Flash Fiction Judge’s Report Q4 2024
Judge’s Report by Gaynor Jones
When I’m asked to choose from a number of flash fictions, I’m never sure until I open each story what I’m going to be drawn to. Setting? Narrative? Tension? Emotion? On this occasion, I found in the shortlist many stories that stood out due to their sense of character– small stories that opened me up to someone else’s life through their deft choice of words. It was hard to remember at times that the characters weren’t real when I looked up from the page. Choosing a top 3 was, as always, a challenge and I am grateful to everyone who trusted me with their words.
1st place – What If That Happened
This story edged into my top spot due to the final line. The last line of a flash fiction leaves a lingering effect on the reader and this one left me with a sense of hopeful melancholy. But there’s also a great story before that ending, one which weaves through music and travel and lives lived through the friendship of the characters. I also liked that it centred a relationship that isn’t romantic or familial.
2nd place – Runt
I loved the gentle family at the heart of this story. I got a strong sense of everyone even with very few words. The single “heck” was so effective at letting me know about the Pa character. I really enjoyed spending time in this family through the narrator’s eyes. I also liked the circularity of the story beginning and ending with a reference to Pip’s size.
3rd place – Like Teabags, Overflowing
This story breaks one of my own flash fiction rules – that there should be one strong central image. Here we have dead hamsters, compost, and a hen do, but for me the author pulled it all together and made an interesting framing device to show the experience of an unhappy marriage. I also admired the way the author played with tense in the latter part of the story.
I would additionally like to mention Terms and Conditions as a close contender, due to the effective way in which the clinical presentation contrasted with the emotional subject matter of the story.
