FLASH FICTION COMPETITION

This for all the writers amongst you - young or not young, published and unpublished. A flash fiction competition. Flash fiction is a very very very short story.  I wrote about this on my other blog here.

Stories can be told in a tiny number of words. Ernest Hemingway once wrote a story in six words which he considered to be his best ever:

"For sale: baby shoes, never used."

I wrote one once, in four words:

"Certainly," said the inn-keeper.

These stories are obviously not very satisfying for readers. But they open your mind to ideas and possibilities. How would history have changed if there'd been room at the inn? What is the story behind Hemingway's unworn baby shoes?

My challenge to you is to write a story in not more than 50 words, inspired by any one of these three words:

Luck, Chance or Fate.

Two age categories:

A - school pupil (at today's date: April 26th 2010)

B - left school (however long ago!)

RULES:

1. Closing date 15th June 2010 - winners announced before end of UK school term.
2. Prizes sent to UK address only - if you're overseas, do enter but nominate a UK resident to receive the prize. You'll still get the glory!!
3. Category A entrants - please indicate the name of your school on your entry and ask permission from school or parent. Also please indicate your AGE.
4. Email your entry to talkaboutwasted@hotmail.co.uk
5. Put the words FLASH COMPETITION in the subject line.
6. Give an email contact but not your postal address - I will ask you for that if you're a winner.
7. 50 words max. Hyphenated words count as one. I will not disqualify a writer for writing 51 words accidentally. But I might for 52 or 53...
8. I will use independent judges and their decision will be final.
9. One prize in each category: the winner's choice of any of my in print books, signed. Runners-up will get honourable mentions on blogs.
10. By entering, you give permission for me to publish your entry or part on my blogs.

Off you go! I will publish some of the best on this blog and on my other blog - www.helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com  -  and I'll use Twitter to publicise them so loads of people could read your work. Take time to polish, polish and polish. In flash fiction, every word counts so make every one work really hard.

And as Wasted shows, you never know where any action might lead you. Your decision to enter this competition could have unpredictable effects and one thing is certain: you'll never know unless you try.

Tomorrow I am going to attempt the impossible: to explain quantum physics. For someone who was as useless at science as me (according to my teachers - thanks for the support anyway), that is a very difficult task.

I need coffee. And probably chocolate.