Aww Shucks, Dee. That's sweet of you, but don't you think we ought to open with a good one!

Yes Shay,
Go for it and list all the pieces - that way I can remember which ones of mine are going in.
You're doing a brilliant job holding this all together, I admire your tenacity. Well done.
CL

<Added>

Oops! I just found the list in Flash Fiction. How dense am I?
CL

Shay, here are my picks and an attempt at description/genre and ending. Now I have to do a bit of polishing.

Mrs Fizzes - Dark/slipstream- comeuppance
Jeth Dubbins - Contemporary - twist
Saving Sixpence - Nostalgic/upbeat - twist
The Mascot - nostalgic - twist
Popsoo - spiritual/new age
The Seventh Stair - contemporary - upbeat

Best
Sion

I've had a go at genrifying - well, trying to class my bits according to genre - and classing the endings.

By the way, I ensured that there were no sharp objects or heavy saucepans in the room before I posted this!

Here's what I came up with:

A Gift of Realism - ???? / sad and negative ending

Escapism - humour / twist ending

Queuing - suspense? / twist ending

Sprinkling Of Sugar - humour / positive ending?

The Strong Man - ???? (sort of surreal) / ending is exciting but sad, because Atlas drops the world

The Mouse Hole - humour / I can’t say about the ending


Ani

Dee, Sion, Ani,

Thanks for doing that. If I catalogue pieces this way then hopefully we can blend the pieces together quite nicely. We don't want five shit scary / sad endings together before we get to a 'lighter' piece.

Mine would be;

Fight With A Girl - Humour/Nostalgia - light ending
Beth - Humour/Contempory - twist ending
In Possession - drama - semi-twist/sad ending
Constraints - Miserable!/Contempory - open ending
Cloud Chasers - Historical Fiction - light ending
An Ordinary Day In Wynwychbury - Humour/Experimental! - surreal ending

I've just realised what are hard task I've set!

Shay


<Added>

what A hard task even

I tried to categorise mine...but then realised I hadn't got the faintest friggin idea where any of 'em fit. I will attempt to make it up as I go along, as usual, and post soon.

Derek

Yes, it is hard to categorise them, but that's not a bad thing! So long as we can leaven the sweet with the sour and so on, I think we'll be okay. (I suspect I am mixing metaphors. Apologies!)

Ani

Can we have a final vote on cover artwork with a view to finalising the theme?

I've just posted on Shay's Flash thread in the archive.

Best
Sion

I've also just posted on that thread. My vote is for a new concept (I've explained my reasons why on that thread).

Take care
Andrea

Okay, Shay, I'm resurrecting the cover discussion here.

I had not thought previously about possible negative reaction to having a flasher on the cover, but now that I am thinking about it, I feel that we may want to take a different interpretation of 'flash'.

I think the flash of lightning suggested by Dee is a good interpretation of flash, it cannot offend anyone, and I think we should keep the cover appeal as broad as possible.

Ani

Hi Anj,

That's cool. I hope the capitals didn't make me seem angry!

I like Dee's idea for:

LIGHTNING FLASHES

90 Very Short Stories from 15 New Writers

We could maybe have a storm scene artwork.

Shay

I hadn't realised Dee has suggested flash lightning, but it is the one that springs to my mind. A dark and stormy night (almost black) with an eye-glaring flash of sheet lightning caught at the peak of explosion ...

Am I getting a bit purple here?

Take care
Andrea

Shay,

NO, IT DIDN'T

Take care
Andrea

<Added>

PS Where should we be up to with submitting stories? When do they need to be ready and with you, Shay?

There are a couple of people who need more pieces in. Everyone else should be editting and polishing.

We could do with them gleaming by the end of the month.

Okay Shay, I'm reaching for the Brasso ....

Take care
Andrea