writing in review

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!

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2023 Writing in Review

2022 Writing in Review

2021 Writing in Review

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

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2022 Writing in Review

2021 Writing in Review

Allison

2022 Writing in Review

Last year, my Writing in Review covered April to December with 44 submissions and 5 acceptances. For coming off an (almost) decade-long drought, that felt pretty good.

This year, I submitted the entire year, with 74 submissions across flash fiction, essays, poetry, and photography. Eight pieces/photographs/chapbooks are still out. I published one poem, 14 photographs, one essay, and 11 flash fiction pieces.

I had a chapter published in the Thirty West #antiwriomo novel, Those Who Scream. I wrote it last November and the book came out in May.

I got my first Best of the Net nomination for my Daily Drunk essay, “Douglas Fir Give Me Heartburn: Exploring the Magic of Christmas Eve on Sesame Street,” published last December.

I got my first Best Microfiction nomination from Atlas and Alice for my flash fiction piece, “No Place Like Home.”

I submitted three different chapbooks or microchaps, and one was accepted and published! Won’t Be By Your Side came out September 23rd and I’m very proud of the stories in that book, along with the cover design, which uses my photograph.

I also designed the cover for my friend Janet Dale’s chapbook, ghosts passing through, which uses another of my photographs.

I also submitted a collaborative chapbook to three places, and it’s still out at one.

I submitted a chapbook pitch to a publisher, which felt amazing even with a rejection because I’ve had this idea bouncing around in my mind since 2011 without any clarity of what to do with it. The pitch pushed me to figure out how to share these ideas, so I hope to work on this project more in 2023.

I also submitted a flash sample to Reflex Press and was accepted to write a piece for their collaborative novella-in-flash. My time will come at the end of February 2023, but I’ve loved getting the pieces in my inbox and letting my imagination run wild with what I might add to this amazing project.

I didn’t keep strict track of the workshops taken, but I think I took 9, either one-off generative workshops or more involved week-long or three-week courses. This is up from… maybe 3 in 2021? I love workshops and feel like I create a lot of material from them, so that’s something I’m going to try and make time for in 2023. I’m already signed up for 3 in the first quarter alone.

I also have other major writing goals for 2023, but since this is a time of reflection over 2022, I’ll recap with a general overview of satisfaction. I feel like I’ve accomplished so much since 2021, and of course the years before that were a desert, so I’m proud of where I am now. I feel like there are still goals to strive for and ways to have fun with my writing instead of always pushing myself to do more.