Fleeting Interview

WriteWords

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Left of Midnight - Act 1 by StuartP

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As online literary magazines go, Fleeting is anything but. Three short years after inception it has earned a reputation for publishing some of the most stylish and provocative new writing online, is in league with Stack Magazines for its annual competition (and in talks with Foyles about the next), and now enjoys a rumoured three thousand page views a week. Anna Reynolds spoke to Fleeting's founder, editor Matt Shoard, about his search for The Best Short Writing in the World.

What makes good writing great?

It's something to do with speed and precision simultaneously. If you can make the reader run alongside you, while proving you're alive and beautiful and in danger, that's something.

And what makes your heart sink?

The alternative--estrangement. Vanity, vagueness, slowness. Writing that could be someone else's.

How does a new literary ezine survive?

Until you're Dave Eggers, you have to wait it out. The best offer something the others don't and keep their acceptance rates about 1%. With some decent artwork and luck, and a busy Twitter, and funding, you can get readers. But it is tough.

What qualifies as the Best Short Writing in the World?

Pieces like this and this and this. Intelligent writing with big themes and careful language.

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