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    Hysteria 6
    Hysteria 6
    Hysteria 6
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    Hysteria 6

    By Linda Parkinson-Hardman

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    About this ebook

    Hysteria 6 is the anthology of all 30 winning stories, flash fiction and poetry from the 2017 Hysteria Writing Competition. This is the sixth year of the Hysteria Writing Competition. When we began, it was with a single competition in mind, since then it’s grown beyond our original expectations and is now a major part of the Hysterectomy Association year and the writing calendar.

    Each of these outstanding entries are written by the authors, writers and poets to entertain, stimulate and provoke the reader. We have no set theme beyond the broadest of statement ‘what interests women’. Each year, I’m always amazed at the variety of entries that cross our path. They surprise, delight, entrance and inform. The thirty entries in this anthology are the best of the best.

    This is the sixth anthology from the Hysteria Writing Competition. Hysteria 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 from the 2012 to 2016 competitions are also available to buy. If you’ve enjoyed this collection then you’ll love the others too.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLinda Parkinson-Hardman
    Release dateDec 30, 2017
    ISBN9781370656653
    Hysteria 6
    Author

    Linda Parkinson-Hardman

    I am the author of eight books and the editor of 8 anthologies for the Hysteria Writing Competition.

    Read more from Linda Parkinson Hardman

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      Book preview

      Hysteria 6 - Linda Parkinson-Hardman

      About the Hysteria Writing Competition

      Hysteria is an annual writing competition for women only; it opens on the 1st April each year and closes at midnight on the 31st August. You can find out more about the competition, including rules and guidelines for entries on the Hysterectomy Association website about the next competition at: www.hysteriauk.co.uk.

      Acknowledgements

      The competition and this anthology wouldn’t have been possible without the support and help of all the following people.

      This book is dedicated to them and to the users of the Hysterectomy Association.

      Thank you. Linda Parkinson-Hardman (editor).

      Judges

      Short Stories:

      Celine Domenech

      Jenny Roman

      Natasha Bland

      Liz Berg

      Flash Fiction:

      Damhnait Monaghan

      Ingrid Jendrzejewski

      Marie Gethins

      Becky Danks

      Ann Abineri

      Poetry:

      Josianne Barrette

      Shaheen Hussain

      Maya Pieris

      Susan Borgersen

      Janet Lees

      Foreword

      I love words. I love the way they invoke an emotion or an image in my head. And, when they are combined in a masterpiece of prose or poetry, can literally make my heart sing.

      We should never underestimate the ability of the words we use, the stories we write and the poems we share to change our perspective and, even in some amazing instances, our world.

      I’m always awed by the capacity our Hysteria writing competition entrants have to use language in a way that creates so much meaning. And I am humbled, knowing it’s unlikely I’ll ever be able to create such evocative cadence, rhythm and insight myself.

      My congratulations go to everyone who appears in the anthology, you are the best of an excellent bunch.

      Linda

      Flash fiction

      The Flash Fiction category is open to entries with a maximum word count of 250 words. These ultra-short stories needed to be complete and give the reader the satisfaction of not being left hanging.

      Flash fiction is fictional work of extreme brevity, that still offers the author and reader the benefit of character and plot development.

      Advice from our Flash Fiction judges

      Damhnait Monaghan

      @Downith

      Thank you to Linda for giving me the opportunity to act as a flash judge in this year’s Hysteria Competition and well done to all of you who entered this year. You can’t win it, if you’re not in it, right?

      Here are my three top tips for the next competition you enter. Let’s call them the three R’s.

      RULES - Familiarise yourself with the rules and guidelines and make sure you comply with them. Word count, theme, font: give the organisers what they want.

      READ – Read, read, read. It sounds trite, but you learn so much about writing through reading. Read for enjoyment, but also to see what works. What made this story excellent? Why didn’t you like that one? You can also learn about formatting, which leads me to one of my punctuation bugbears: these days it’s one space at the end of a sentence, not two.

      REVISE – Some of the flash fiction entries I read gave the impression they were dashed off and sent in without so much as a second glance. Punctuation errors, sloppy writing and lack of flow were obvious in some of the entries. When you have a draft you’re happy with, put it aside for a few days. When you go back to it, read it out loud. If a sentence sounds awkward when read aloud, it will be awkward when read. In flash fiction every word counts, so choose the best possible ones. Edit and polish and edit again. Only then should you send it in.

      Becky Danks

      www.beckydanks.com

      For me, a good piece of flash fiction is all about the detail. Every word counts. The best flash fiction is like a work of art. When asked how he created his masterpieces, Michelangelo said: 'I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.' This is what flash fiction writers need to do with words. They carve up sentences to reveal the exquisite detail within.

      I particularly enjoy reading character-focused pieces exploring emotional experiences and making observations the reader can relate to. The story should feel natural and not forced. A sudden twist at the end isn't necessary, I like the drama to build slowly throughout the piece.

      Careful editing is essential. It's a good idea to write the story, edit it and then, if you have time, leave it in a drawer for a couple of weeks. When you go back to it, edit it again. The time away helps to see the work with a fresh pair of eyes and makes the editing process a little easier.

      Marie Gethins

      @MarieGethins

      I thoroughly enjoyed reading the variety of subjects and styles in this collection of submissions. Unfortunately, a large number did not have the elements I look for in a strong flash, but fell into what I would term ’vignettes’. They detailed an episode and were one-note in content. While flash encompasses a great variety of approaches, I think it’s strength is that much of it is off the page. Subtext that resonates long after reading, as well as subtle meanings that require puzzling out are elements I look for in an ideal flash. While a scene may be interesting, it needs a deeper thread to make it a flash. Your title can be a key ingredient in adding information, honing language to fundamentals, and skilled use of metaphors are all ways to add that extra layer. Flash lends itself to the twist ending, but you really have to earn it.

      Ingrid Jendrzejewski

      @LunchOnTuesday

      It was an honour and a privilege to read each and every flash submitted to this year’s competition – every single one had something to admire.

      The ones that have stayed with me longest – the ones I keep coming back to even now – are the ones that accomplish that holy grail of storytelling: the surprising yet inevitable ending.

      It’s difficult enough to craft an effective twist or punchline, and I admire writers who can do so. However, I more than anything, I love the pieces that stand up to reading after reading, even after I know the ending. These are the pieces that give me something unexpected – be it plot points, language, or imagery – but that earn their twist; every subsequent reading has something new and rich to offer, yet I can’t imagine the story ending any other way.

      My congratulations go to all the brilliant writers included in this anthology.

      You Don’t Have to Talk About Your Daddy in Counselling if You Don’t Want To

      Stephanie Hutton

      @tiredpsych

      Jupiter is the stormiest planet. It has weather patterns that change quickly, so you never know what swirly clouds might hide.

      It is separated from Earth by the asteroid belt - hard and dangerous to reach.

      Jupiter spins fast on its axis, so each day is short.

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