MUSINGS
On the heels of yesterday's exciting Hint Fiction news -- you know, the special Wigleaf issue which if you haven't checked it out yet I strongly encourage you to do so -- there is even more exciting news: Hint Fiction has been picked by the Gotham Writers' Workshop as their writing contest this fall. Prizes include:
Details here.
There's a special mini issue of Hint Fiction live now at Wigleaf. It contains 10 original stories by 10 contributors of the anthology. I'd list their names here but figure there's no point because of course you're going to visit the site and read their stories. They are, as I say in my introduction, a literary appetizer of sorts. My deepest thanks to Scott Garson and all the anthology contributors who sent stories in for consideration. It was a thrill and honor to work with Scott on this project, and I'm very proud and excited about the finished project. Hopefully you enjoy it.
First, some Hint Fiction news:
Now, to set the record straight, I love Google. It's probably one of the greatest things in the world. I don't even know why other search engines try when Google has the market cornered. I mean, the friggin' word had become a verb. Nobody Yahoos or Bings something; no, they Google it. Anyway, the auto suggestion is great, too. It gives one an idea of what a lot of other people are searching. I think in a thousand years, when civilization has crumbled and those digging through the mess want to learn about our culture, all they'll need to look at are some screen shots of Google's auto suggestion. Like Hint Fiction, for example:
Pretty neat, huh? And of course that auto suggestion will change as time goes on. But right now, July 31, 2010, that's what is there.
Now with Google's auto suggestion in mind, I thought I'd try to go through the six basic questions of who, what, where, when, how, why and see what Google comes up with. I'm sure this has been done before (I wouldn't be surprised if Jimmy Chen did something like this at HTMLGIANT), but I haven't seen it yet, so I figured what the hey (my favorites, without a doubt, are the second suggestion for where and the third and tenth suggestions for why). Enjoy.
These were just confirmed today, so I haven't yet had a chance to contact the contributors who expressed interest in attending the events, but I'm pleased to announce that two locations have been secured for this November's release of the Hint Fiction anthology. These were my first choices, and I'm very happy that everything worked out. November 3rd Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, and November 10th McNally Jackson in New York City. Much fun will be had at both locations, so make sure to get your travel arrangements in order now.
Also, here are two more blurbs for the anthology:
“Some of these stories suggest entire novels in just few words. So, in this small book, you have a whole library. It’s reading at the speed of light.” — Robert Shapard, editor of Sudden Fiction and Flash Fiction
“The stories in Robert Swartwood’s Hint Fiction have some serious velocity. Some explode, some needle, some bleed, and some give the reader room to dream. They’re fun and addictive, like puzzles or haiku or candy. I’ve finished mine but I want more.” — Stewart O’Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster and Songs for the Missing
On Twitter a few hours ago, Jeremy Kelly told me he'd told a friend last year about Hint Fiction and it inspired that friend to make a short film. The film is called Broken Moment, and while it says "Flash Fiction" short film, the hint is pretty obvious. Check it out here (click on Skip Animation, then on Films).
