The mama horse in the photo below, in the village of Skagastrond in Northwest, Iceland gave birth in the few days since I arrived. I first photographed her alone with a big belly. Thinking about the flash fiction workshop I just experienced feels like a re-birth. So much of what I know about story was reinforced, and yet there's much more to realize and expand into. In flash you don't explain. Inunendo rules in fiction that comes in under 1,000 words. It's an opportunity to prove less is more. After twice-a-day workshops and prompts with Kathy Fish and Nancy Stohlman, and a wonderful group of writers from all over the place, I am ready to up my game in the micro and flash fiction worlds.
So now I am in Iceland where it's the midnight sun, leaving the heat and comraderie of Spain for wind, rain, sunshine, geothermal soaks and quiet time. The artists (visual, musicians, writers) are hardworking night owls in their sprawling studio; socializing is limited. Not easy for me after the banter, nude beach visit, wine drinking before dinner, and amazing vegetarian meals prepared for us in Spain! But I'm buckling down; here I fend for myself. I have revised some stories, and am working on new poems and new fiction before my debut novel OFF THE YOGA MAT is available for pre-sale (coming soon). Also, a craft essay on how I never gave up on revising and believing in my novel even after more than ten years of rejections, revisions, and discouragement.
View from House of Light in Spain.
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