Blind Poetics, Illicit Ink, Inky Fingers and Writers’ Bloc have come together to celebrate the UK’s second National Flash Fiction Day. The Scottish event will take place on Saturday 22^nd June 2013 in Edinburgh. You could be part of the lineup.

What is flash fiction?

Flash fiction is simply a very short story; prose fiction. The best examples have all of the elements of a traditional short story, but with a tight focus and a precision of expression that gets their point across in a compact but powerful way. Here’re some examples:

 
• Three Soldiers by Bruce Holland Rogers

 

• Mr. Ted by Ashley Arnold

 

• The Kissing Booth by Katie Williams

There is no set formula for a great piece of flash fiction. The most important thing is a strong idea, delivered in a vivid piece of writing.

How can I take part?

This event will follow the same format as last year’s Underword event, featuring a range of stories read from the stage by their authors. Most will be under 500 words but we will have a very few slots for stories under 1000 words. Maybe you have something already; hopefully you have time to write something new. We’re looking for stories with conflict, emotion, impact … stories the audience will remember long after the event. But don’t be intimidated. Send your best stuff and be part of the day.

You can send up to three stories. Submissions open on Wednesday 1^st May and the deadline is midnight on Saturday 8^th June, although we’ll start confirming a few places before that, so the earlier the better. Please send your stories as attachments to nffd.submissions@gmail.com, along with a brief bio and a bit about your performance experience (it’s ok if you don’t have any, but it’s helpful for us to know). RTF files are our favourite, but we’ll also accept Microsoft Word files, PDFs and good old plain text.

Our time slot in the venue is sadly limited so we can only accept a certain number of stories. We can’t take everything we would like. But we definitely want to read yours.

So far in 2012, Writers’ Bloc has performed in Glasgow (for Satellite 3), Edinburgh (the Edinburgh International Science Festival) and Heathrow (Eastercon). As if that’s not enough, here are some of the things individual comrades have been getting up to:

• Andrew C. Ferguson has been in the recording studio with his band Tribute to Venus Carmichael. Download tracks at Tribute to Venus Carmichael’s bandcamp site or get the latest news on Andrew’s brand new blog.

• Bram E. Gieben’s been editing: Weaponizer Magazine #1 goes on sale tomorrow in the UK and Europe, with a US edition on its way. It includes 50 pages of stories by Andrew J. Wilson and Andrew C. Ferguson among others, all beautifully illustrated, plus comics, and an exclusive interview with China Mieville. Copies are available through the site www.weaponizer.co.uk.

• Gavin Inglis is running Underword for National Flash Fiction Day on Wednesday 16th May, 7:30-10pm, at the Bongo Club. Details and information on how to submit a flash piece at www.underword.co.uk (submission deadline 7th May).

• Helen Jackson is interviewing Edinburgh author Roy Gill about his novel The Daemon Parallel at Pulp Fiction on Wednesday 23rd May (doors 6:30pm, reading and interview at 7pm). It’s free and you can get tickets online at The Daemon Parallel Unleashed on Eventbrite.

Plus, Charlie Stross’s latest novel Rule 34 has been shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke award. The ceremony’s today. Good luck Charlie!

Writers’ Bloc will be out in force at this year’s British National Science Fiction Convention, Olympus 2012, which is being held at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow, this weekend (06-09 April).

Comrade Wilson will be reviving his surreal chat show “The Last Man in Space” on Friday night: “Direct from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, join notorious fan-turned-filthy-stinking-pro Andrew J. Wilson, his handler Stuart Wallace and a rogues’ gallery of unusual suspects for the chat show from hell. ‘The Larry Sanders Show meets The Twilight Zone, as directed by David Lynch.’ (May contain nuts.)” Confirmed guests include writer Michael Cobley, scholar Dr Antony G. Keen and impresario Ian Sorenson. The show will also feature the live première of the lost classic Sinister Butler of the Daleks. He may also read his poem about Ming the Merciless… “The Last Man in Space” will be held in Room 41 (Winchester) from 21:30 to 23:00.

Find “The Last Man in Space” on Facebook.

Saturday night will see “Writers’ Bloc presents FANtasia”, again in Room 41 (Winchester), from 20:00 to 21:00: “What happens when SF fans find themselves in skiffy stories? Members of Edinburgh’s leading spoken-word performance collective dish the dirt in their own inimitable style. ‘Particularly neat’ (Locus Online). Featuring Mark Harding, Hannu Rajaniemi, Charles Stross, Stuart Wallace and Andrew J. Wilson. This will be a high-octane show featuring some classic stories, some of which will have been tweaked to fit the venue…

Find “Writers’ Bloc presents FANtasia” on Facebook.

Finally, on Sunday comrade Mark Harding’s Mutation Press launches the anthology Rocket Science. The launch is in Room 12 (Tetworth) at 12:00 and the anthology includes a story by comrade Helen Jackson. In the same room at 15:00 there is a panel, “The Science of Rocket Science”, featuring Iain Cairns, David L Clements, Martin McGrath, Deborah Walker, and moderated by editor Ian Sales.

Read the Rocket Science blog.

Several Writers’ Bloc comrades took part in Wordsmiths – readings by local writers at Satellite 3 last month. The event was co-hosted by Neil Williamson and our very own Andrew J. Wilson and also featured Bram Gieben, Mark Harding and Stuart Wallace plus Glasgow writers Tracy Berg, Elaine Gallagher and Philip Raines.

