Day 20 – Windy Lynn Harris is Making Me Peckish

The Prompt Food can trigger visceral memories and strong emotions. Think of your favorite thing to eat and also your least favorite. Today, write a story inspired by food. Maybe your character is at a grocery store, or maybe they’re cooking at home with the kids. Maybe they’ve come across a fruit stand on the … Continue reading “Day 20 – Windy Lynn Harris is Making Me Peckish”

Day 12 – Windy Lynn Harris Makes A List

THE PROMPT Today, your task is to make a list. A literary list, that is. Grocery lists, to-do lists, or goals lists written with the effect of showing a person’s life, their struggles, their failures, etc, are terrific pieces of flash. They test the reader’s inferential powers. Your challenge: provide a list of items from … Continue reading “Day 12 – Windy Lynn Harris Makes A List”

166 – Windy Lynn Harris Makes Fiction Flash

Today the author of “Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays: the Essential Guide To Getting Your Work Published” AND frequent StoryADay participant, Windy Lynn Harris joins me to talk about Flash Fiction: what it is, 7 different ways to approach it, and how it can help your career, even if you’re a novelist. … Continue reading “166 – Windy Lynn Harris Makes Fiction Flash”

101 – Windy Lynn Harris & Short Fiction

Apologies that the audio is a little crackly on this one, but it’s worth sticking with, to hear the infectiously enthusiastic Windy Lynn Harris and me, gabbing about the joy of short fiction. Windy Lynn Harris is the author of Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays (Writer’s Digest Books, 2017) Another new episode … Continue reading “101 – Windy Lynn Harris & Short Fiction”

[Reading Room] Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays by Windy Lynn Harris

Normally my Tuesday Reading Room posts review a short story I’ve read, but I’m breaking with tradition this week to tell you about a fabulous — and much needed — new book, Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays, by Windy Lynn Harris, a writer and the founder of Marketing Coach for Creative Writers. … Continue reading “[Reading Room] Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays by Windy Lynn Harris”

Guest Writing Prompts

Thanks for your interest in providing a prompt for the StoryADay Challenge 2023. Every May hundreds of writers take part in the StoryADay May–challenging themselves to become more productive and more creative by writing a story a day for a month.  The 2023 lineup already includes Mary Robinette Kowal, KB Carle, Rachel Swearingen, and Sarah … Continue reading “Guest Writing Prompts”

[Write On Wednesday] Flash

As we come into April I’ll be sharing prompts designed to help you warm up for the 12th Annual StoryADay May (can you believe it?!). This week: what can you capture in a flash? The Prompt Write a Flash Fiction story in 500 words, inspired by a vivid moment like the one in the photo, … Continue reading “[Write On Wednesday] Flash”

181 – Catching Up With StoryADay September

If you haven’t started writing short stories this month it’s not too late! This week’s podcast is a look back and a look forward at the writing prompts in StoryADay September (from writers like Tobias S. Buckell, Jonathan Maberry, Seanan McGuire, Simon Rich, Grant Faulkner, Art Taylor, and more…). Plus a short sermon on why … Continue reading “181 – Catching Up With StoryADay September”

Top 10 Podcast Interviews

Over the past ten years, StoryaDay has been fortunate to have some great guests on the podcast Here’s an easy-access list: You can share this image far and wide! Or download the PDF. Here’s the list, with clickable links Jane Friedman Builds A Business Premee Mohamed Writes Too Much Gabriela Pereira and Your DIY MFA … Continue reading “Top 10 Podcast Interviews”

165 – Tammy Breitweiser Loves A Challenge

We’re a week away from StoryADay May. Take the WRITER Code workshop here: https://storyaday.org/writer-code Find out more about StoryADay Superstars, our writing community: https://www.storyaday.com/superstars-2020 Today’s episode is a conversation with Tammy Breitweiser whose flash fiction has been published in The Ninja Writers Monthly, Spelk, Clover and White, and Elephants Never. Her essay is in the … Continue reading “165 – Tammy Breitweiser Loves A Challenge”

114 – On Promiscuity

In which I talk about when (writerly) promiscuity is good, and announce the winners of the September giveaway of Windy Lynn Harris’s book, “Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays”. Bonus points if you can spot the sound of my kid’s hamster trying to break out, in the background. #IThoughtHamstersWereSupposedToBeNocturnal Another new episode of … Continue reading “114 – On Promiscuity”

StoryADay September 2018 Week 1

Here we are at the start of StoryADay September 2018! The Rules: Set your own rules (why not leave them in the comments?): Decide whether you’re going to complete a story every single day, or every week day, or every Thursday…it’s up to you. Make your own rules, and stick to them! Check in every … Continue reading “StoryADay September 2018 Week 1”

[Writing Prompt] StoryADay September 2018 Day 1

Today’s prompt comes from Windy Lynn Harris, author of Writing & Selling Short Stories and Personal Essays Windy has kindly agreed to give away 2 copies of her book to us! See below for the giveaway details. But first, here’s your prompt: The Prompt A LIST EXERCISE Flash fiction stories are less than 1000 words. … Continue reading “[Writing Prompt] StoryADay September 2018 Day 1”

089 – StoryADay September Week 4 prompts

In This Week’s Podcast Writing Prompts [1:44] https://storyaday.org/stadasep17-04/ What To Do If It’s Getting Harder To Write [4:08] Book Review: Windy Lynn Harris’s Writing and Selling Short Stories and Personal Essays [6:08] How’s Your SWAGr? [12:18] Come and leave a comment or question at the blog: https://storyaday.org/stadasep17-04/ And listen next week for more information about an upcoming … Continue reading “089 – StoryADay September Week 4 prompts”