I am thrilled to announce that Anna Yeatts will be my Co-Editor-in-Chief. I can’t think of anyone who loves the art and craft of flash more than Anna, nor someone more dedicated to Flash Fiction Online. Anna has published Flash Fiction Online since 2013, through whatever life, pandemics, and the universe threw her way—because that […]
There is a lesson we are taught in childhood, the lesson of finding our purpose in life—as if purpose was fixed and finite. Unlike the generations who predate us, whose circumstances would dictate their choices and options, the 21st century offers an abundance of choices (for the lucky ones). In my twenties, I defaulted to the […]
Welcome to Flash Fiction Online’s 105th issue, which is also our REPRINT issue! Is a list always just a list? To quote Madeleine L’Engle, “Nothing happens in isolation…” which includes seemingly uncomplicated words like “list.” My 1930’s Etymological dictionary defined liste as an edge or strip, as well as to tilt or lean. There’s also lysten […]
Welcome to Flash Fiction Online’s 104th issue.Our stories this month have protagonists whose circumstances, status, and identity create the conflict and tension driving the story. After all, the experience—actually, the privilege!–of choosing one’s own path in life is hardly universal. Our protagonists solve problems in their own unique ways, they persist, and they maintain their […]
Paul Kelly’s song, “From Little Things Big Things Grow” popped into my head while considering this editorial. Not surprisingly, it is an ideal segue into our April stories, which in one way or another deal with those things that change us. The song also reminded me of my own unwilling change of direction around 12 years ago when […]
As you’ll read, friendship means different things to different people. Friendship gives us the courage to face our fears, and ultimately, to change. That, and the bits of hope and fun that a good friend provides.In March 2015, FFO published “The Last Man on Earth—A Mini-Novel” by John Guzlowski. In September 2017, we published the […]
This month, Flash Fiction Online celebrates love. Our stories are all about characters making decisions in the name of love. Each situation is different, as are the responses of the characters making their decisions about familial love, platonic love, romantic love, and even magical love.In “Fried Rice” by Shih-Li Kow (Available 2/4/2022), “Gently, Cook, I […]
This January, Flash Fiction Online is celebrating its 100th issue! Fifteen years and 100 issues are two outstanding achievements in the ephemeral world of digital publishing. The ingredients for our longevity? Outstanding stories distilled to their critical essence by authors from all over the globe, an international team of dedicated volunteers, and our amazing publisher, […]
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” – J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan As 2021 draws to a close, so does another chapter here at Flash Fiction Online. December 2021 will be the last issue published during Wendy Nikel’s tenure as Editor-in-Chief. Wendy will be sorely missed, but the staff […]
For some, holidays conjure up Norman Rockwell-like images of a cozy family gathered around a perfectly trimmed tree while basking in the warmth of their good life. But for others, the holidays are complicated. Memories and expectations mix with something darker of which we do not speak—at least not openly—but it’s there, all along, beneath […]