SYP North: Flash Fiction

Posted on August 11, 2013 in Uncategorized

The 16th July SYP North and Midlands had an event on Flash Fiction at the Outlaws Yacht Club in Leeds. Here’s what happened:

The second monthly event organised by the Society of Young Publishers committee 2013 was successful in terms of turn-out and the speakers. The writers chosen especially for the theme were Sarah-Clare Conlon, Calum Kerr, and David Gaffney respectively. Each writer carefully selected a variety of their recent and previous works, which they read to an enthusiastic audience in an interactive event enjoyed by all. Readings from each writer were about 10 minutes in length, before refreshments and a question and answer session with the audience. The works selected included such pieces as “Off the Grid” (Sarah-Clare Conlon), “The Carpet Man” (Calum Kerr) and “Everything’s West of Something” (David Gaffney). Topics included a variety of themes from animated house rooms (“Animate” by Calum Kerr), Grocery Shopping (“Happy Place” by David Gaffney), and a fixation with switches (“I See Electric” by Sarah-Clare Conlon).

The question and answer session gave the audience an interesting, personal insight into the writings and ideas of the authors. One such question concerned what exactly ‘Flash Fiction’ is, and although all three readers write in the same genre, it was interesting to note that each had slightly different thoughts on this. David Gaffney for instance discussed word length, whilst another slant mentioned by Calum Kerr was the aspect of just how ideas for a piece of Flash Fiction are formed and the role of inspiration in this. Sarah-Clare Conlon added to this to some extent, by describing how her works sometimes start as ideas in note form. Other topics discussed were the role of social networking and Flash Fiction, partly in terms of getting started in writing the genre, and also which publishers usually publish Flash Fiction, at which point names such as “Pigmy Giant” and “Zinc House” were mentioned by the writers.

All in all the evening proved both inspiring and entertaining experience. It introduced the audience to the idea of, authors of, and avenues for Flash Fiction.

Amanda Lynsdale