Anyone Using Their Blog for Flash Fiction?

andiwrite

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I see so many conversations among writers regarding what to blog about. I notice many authors blog about the industry, the craft, world events, personal matters, etc. Then of course, blogging about books and TV/movies is always an option. But something I don't see brought up very much is blogging fiction.

Has anyone experimented with using their blog to post short fiction? I have a lot of flash fiction that I plan to write. Some are one-shots, others are short series that fit with my books (but aren't totally necessary if the readers don't feel like checking them out).

Just curious if anyone else is doing this or has done it in the past.
 

Fruitbat

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I've seen flash fiction on a few blogs. Sure, why not?

Or, you could try to get the stories published first. Even if it's just a small, no pay blog, that's another place you'd have exposure. It can quickly add up to a lot of places when you're writing tiny stories that don't take that long. After their time for exclusive use is over (if there even is one), you can put it up on your own blog and/or put a link to the other place it's published.

I lurve flash fiction. It's fun. Good luck!
 

andiwrite

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Hey thanks for responding. Yeah, I've never contemplated selling or submitting them to other blogs. That's a good idea too!
 

CathleenT

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I used to participate in Blog Battle, which was a weekly flash fiction contest. But then the gal who was running the thing decided to start assigning a set genre every week, and that pretty much killed the thing. There are lots of blog competitions out there, though. Sue Vincent runs a photo prompt every week, although a lot of the stuff isn't very polished.

It's generally better to join in with a group because people tend to visit each others' blogs that way. It's hard to build an audience, simply blogging into the void. Most reciprocate visits to get it done. I tend not to be proactive on this one--mostly I repay visits. But there are people out there who apparently scour the blogosphere for blogs they can like posts on and whose owners will repay the favor. It's a way to build traffic, but I'm not sure it really nets you anything.

Twitter's a good place to find blog competitions. They'll usually have their own hashtag so people can promote there as well.

Stories from people's lives seem to do very well. I personally don't get this, but they get lots of volume. Although maybe it's all blog visit reciprocation.

I'm still trying to figure out what works best. So far, it's been reasonably popular authors (in blogging terms), interviews and book reviews. Interviews seem to get more volume, but reviewing books by your blogging friends is the sort of favor it's a good idea to do.

The problem (for me at least) is that I like to get feedback before I post a story. So that means a trip to SYW, which means reciprocating critiques as well as working on your own story. It's hard to squeeze that in more than a couple times a month (I think three was my max). There's lots of draft stuff floating around on blogs, but that's not something I want to put out there. I suppose it would come down to how fast you can write and edit.
 

andrew the writer

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The conversation ended a long time ago, but in a related note, I'm interested in finding fiction blogs. When I'm reading on my phone or something I like short stories and flash fiction for a change of pace. They're hard to find, but if anyone knows of good ones I'd love to know!
 

Elle.

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The conversation ended a long time ago, but in a related note, I'm interested in finding fiction blogs. When I'm reading on my phone or something I like short stories and flash fiction for a change of pace. They're hard to find, but if anyone knows of good ones I'd love to know!

There are plenty of online flash fiction magazines who post links to stories they published via Twitter. A few at the top of my head:

- Reflex Fiction Press
- Ellipsis Zine
- Fictive Dreams
- Lunate Fiction
- Smokelong magazine
- Vestal Review
- American Short Fiction
 

andrew the writer

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There are plenty of online flash fiction magazines who post links to stories they published via Twitter. A few at the top of my head:

- Reflex Fiction Press
- Ellipsis Zine
- Fictive Dreams
- Lunate Fiction
- Smokelong magazine
- Vestal Review
- American Short Fiction

Thanks for the tip! Smokelong I've been reading for a bit, and American Short Fiction because they gave me a free subscription for some reason =)
 

CJEvermore

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I sometimes take part in challenges or competitions just for fun. If it sparks off an idea, then I can develop it into something bigger for myself :)
 

ajaye

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I've just created a private blog where I post daily prompts in the morning and a thusly prompted flash by the end of the day. It's intended to get me writing regularly, and it's worked for three days straight so far! I'm keeping the blog private because 1. I seem to be continually editing the stories, 2. it will enable me to submit anything deemed submittable, and 3. who would care anyway? :D

So, just thought I'd share in case others find it a strategy worth trying.
 

jorlando

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There are plenty of online flash fiction magazines who post links to stories they published via Twitter. A few at the top of my head:

- Reflex Fiction Press
- Ellipsis Zine
- Fictive Dreams
- Lunate Fiction
- Smokelong magazine
- Vestal Review
- American Short Fiction

Thank you for this list! Very helpful.