SOPHIE LI

Hello everyone!

Today on Writers’ Corner we have a guest post by Rosey Lee about her experience writing flash fiction. Rosey Lee is the author of Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volumes 1 and 2. There will be a giveaway coming up with really awesome prizes so be sure to read through the entire post!

I’ve always enjoyed reading short stories, but I never thought I’d write them. I kind of tricked myself into it. I’d always planned to write a novel. I’m the type of reader who likes to get into all of the details of a story. Even after I finish reading a novel, I always want to know what happened to the characters after the book ends, so I didn’t think I’d make a good short story writer.

When I became serious about carving out time to write, I decided I should have an author website. Since I hadn’t published anything yet, I thought it would be a good idea to write a couple short stories to post on my website to give people an example of my writing. But I had a problem, I didn’t know how to write a short story. I set out to find an online course, and I found one that introduced me to type of short story that I’d never heard of previously–flash fiction. 

I soon discovered that most flash fiction stories are very short stories of 1000 words or less, though some definitions allow them to range up 1500 or even 2000 words. There seems to a lot of variability in the word counts that literary magazines publish and what flash fiction writers prefer to write. My sweet spot is 1000 words, though some of my stories are shorter. Some flash fiction contains rich imagery, repetition, alliteration, and other devices that are characteristic of poetry. Because my entry into flash fiction was prompted by a desire to give readers a taste of the writing style they could expect in my future novels, most of my stories are similar to what you might expect from a contemporary fiction novel. 

I thought I would write a couple stories, put them on my website, and return to working on my novel. But I was encouraged to also keep writing flash fiction. As I learned more about it, I loved the idea that my stories could appeal to avid readers as well as those with busy schedules who only have small amounts of free time for reading. So I stuck with flash. I took online workshops, where I was challenged with writing exercises and received thoughtful feedback. Interacting with other writers in these settings made me feel more like a writer, and it also helped grow my confidence. 

I began to notice themes in my stories, and I started thinking about putting together a flash collection as a way of introducing myself to readers. I played around with the idea of bundling my very short stories into small packages. The result is collection of ten stories called Beautiful, Complicated Family. The collection has two volumes, each with five stories. 

Giveaway!

The prize is an Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet (if outside the US and anywhere Book Depository ships: $50 in books chosen by the winner.) There will be one winner (randomly selected on the last day of the tour via Rafflecopter).

(Click on the fishie above to enter the giveaway!)

About Beautiful, Complicated Family

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Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volume 1 and Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volume 2 explore the connections that can hold people together or tear them apart. The stories in this collection capture struggles that are common in today’s families—secrets, mother-daughter conflicts, coping with aging family members, and a more subtle question of what makes a family. The issues will seem familiar to you, but there are unexpected twists when you least expect them. The relatable characters and endings may pull at your heartstrings, so don’t be surprised if you laugh or cry along the way. Like most families, the relationships in this uplifting collection consist of intricate elements. Sometimes things get messy, but it’s always beautiful. 

Links:

• Book Trailer
• Get Volume 1 on Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Apple Books | Kobo (Get Volume 2 of the collection for free using a link within Volume 1.)

About the Author 

Rosey Lee writes uplifting fiction stories about family and friendship. A native of the Westbank of New Orleans, Louisiana, Rosey is a fan of good food and a good time. As a child, she dreamed of a career in writing, fashion design, and acting. She uses the pen name Rosey Lee as she pursues her passion for writing. Her alter ego is a physician who has dedicated her career to individual and community-based approaches to health equity. She enjoys cooking, flower arranging, listening to live music, and occasional bursts of fanatical bargain shopping. Connect with her at roseyleebooks.com and @roseyleebooks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Are you a writer? Whether you are a published author or an aspiring writer, you are welcome to contribute to a feature on Writers’ Corner, whether it is an author interview or a guest post. Check out the details here!

Photo by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash