032. Flash Fiction with Allison Spooner

Introductions

• NaNoWriMo and flash fiction
• Allison Spooner is the author of Flash in the Dark and The Problem with Humans
• Find Allison online at spoonfulstyle.com or @allyspoon

Outsource your writing parameters

• Accountability through writing groups, events, and contests
• Benefits of deadlines, prompts, settings, and other writing constraints
• Outlining and other ways to complete a novel in small pieces
• Writing exercises and parameters that help you get better with practice
• Telling a story with Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey
• Tips for writing when you need some structure

Methods for practicing writing

• Look for random writing prompts online or in your physical environment
• Start small, like 500 words
• Go to writing events near you
• Try writing at different times and with different techniques to find what works best for you
• Donald Miller's 5 Writing Tips
• Make your customer the hero of your business' stories
• Write for fun, define writing success for you, and a little progress is still progress
• Scale up to make a novel
• One flash fiction story per day will help you reach your NaNoWriMo goal
• Come up with writing prompts for the whole month in advance