A hearty beginning, a dash of action, a couple compelling characters, a twist ending, an adherence to brevity… These are just some of the elements that make a flash fiction story pop off the page.
With our latest flash fiction contest underway (submit here!), Page Turner Magazine staff members have been coaxed into revealing their favorite “secret ingredients” that make for delicious, A+ flash fiction.
At Page Turner Magazine, we’re passionate about genre fiction and good storytelling, which is why we regularly host 500-word flash fiction contests. (Our latest Spring contest is open until February 5th, Mystery themed!) We see flash fiction as a low-stress way to explore writing in all different genres and an excellent way to practice storytelling, editing, and creative writing skills. (And, for the procrastinators among us, it’s always nice to have a deadline and a Read more…
by Abigail Lee Motherhood is a minefield in The Lost Daughter, Elena Ferrante’s 2006 novel originally written in Italian. The book was adapted into a Netflix movie in late 2021, which has brought a new wave of readers to the story. Ferrante has perfected how to explore the friction between the self and social convention, and The Lost Daughter feels like a perfect distillation of the second-wave feminist themes that populate her many works. The Read more…
by TJ O’Shea The dead of winter is a misnomer. Winter’s solstice is very much alive—its lungs expel frosty breaths, snowy fractals nourish dormant soil, and the blinding sun shimmers along frozen rivers. Winter insulates the holiday season like a womb. All the roasts, presents, midnight kisses, giving thanks and saying prayers, lighting candles and singing songs, we cram into the season until it bursts with cheer. Warmth is a place, and it’s New York Read more…
by Abby Crofton The clearing came into view and she started running. Feet slid along the frosted ground but she hardly noticed, feeling light enough to fly. The rope tethering her to the donkey fell out of her outstretched hand, reaching toward the figure standing in the middle of the circle of trees. After a year, she finally embraced her love again. They rocked in each other’s arms, cheeks made warm as they pressed together. Read more…