{"id":2476,"date":"2024-12-12T15:00:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T15:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/?p=2476"},"modified":"2024-12-12T15:00:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T15:00:57","slug":"the-pressure-of-100-words-creates-the-rarest-of-diamonds-an-interview-with-james-montgomery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/12\/12\/the-pressure-of-100-words-creates-the-rarest-of-diamonds-an-interview-with-james-montgomery\/","title":{"rendered":"The pressure of 100 words creates the rarest of diamonds: an interview with James Montgomery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the first of our series of interviews with this year’s National Flash Fiction Day Anthology Editors and Microfiction Competition Judges! Submissions for the Anthology<\/a> and Microfiction Competition<\/a> are open until 15 February 2025 and this interview series will resume in the new year.<\/p>\n

This week, Diane Simmons chats with James Montgomery, one of this year’s NFFD Microfiction Competition Judges, about favourite micros, writing under pressure, the unique challenges of the 100-word limit, and more….<\/p>\n

DS:<\/strong> Judging from your success with micros, I\u2019m guessing that writing very, very short fiction is something you particularly enjoy. Do you have any advice for entrants to this year\u2019s NFFD Micro Competition?<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong> If the very best flash fiction dazzles, then the pressure of 100 words creates the rarest of diamonds. I love the challenge of the 100-word form, how satisfying the end result is, and feel incredibly honoured to be part of the judging panel for the 2025 competition.<\/p>\n

I think, first and foremost, make sure you feel for your piece. I can tell when a story feels \u2018lived in\u2019; when the writing comes to life in all the spaces between the words.<\/p>\n

With such a confined limit, hone in on a single, specific emotion. Take a step back and ask what feeling you\u2019re trying to emote. Begin with a wide lens: happy, sad, disgusted, angry, fearful, bad, surprised. Then zoom in. Maybe your happy story is about being accepted. Zoom in a little closer – is it about being respected, or valued? There\u2019s subtle differences here. Or perhaps you have an angry character, who\u2019s acting distant. Dig a bit deeper – are they withdrawn, or numb? Again, these nuances matter. Every word choice should be contributing towards this tone.<\/p>\n

Make surprising decisions that still ring true to you as a writer. Ensure the ending feels earned. Force your character to act or react, always. Leave room for the reader to fill in the gaps. Choose a metaphor or central image that catches us off guard. Think about the particular and how you can make it universal.<\/p>\n

Give yourself grace. Even now, I still feel like every new story feels like the first time, like I\u2019ve forgotten how to put one word in front of another.<\/p>\n

And my best tip? Go for a walk. There\u2019s nothing it can\u2019t solve.<\/p>\n

DS:<\/strong> Is there anything you need in your writing space to help you stay focused? Do you need complete silence for example, or do you thrive in a busy place?<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong> I just need to be able to focus, but that can happen just as well in a coffee shop as at home. I love that \u2018flow state\u2019 feeling, when you\u2019re completely immersed and can work on a piece with total clarity, and when there\u2019s almost an altered sense of time. That\u2019s why I say, \u2018make sure you feel for your piece\u2019. If you care about what you\u2019re writing, then it\u2019s that much easier to find that focus.<\/p>\n

DS:<\/strong> I see from your website that you\u2019re a member of two writing groups. How important are these groups to your writing process?<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong> Oh, they\u2019ve been ever so important. There\u2019s all the usual comments about how great other writers are for improving your own writing practice, but also the sense of camaraderie is unrivalled. These are your people! They will cheer when you succeed, and offer words of encouragement when you\u2019re floundering. Only recently, my Most Rejected Story EverTM was knocked back yet again, and one of my writing groups shook me off, offering invaluable edits and suggestions.<\/p>\n

DS:<\/strong> If you could be the writer of any flash fiction ever written, which one would you choose?<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong> An impossible question! There\u2019s just too many outstanding stories to choose from. Instead, I\u2019ll offer up ten 100-word micros that I absolutely adore, which might inspire readers for this year\u2019s competition.<\/p>\n

See how masterfully Barbara Diggs\u2019 It\u2019s Negro Day at the Fair<\/a> (Welkin Prize, scroll down) uses voice. Consider the power of an extended metaphor, as in Gordon W. Mennenga\u2019s stunning Ditch Dog<\/a> (100 Word Story). Employ repetition and the breathless sentence to remarkable effect, like Sara Siddiqui Chansarkar\u2019s Adverb<\/a> (National Flash Fiction Day\u2019s Microfiction Competition 2021, scroll down). Choose sensory language with intent, like Shane Larkin\u2019s vivid Umbilicus<\/a> (Splonk). Pay close attention to rhythm and pace, as Sarah Freligh\u2019s Fire<\/a> (Ghost Parachute) does. Reveal deep human truths, like Sara Hills\u2019 We Knew It Was The Fitzroy\u2019s Rabbit<\/a> (HAD). Let a scene represent a theme, as Francine Witte\u2019s After The Snowmelt<\/a> (Gone Lawn) does. Study how a micro like Guy Biederman\u2019s Berol #1<\/a> (100 Word Story) imbues its story with meaning. How Amy Barnes\u2019 Happy Holidays<\/a>, Orville Redenbacher (Truffle Magazine) uses sound and symbolism to ask questions and cause unease. How Nan Wigington\u2019s Animals in Winter<\/a> (Splonk) ends on a question that echoes long in the mind once the story is finished.<\/p>\n

DS:<\/strong> Writers can sometimes feel under pressure to always be putting words on the page. Are there any activities that you feel are helpful to you as a writer?<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong> If you\u2019re feeling the pressure, I\u2019d recommend telling yourself you\u2019re not allowed to write for a certain length of time. I can guarantee that once writing is off the cards, you\u2019ll be itching to put pen to paper again.<\/p>\n

Also, words are just words – they\u2019re not stories. This may go against the grain somewhat, but sometimes the last thing you need to do is get down yet more flippin\u2019 words. Time and space away from the page means you can mull over a title, ask yourself what that story is really about, deliberate and deliberate and deliberate over that word choice or phrasing. It\u2019s all part of the process and, in all honesty, what really matters when it comes to being a writer.<\/p>\n

A change of scene is also perfect for inspiration. For example, if I hadn\u2019t gone to the gym the other day, I wouldn\u2019t have had that idea for a story about exploding muscles.<\/p>\n

I also strongly believe the best stories take time – but a deadline is also your best friend. You\u2019ve got until 15 February 2025. I can\u2019t wait to read your words; I promise I will treat them with the utmost care and respect.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\"Photo<\/a>James Montgomery writes from Staffordshire in the UK. He has won the Pokrass Prize, Retreat West\u2019s best micro fiction prize and a Flash Fiction Festival competition, placed second in New Zealand’s international Micro Madness contest, and been highly commended in the Bath Flash Fiction Award and National Flash Fiction Day’s micro competition. His stories have been published in various anthologies and literary magazines, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions and Best of the Net. Find him at www.jamesmontgomerywrites.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the first of our series of interviews with this year’s National Flash Fiction Day Anthology Editors and Microfiction Competition Judges! Submissions for the Anthology and Microfiction Competition are open until 15 February 2025 and this interview series will resume in the new year. This week, Diane Simmons chats with James Montgomery, one of … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2476\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}