December 2023
Ten stories picked by Anika Carpenter
This month’s Mondettes are from the always illuminating Anika Carpenter.
Anika has been widely published in online journals, print journals and anthologies, including Gone Lawn, Fictive Dream and Molotov Cocktail. Her work has been nominated for Best of the Net and twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best Small Fictions. She runs The Flash Cabin, a virtual spot among the cyber spruces that hosts online workshops for flash fiction writers. She also co-runs WHQ’s Brighton Writers’ Retreats.
Anika lives in Brighton, UK. You can find her on X / Twitter & BlueSky via @StillSquirrel
Website: www.anikacarpenter.com
Anika has upcoming workshops that you should definitely check out!
Every third Monday of the month throughout 2024 – Art & Flash: 1-hour ekphrastic writing workshops.
March 2024 – Flash Laundry: a 2-hour generative workshop with prompts inspired by the history, artistry and all round ‘joy’ of laundry. Join The Flash Cabin’s mailing list to find out when tickets go on sale.
If you aren’t familiar with Anika’s work, here’s one of her pieces to start things off:
Detached (Anika Carpenter | Flash Flood)
Why I like it: the surreal nature of the story, the brilliant tone of voice, the way the humour is used to offset the situation, how the themes and message of the piece create so much depth and invite a reader in for a second and third read.
College and Collage (Ivy Grimes | Maudlin House)
Why I like it: It’s a gorgeous portrayal of two people in their late teens piecing together what they want from the world. The two-part structure is used beautifully to show this. The first part is all jokes and thinly veiled sarcasm. The second is imagery, and longing and a slow realisation that life is getting serious.
Extinction (Sheree Shatsky | Fictive Dream)
Why I like it: This funny, sad story begins with a relatable problem and quickly builds into an absurd tale of misplaced blame and thwarted efforts to get by. I love the clever title and how it frames collective actions and individual needs and their impact on survival.
The Obituary Writer (Joe Kapitan | No Contact)
Why I like it: It’s gently humorous, intimate and philosophical. It left me so much to mull over – the act of writing, of grieving, of commemorating people. I liked the repeated use of ‘instead’, how it made it clear I was privy to the Obituary Writer’s internal monologue and perpetual questioning of their craft.
The Producer (Meg Pokrass | Northwest Review)
Why I like it: This deeply romantic story tells the tale of a pair of lovers whose relationship someone would likely judge unkindly. A nod is given towards the judgements such a couple would face, but keeps focus on intimacy and understanding. I find it sweet, celebratory and wonderfully human.
PROMPT: Choose a couple that might inspire certain preconceptions and tell a story that defies them.
Hotline (Dan Crawley | Gone Lawn)
Why I like it: It’s like a surreal poem and a fever dream got together to write a flash. The title suggests an emergency, details in the piece place it somewhere in Arizona, nothing is clear and everything makes sense. I love when a writer trusts their readers with something wild.
The Very Nervous Family (Sabrina Orah Mark | Poets.org)
Why I like it: The use of the word ‘nervous’ in the title infuses the story with uncertainty. Why are the family not terrified? Is the threat of being shot real? Is this a folk tale or something inspired by a survivor story. An uneasy recognition suggests both and makes for a raw read.
Wood (Jonathan Pinnock | Cease, Cows)
Why I like it: The opening sentence is irresistible! There is no way I could leave this story without knowing who made the statue and why. The answers don’t disappoint.
PROMPT: Write a story that consists mainly of the dialogue between two people discussing an unusual object.
Bodily Fluids (Marissa Hoffmann | Milk Candy Review)
Why I like it: It’s a moving and clever example of one story used to tell another, of two narratives woven together. We don’t know this at first. Hoffmann takes the story off on a ramble about Nicole Kidman and old roommates, before landing two sentences that make the subtext painfully clear.
Teeth (Francine Witte, Patricia Q. Bidar & Claudia Monpere | Beaver Magazine)
Why I like it: This collaboration between three brilliant writers seamlessly depicts an ill-fated love affair. It’s packed with beautiful poetic lines and unforgettable imagery that make it desperately magical.
PROMPT: Invite two other writers to collaborate on a 600 word story.
In the City of Chuckling Roses (Tara Campbell | Wyldblood Press)
Why I like it: This story takes the image of the rose as the ultimate romantic bloom, then twists it and turns it on its head. The surreal premise of chuckling roses unfolds into an astute piece about shared symbols and metaphors and how, however common, they chime differently for each of us.
What did you think of Anika’s choices? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments - have you found a new favourite piece? Did you try out one of the prompts?
Next month’s selection will be chosen by S.A. Greene and will be appearing (fingers crossed) on the 23rd January.
Would you like to be a story-picker? Let me know!
Opportunities to work with Matt
Write Beyond the Lightbulb
I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be starting up my #WriteBeyondTheLightbulb courses again in 2024:
Colourful Characters (8th-21st January 2024): FULLY BOOKED
Glorious Words (5th-18th February 2024): BOOK NOW! (ONE PLACE LEFT!)
Go With The Flow (4th-17th March 2024): FULLY BOOKED
Colourful Characters (8th-21st April 2024): FIND OUT MORE (GET YOUR NAME ON THE PRIORITY LIST!)
Go With The Flow (9th-19th May 2024): FIND OUT MORE (GET YOUR NAME ON THE PRIORITY LIST!)
Editing for Novels, Novellas and Novellas-in-Flash
Working on a longer project? I know from writing my own novel how invaluable it can be to get input on your work-in-progress to help you move it along to the next level. I offer a variety of editorial services including:
First Steps Review: feedback on your outline plot and first 10,000 words (for writers who are just getting going with their first draft)
Structural Review: feedback on the narrative, structure, characters and emotional journey (for writers who have completed their first draft)
Submission Review: feedback on your cover letter, synopsis and first 10,000 words (for writers who are preparing to submit to agents)
https://www.mattkendrick.co.uk/novel-editing
Short-Fiction Editing
Want an expert eye on a short story or flash fiction you are currently working on? Are you struggling to get to the heart of the story? Does the writing need a final polish at sentence level? I offer a variety of editorial services for short fiction from looking at the overall structure to approaching your writing with a magnifying glass.
Really enjoyed "The Obituary Writer" and "Extinction." Amazing what a good writer can do with so few words.
Thank you for including my work! ❤️