Affection for Line Zero

At the start of January, as we all sat under an icy winter blanket, Seattle-based literary/arts journal Line Zero ran a Flash Fiction contest. The prompt was 'Affection', and writers were given 24 hours to come up with a story that clocked in at under 300 words. Always one to rise to a challenge I sharpened my pencils, started some coffee on the stove, and set about cranking up the creative engine.

If you're not familiar with Flash Fiction as a format, then don't be put off by the title - it doesn't involve a soundtrack by Queen, or wearing Spandex pants. The idea is simply to tell your story as concisely as possible, distilling the short story down to a few hundred words. Think of it as an extra-long haiku. If you want to check out a master of the form at work, then get your hands on a copy of Dan Rhodes' Anthropology, 101 stories each told in 101 words (for the UK edition, click here).

I'm pleased to announce that my short short short story 'DSA: Desperately Seeking Affection' was chosen as one of four winners of the Line Zero Winter Flash Fiction Contest, and will appear in the new issue of the journal due March 16th. To order a copy visit the Line Zero website.

As an added incentive, if you order before the close of March 16th you can use the following code to get 15% off - Win2012LineZero. The code works for your entire order from Pink Fish Press, so feel free to go crazy. I know they need your support (and your cold, hard, Paypal cash).

In the meantime, I'll be heading back to the writing board to start something new - just as soon as baby Jacob gives me an hour or two to spare...

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