Flash fiction competition – Head Above Water

To celebrate the e-book launch of Housewife with a Half-Life on May 8th (paperback to follow) and my love of flash fiction I’m running a flash fiction writing competition. Since my space comedy book is a sort of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy in Suburbia and because by amazing coincidence(!) my current age is the answer to Douglas Adams’ meaning of life, the universe and everything, the challenge will be as follows:

42 Meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything Flash Fiction Competition

Write a flash (short) fiction loosely based around the theme The Meaning of Life (Or the meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything)
Write the flash in EXACTLY 42 words.
Enter your entries in the comments below
Deadline: Entries will be accepted until midnight GMT on Sunday 6th May.

Prizes:

First prize: A signed paperback of Housewife with a Half-Life, the fab new Jawbreakers collection of flash fictions for National Flash Fiction day, (I have a story in!) plus a £10 sterling Amazon voucher
Second prize: A signed paperback of Housewife with a Half-Life plus a signed paperback of Rebecca Emin’s New Beginnings
Third Prize: (Yes!) A signed paperback of Housewife with a Half-Life

Edited on Tues: May 1st: If you add a title to your piece the title will not be included in the wordcount. Anyone who has already entered and wants to add a title please retype your entry with the title. Thanks! For those who aren’t very familiar with flash fiction, here are some links to articles I’ve written or been quoted in on the subject of flash fiction.

‘Intense, Urgent and a Little Bit Explosive‘.

Why flash fiction will last

The wonders of flash fiction

I’m really looking forward to seeing what you come up with! I love flash fiction and know that 42 words will be a (fun) challenge! Please let your friends know about the competition and Good Luck! The winner and runners up will be announced here on the blog at 8.00pm on May 8th at the end of my launch party for Housewife with a Half-Life!

When that significant birthday comes along we all take stock, ask ourselves important questions, for instance – will we be an ostrich or a diva? Will we sit in a comfy chair with a lap blanket and document the body bits that are no longer in tip top condition or will we metaphorically see our lives for the dusty rugs they are and take them out to the washing line for a good old beating – making ourselves wheeze with the debris of our decrepid DNA?

Well in what I hope will be the spirit of the coming year, I choose DIVA! There will be a party and dancing in the non cyber world and maybe even in the blogosphere and twitterverse. But before DANCING, there has to be WRITING. And so I come, very longwindedly to my FLASH FICTION COMPETITION.

40 Word FLASH FICTION COMPETITION:

THEME – Seize the day.

I require you, dear people, to enter in the comments your entry for this competition. You must – loosely – follow the theme and your entries must be EXACTLY forty words long. I will take entries until midnight on Sunday 7th February, for those not in GMT this is whenever YOUR midnight happens to be. This will give me time to recover from my birthday celebrations before I and choose the winner. And because it is my birthday it will be the entry I like best. Oh and by the way, enter as many times as you like.

Prize:

I’m not the only clever bunny in my family. My sister is a fabulous felt-maker and she makes gorgeous once-off notebook covers using wool, silk threads and ribbons. As you can see from the pictures they are different on each side, are textural, inspiring and unique.

The covers are made to fit an A5 notebook and can be removed and used on another notebook once your current one is full. First prize will be a notebook with a handmade cover and I will give further prizes of lovely felted bookmarks.