There’s a great review over at writer Colum Paget’s website The Singularity Sucks. Here’s a taster:

How is it then, that these Glasgow and Edinburgh writers aren’t just hugely world famous? This was the most throughly entertaining thing I attended at the con. All the stories genuinely enjoyable, and each included that vital element that’s so missing from stuff that I read in ‘Year’s Best’: They were fun. FUN. Remember that? Most of the writers proved to be born performers too, putting on accents and obviously enjoying themselves.

Visit The Singularity Sucks to read the full review.

Comrade Jane McKie, winner of the 2011 Edwin Morgan Poetry Prize, has a new poetry pamphlet coming out next month.

It’s called “Garden of Bedsteads” and is published by Mariscat Press.

The launch is at 6.30 for 7 on December 7th at the Scottish Poetry Library, all friends welcome (free and unticketed).

Here’s the lastest listing of August activities for the Writers’ Bloc comrades, starting with a Tribute to Venus Carmichael gig tonight:

• Friday 12th August, 7:30pm – Venus in Eclipse (Andrew C. Ferguson)
• 13th & 14th August, 7:30pm – Havers and Blethers (Gavin Inglis MCing)
• Sunday 14th August, 2:30pm – The Writers’ Bloc Think Tank (Bloc event)
• 15th-20th August, 1-1:50pm – Neuromonster (Bram E. Gieben)
• Tuesday 16th August, 9:50pm – The Last Man in Space (Andrew J. Wilson)
• Wednesday 17th August, 7pm – Edwin Morgan international poetry prize (Jane McKie)
• Thursday 18th August, 4pm – Story Shop (Helen Jackson)
• Friday 19th August, 7:30pm – Havers and Blethers (Bloc event)
• Tuesday 23rd August, 9pm – Electric Lit Orchestra (BIG Bloc event)

It’s entirely possible that more shows will be announced, so keep an eye on our events pages for the latest information.

The Writers’ Bloc comrades will be keeping busy in August. First up, two new Bloc shows:

• The Writers’ Bloc Think Tank – Wordpower Books, Sunday 14th August 2:30pm, FREE

  Following on from Mr Big Society, we present another show of spoken word and unlikely social policy.

• Havers and Blethers – Captain’s Bar, Friday 19th August 7:30-8:30pm, FREE

  Including a sneak preview of some of the material for Electric Lit Orchestra

And, don’t forget:

• Electric Lit Orchestra – Unbound, EIBF, Tuesday 23rd August 2011, 9-11pm, FREE

  This is our main show for August and it’s going to rock! Why should the story stop when the band comes on?

Bloc will also have a table at:

• Edinburgh Zine & Small Press Fair – The Forest Cafe, Sunday 7th August, 12-5pm, FREE

  For one day only, The Forest Cafe will be turned into a bookshop – featuring rare and hand-made zines, chapbooks, books, CDs and other ephemera.

As if three Writers’ Bloc shows and a book sale weren’t enough, we have confirmation of the first few other shows that will include appearances by Bloc comrades. There will be more to add to this list, so check the Comrades in August 2012 page for the latest updates.

• Venus in Eclipse – Captain’s Bar, Friday 12th August 7:30-8:30pm, FREE

  Hear parts of the legendary singer-songwriter Venus Carmichael’s life story with performances of her songs by Tribute to Venus Carmichael. Featuring Andrew C Ferguson, Helen Jackson and Kirsti Wishart.

• Andrew J. Wilson – The Last Man in Space – The Banshee Labyrinth, Tuesday 16th August 9:30-11pm 9:50-10:50pm, FREE

  For one night only, Scottish spacemen, doo-wop devil worshippers and quite possibly the end of the world as we know it. Part of the Free Fringe.

• Edwin Morgan international poetry prize – EIBF, Wed 17th August, 7-8pm, £10/£8

  Jane McKie has been shortlisted in the prestigious Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition. The prize ceremony, which will include readings, is part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Another quick shout-out for Inky Fingers. This month’s Open Mic night features comrade Jane alongside the multi-talented Alan Bissett.

Inky Fingers Open Mic featuring Jane McKie and Alan Bissett
Tuesday 28th June, 8 – 11pm, Forest Café, FREE

We want to hear from everybody. We want your poems, your rants, your ballads, your short stories, your diaries, your experimental texts, your heart, your mind, your body. We want the essay on your summer holidays you wrote when you were four, your adolescent haiku, and extracts from your eventually-to-be-completed epic fantasy quadrilogy. We want to hear your best new work as well. And we want people to care about the way words are performed.

Our featured performers this month are Jane McKie, award-winning poet and Knucker Press publisher, and Alan Bissett, novelist, playwright, and all-round banterer.

More details at http://inkyfingersedinburgh.wordpress.com

Our fellow travellers over at Inky Fingers have two reminders this week:

Inky Fingers Readeasy
Thursday 9th June (sign up by the 8th!), 6 – 9pm, Forest Action Room, FREE

The READeasy Writers’ Group is a safe and encouraging space for writers to meet up, hear their words read, and get constructive critical feedback. It’s open to writers of any style, experience, identity and genre — but places each month are limited. See the Writers’ Group page for full instructions (including length limits).

Inky Fingers August Minifest
Deadline for Proposals: Friday 10th June

Calling writers, performers, poets, storytellers, spoken word artistes, linguistic experimenters, and everyone who cares about putting beautiful words in a beautiful order!

Inky Fingers, Edinburgh’s live-lit organising collective, is programming a spectacular wordly mini-fest at the Forest Café, 8th – 13th August 2011, and is looking for proposed events and readings from writers around the country.

Check the Minifest Callout for full details and send in your ideas by Friday!