Six Questions for Keely Gardiner, Managing Editor, Flash Fiction Magazine

Flash Fiction Magazine champions original, creative, and engaging works of fiction which run between 300-1000 words. The stories can be of any genre, but the emphasis should be placed on a complete story. We need to see a narrative arc, conflict, and character development. Flash Fiction Magazine accepts submissions all year around. Our general submissions are always open and free. We also offer paid developmental feedback options, as well as running flash fiction contests, with a 1st place prize of $500! Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: You started your association with Flash Fiction Magazine as a Reader, I believe. What is it about FFM that made you want to become Managing Editor?

Keely Gardiner: I have been with FFM six or seven years now and in that time, I have watched the magazine go from strength to strength. Our team has grown exponentially too, and I love working beside such excellent, skilled, and creative people who care about polishing and publishing quality flash fiction. 

Becoming Managing Editor was not something I planned, but I’m proud to be heading up our stellar team, supporting them and our FFM authors.   




SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

KG: 

1. A killer opening line. I want to be drawn into a narrative straightaway. Be it an usual premise, vivid image or compelling narrative voice, I need to be hooked.

2. Emotional resonance. The narrative needs to move or connect with the reader on an emotional level. This doesn’t mean the story needs to be sad, more that what happens in the piece should carry weight and meaning. My favourite thing is when a story continues to rattle around in my head long after reading. 

3. Stories that seek immediacy and brevity because we are a flash fiction magazine.


SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

KG: As a reader, I hate to be told everything. Part of the fun and challenge of reading is connecting all the dots from what the author shows you. The strongest stories work to strike the perfect balance between showing vs telling.

Equally, this applies to twist endings. Twists are so difficult to pull off without feeling contrived, and there’s nothing worse than getting to the end of a story and feeling lied to or tricked by the author. 





SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?

KG: 
See the “top three things” question and answer above. But if I had to add to that, in the opening paragraph of a flash story I want to feel grounded in a place and time or an event. The opening of a story should act as the foundation of the narrative. I like to be dropped into a story where the author uses concrete and specific description to immerse the reader in a scene. Show us clear and crisp details.




SQF: Many editors list erotica, or sex for sex sake, as hard sells. What are hard sells for your publication?

KG: 

FFM doesn’t publish erotica, children’s lit or fan fiction. Although, a well-written sex scene that enhances the story is all good. 

FFM is open to most genres and styles as long as the writing is strong and there’s a clear narrative arc. That’s one of the great things about FFM, we pride ourselves on publishing an eclectic mix of stories, however, writing about writing is usually a hard sell for us. It’s not that writing about writing can’t be great, it’s just that we receive such a large volume of this type of story that we’re all burnt out on them. 



SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

KG: I always double back to word count. We have a strict 300 -1000 word limit, but we received a lot of stories that we can’t consider for publication because they’re either under or over our word count. It’s frustrating having to reject stories because they’re too long or too short. Checking the word count is usually one of the first things we do, so, in all likelihood, if you send a submission outside of our limits it won’t even be read. Turning away good writing for what might be viewed as a technicality to some could seem harsh, but our readers and editors are busy people and don’t have the time to cut down lengthy stories or stretch out pieces that fall short.




Thank you, Keely. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.

Six Questions for Keely O'Shaughnessy, Reader, Flash Fiction Magazine

Flash Fiction Magazine champions original, creative and engaging works of fiction, which run between 300-1000 words in their entirety. The stories can be of any genre but the emphasis should be placed on a complete story, where there is conflict and character development.  Flash Fiction Magazine accepts submissions all year around. Stories can be on any genre and it is always free to submit.

For guidelines and to submit your story please use this link.

SQF: How did you become involved in Flash Fiction Magazine?

Keely O'Shaughnessy: I began at FFM as an author when, in 2015, my story, ‘The Gallery Attendant’ was chosen for publication on the site and then in our first anthology. (We are now on issue number 4, I believe.) I answered an email from Shannon asking for editors on FFM’s sister site 101Words and then progressed to being a reader and then Lead Reader with FFM.

As well as reading some of the great submissions we receive, I’m also tasked with training up other volunteer readers. The FFM community of writers has just gone from strength to strength since our last interview with Six Questions back in 2016. The staff at FFM is always evolving and growing stronger.

Since 2015, our new Managing Editor has been the talented, Mark Anderson: a writer and English professor from Minnesota. It is great to be a part of such a diverse and cultured editorial team and be able to read awesome flash stories from all over the globe.   


SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

KO: Things that I love are: following a character’s honest and believable transformation. (This could be the smallest revelation if written well enough.) Without this a story can’t really have a narrative.

I also have a soft spot for specific and concrete detail. If an author uses specific and concrete detail in the right place at the right moment, it really helps to elevate a story and makes it both believable and relatable.

Thirdly, if pushed for an answer, I’d have to say that I’m always drawn to paired-back dialogue that can speak volumes and drive the narrative forward. It’s something that is tricky to do in shorter fiction.


SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

KO: The other day, I was discussing a story with a new reader that I’m training. She wondered if a story should be selected as it had some beautifully written lines in, and ultimately, as there was no real plot, we decided that it couldn’t be. It’s a really sad decision for a reader to have to make because you know that these moments of exquisitely crafted fiction aren’t going to be seen by FFM readers. But, powerful images and crisp sentences don’t count if the narrative isn’t there to give the whole thing purpose. In such short fiction, every word the writer chooses has to drive the narrative towards a conclusion. It’s so frustrating.

