I adore speculative fiction for its ability to push the boundaries of the standard narrative in both content and structure. At the same time, I like works that can ground me in concrete imagery and evoke real emotions. A maxim tossed around the workshop world is “If a sentence only accomplishes one thing (moving the plot along, world building, depicting character, etc.), it’s not working hard enough.” Achieving that without the story getting bogged down takes craft–and that’s doubly true for flash fiction. I see that principle operating in the Flash! Friday winner’s circle. It’s a juggling act on a flaming tight-rope, but when it works, it’s spectacular.
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When not lit by the glow of a word processor, Nancy Chenier can probably be found outside adventuring with her spirited squidlet side-kick. She hopped onto the weekly flash-fiction contest train last year and isn’t leaving any time soon. Her fiction has found its way into publications such as Crossed Genres, OnSpec, Abyss & Apex, and into several anthologies including Flash Dogs, Lilith Unbound, 500 Words of Magic.
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Flash! Friday 