Yesterday’s sunshine rolled in like a female lioness — a brilliant, tawny light against my writer’s window. So welcome after the relentless days of rain! And just a few minutes later, I learned I won first place in the prestigious WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction contest for my story, “Dear Derinda.”
I couldn’t believe it! I’ve been fortunate enough to break into the top 10 and top 20 before, but never this. To all of my fellow writers with dreams, I hope it’s reassuring to see a girl from the boondocks take her place among writers from Baltimore, MD, Boulder, CO, even London and Dublin (that’s England and Ireland, by the way)! So keep writing, keep submitting, and keep winning….And by the way, the deadline for WOW’s Fall Flash fiction contest is November 30!
Yesterday was also special because I spent time with old friends and new at Carolina Meadows in Chapel Hill. Along with the three other writers, I read one of my flash stories in The Mighty Ant anthology. Led by editor Jessica Bryan, we also participated in a rousing discussion of favorite memories, from the magic of childhood to the angst of high school days.
What I love most about flash fiction is its accessibility–a quick read creates instant community! Reading the other stories in the anthology, along with those of the other WOW writers, reminds me again of the power of humanity and how darn good it feels to lose yourself in the worlds created by other people.
Enjoy the day, and hopefully the sun is shining again where you are!
Ashley Memory 