My other turn offs include: adverbs, when not used sparingly and stories that don’t have a resolution of some kind. When thinking about ending, an author should always consider, will my reader be satisfied enough?


SQF: What magazines/zines do you read on a “regular” basis?

KO: I don’t think there’s one magazine, other than FFM, obviously, that I read regularly as I tend to read loads of magazines at once. That’s the beauty of short fiction, isn’t it - it allows you to dip in and out of magazines collecting stories as you go.

I have a very varied taste in what I read. I try not to discount a story based on genre or anything. I will often read Ambit Magazine as I’m based in the UK and I do like a lit mag published in London or fiction that is local to me. Sometimes, I check in with Glimmer Train, but can easily switch to something online like Everyday Fiction or Chaleur Magazine, who publish stories more regularly - all showcases equally striking fiction.


SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s) of a submission?

KO: When I’m in Reader mode, or even just reading in general, I look out for opening lines that grab me and promise something concrete and maybe a little out of the ordinary, (and deliver on that promise through to the end). That’s a big ask, I know, but I have high standards.


SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

KO: Something about word count. My answer: FFM’s word limitations are 300-1000 words, but it’s crazy how many stories we have to turn away just because the author hasn’t adhered to the word count. If a story runs over the limit or under, it doesn’t matter how much we might like it or how good it is. Our editors and readers are all volunteers and don’t have the time to spend cutting down/bulking up stories to fit a word count. It’s just the rules.

Thank you, Keely. We all appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.

Six Questions for Shannon, Owner, and Grace Black, Managing Editor, Flash Fiction Magazine

Flash Fiction Magazine publishes previously unpublished fiction between 300-1000 words. Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Shannon (Owner): I didn’t start Flash Fiction Magazine; I acquired it when the previous owner got ill and had to sell it. It already had a decent following and I thought it would make a great compliment to my other site, 101 Words.

In the future, we will be publishing anthologies on a regular basis. Our first anthology was released in March, and we have a few more scheduled to be released this summer and fall.

You can download the March issue for free.

At FFM we are going to keep things simple—publish one story a day online and select the best stories to be published in eBook, and eventually print.

The future of 101 Words is a little more complicated. At 101 Words we provide feedback to every story that comes in. We want the submission process to become a chance to learn. Since the word count is low, we are able to help authors fine tune their stories and help them grow as writers.


I have many plans for 101 Words, most of which revolve around education. If anyone wants to keep up with what we are doing, I encourage them to join our Authors Only List when submitting a story to either site. I send one email a week to the Authors Only List and topics include: writing tips, self-publishing, author resources, and stories from my personal life. Nobody is bored with them…yet. :)


SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

Grace Black: I have one real guideline: Make me forget I’m editing.

Good fiction makes you forget you are reading at all. When I am editing a stellar submission, I find myself going back to re-read the story several times because I get sidetracked and sucked into the story, so I forget to actually edit the piece. That is fantastic flash fiction.

I could toss out words like vivid, poignant, re-readable. Or narrative flow; character development; beginning, middle, end. But honestly, just make me forget I’m an editor. Suck me in as your reader.


SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

GB: He said.
She said.
He did.
She did.

If you scan a 1000 word document and a majority of the paragraphs look like the above, you’ve lost me. Or any variation of each sentence beginning with he/she (insert average verb of your choice) one after another. It makes my mind want to snatch my eyeballs inside my brain to stave off boredom. Or ya know, fall asleep at my computer. Snooze fest.

I know every editor preaches the “show” don’t “tell” bravado. But I don’t think the intrinsic quality of the message is explained in enough detail to be consumed by the everyday writer.

Here’s the deal. Break shit up. Give us a mix of your fancy-schmancy literary devices blend them with careful brevity and stir that pot, baby. Then toss in the wow factor. The unexpected. Variation. Variety.

Of course, there are times where you need “tell,” duh! I recently read an interview with a trite list of Bad Writing Advice. Needless to say, the show-tell debate was broached. Anyway, this article was presenting its case for bashing the “show” argument, wherein you don’t need a thousand pages of backstory. Again, duh! Moderation is key. (Plus we only publish 300-1000 word stories, so there’s that.)

My best advice is to read more: a broad variety. Learn some new literary techniques and implement a few (in moderation). Then read your work out loud. (Seriously, this helps find flaws in repetition and flow.)


SQF: Will you publish a story previously posted on a writer’s website/blog?

GB: No. We only publish previously unpublished work. Google does not like duplicate content, so blogs and personal websites show up in a search. We strive to bring the reader fresh, new content 365 days a year.


SQF: Do you provide comments when you reject a submission?

GB: Our goal is to provide some type of useful feedback to each of our writers, and we believe in forging lasting relationships with our authors. Since my time at FFM, we have grown immensely. Most recently we invited Mark Anderson on board (who rocks), and he is an expert at zeroing in on the minutia and providing practical feedback to inquiring writers.


SQF: Based on your experience as an editor, what have you learned about writing?

GB: “Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.” Truman Capote

I think the above quote sums it up nicely. One size does not fit all. Take what you learn and make it your own.


SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

GB: How many cups of coffee did I drink as I typed this up: Three.

Thank you, Grace. We all appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.