Toto Funds the Arts (Delhi chapter) will be soon announcing a flash-fiction contest. Watch this space for more details. If you are wondering what flash-fiction is, don't worry. It is nothing particularly radical. Its very short fiction and has been around for a good long time in most languages. Smoke-long Quarterly, a flash-fiction mag in fact is named after the Chinese name of the form, a story that lasts as long as a quick smoke. While there are no regulations about how long flash-fiction ought to be, anything over 800 words moves into the realm of short stories. One of the most well-known flash fiction mags online Vestal Review does not accept any submissions over 300 words long. Established and well-known writers have tried the form(though they may not have named it flash-fiction) because it is challenging and hard-hitting. Look at Jamaica Kincaid's Girl. Here is a set of decent guidelines for writing flash-fiction. And some nice desi stories. And in case your typing fingers are itching and you can't wait till our contest is announced here is the Kala Ghoda contest.
I have sent off my first attempt at flash-fiction for the Kala Ghoda contest. Before I did I showed it to some kindly friends. They were all deeply puzzled and said "What is this?" in as many languages as they knew. So much for that. In other news have you seen the v cool Kitab festival line-up? It is most exciting and my tickets are (in defiance of income and common sense) booked to go. But how can I resist Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Eunice D'souza,Suniti Namjoshi and Germaine Greer? How? And it shall be a joyous party since Bent, Snegum and Gaya are coming.
Now i shall go off quietly and write my story for small paapus.
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