only i hadn’t wished for what I thought i was missing” by Paraskevi Frasiola was featured in the Marathon Showcase!

Read it, and many other amazing pieces, here.

click the pic to read the full piece

Allison

National Flash Fiction Day Pubs

I had a great time writing and submitting to The Write-In on National Flash Fiction Day! I’m thrilled that 10/10 of my submissions were published! I’m sharing the links here, along with the prompts to give an idea of the guidelines/constraints.

Tidal: Write a flash about a rare weather or meteorological phenomenon.

Leave It All Behind: Write a flash in four sections, with each section having a heading ‘Air’, ‘Earth’, ‘Water’ and ‘Fire’, no more than 300 words!

And Now It’s Here: Write a flash in which someone encounters the end of the earth.

Wreckage: Write a micro flash of exactly 13 words.  Give it a title.

“People Also Ask”: Write a flash or micro in which every sentence includes at least one use of the word ‘why’.

Life Changing: Write a 50-word flash (or shorter) that starts and ends with the same sentence.

Not Simple: Find a FlashFlood story and choose five interesting words from it. Write a flash of no more than 100 words that uses all five of these words.

Fish on Vacation: Write a flash about someone who feels like a fish out of water…

The Grocery Gatsby: Write a flash using or referencing characters from fiction or poetry that was written at least 100 years ago. Set it in modern times.

Make Your Move: Write a flash in the form of a series of directions to somewhere.

(The featured post image showcases the badges I earned for the pieces I wrote and submitted.)

Allison

“Forget Me” published at Gooseberry Pie

I have a piece in Issue 12 of Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine!

“Forget Me“ was written in a Sarah Freligh workshop, inspired by Edward Hopper’s painting, Summer Evening.

I think it stands without seeing the artwork, but appreciate the additional context the painting gives. What do you think?

Allison

“Dendrology” published at Briefly Write

I’m so excited to have a piece in Briefly Write with some amazing writers!

Read Dendrology here!

I actually wrote this as a story for Visual Verse, so I wanted to share the original picture by Olga Naida. I was bummed when it wasn’t accepted for that issue because I thought it fit well – and wouldn’t stand on its own. But I’m so glad Briefly Write picked it up!

If you read it without seeing the picture, what did you think? Does seeing the image change your interpretation?

Allison

Shorter is Better Book Club Recap

Another fun thing from 2023, besides the writing publications I previously mentioned, was starting Shorter is Better book club with Chelsea Stickle and Suzanne Hicks.

We started in April with After the Rapture by Nancy Stohlman. The rest of the books were as follows:

We took December off, and will do the same in 2024. We’re also taking February off in consideration of AWP and so many authors and small presses being swamped that month! However, we already have our January book picked: The Anchored World by Jasmine Sawers. Grab a copy from Rose Metal Press and join us on January 16th at 7:30 pm ET.

You can find us on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with our reading progress and join in on the meetings!

Allison

2023 Writing in Review

This year felt like a slow one to me, but when I look at my submissions spreadsheet and publication track record, it was pretty great! I did take it a bit slower in terms of workshops. I love the prompts and feedback in workshops, but this year was a rollercoaster in terms of my paid writing work, so not having the pressure (or expense, yikes!) of many workshops was a necessary break. (That said, I took seven workshops total, though many were in the spring when my work life was still running smoothly!)

I like the goal of submitting to a certain number of places a month because I like marking accomplishments off my list. However, I don’t like the pressure of submitting just because. So for 2024, I’m going to take a small step back. I’m going to focus more on the ideas I have for collections and novellas-in-flash and strive to finish those instead of writing one-offs for submission. I think having a few bigger projects on my plate will be a nice change of pace from these past three years.

Anyway, my 2023 stats meet the goals I set for myself at the end of last year. I submitted 62 times, compared to 63 written in 2022 (I also submitted photography that year) and 44 in 2021. I had 16 acceptances, compared to 13 written acceptances in 2022 and 5 in 2021. Six stories are still out/under consideration.

I also wrote blurbs for two amazing collections: Winter Dance Party by Brett Biebel and Awakenings edited by Diane Gottlieb.

Two of my 2023 acceptances are for anthologies coming in the future from Reflex Press and Stanchion, but the rest are online and linked below:

Ladyfingers published by Visual Verse 9/2023

The Hand, The Remorse of Conscience in The Ekphrastic Review’s Lucky 8 Marathon 8/2023

Precarious Pile published by Visual Verse 8/2023

Nectar published by SoFloPoJo 8/2023

Waiting in the Rain published by Visual Verse 7/2023

Blue Monkey published by Ellipsis Zine 6/2023

Crosstown Traffic published by The Write-In 6/2023

Moving Day published by The Write-In 6/2023

Trick or Treat published by The Write-In 6/2023

She’s Where the Sky Meets the Water published by The Write-In 6/2023

Dreamless Reality published by The Write-In 6/2023

Close Your Eyes published by Visual Verse 5/2023

Midway shortlisted for the Brilliant Flash Fiction Contest 5/2023

Mother of Pearl published by Visual Verse 4/2023

501 published by Spartan 4/2023

Death of an Influencer published by Visual Verse 3/2023

Bank Balance published by Friday Flash Fiction 3/2023

“Shining Light” photograph in Rock and a Hard Place Issue 9 2/2023

Related Posts:

2022 Writing in Review

2021 Writing in Review

Allison

“Ladyfingers” published at Visual Verse

I’m thrilled that my creative nonfiction micro was accepted for the September image prompt at Visual Verse!

Read “Ladyfingers” here!

The artwork made me think of a ring my grandmother had since childhood.

And my memories flowed from there!