When we opened submissions for our April Flash 405 round, we didn’t think guest judge Trinie Dalton’s theme, “Shangri-La,” could get any more relevant. And yet, it’s become more necessary than ever to persist against the “grim political carnival” we now face, one that seems to double-down on its absurdity with every passing day.
Continue reading “Flash 405, April 2017: “Shangri-La” Winners”
While we wait with baited breath for the winners of Trinie Dalton’s Flash 405, April 2017: “Shangri-La,” Expo is excited to announce the next round of Flash 405, this time with Expo editor Laura Rensing! Offering you a chance to win cash prizes and online publication, we will be accepting entries for our June round of Flash 405 from June 4–July 5, 2017. We accept entries in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and stage & screen via Submittable.
Read on to get inspiration on this month’s theme from judge and Expo editor Laura Rensing.
Continue reading “Call for Entries! Flash 405, June 2017: “Nemesis””
You’ve read the winners from Lauren Gorski’s Flash 405: “Monster” writing contest. And now it’s again time to open your computers, sharpen you pencils, uncap your pens, and try your hand at flash writing in all forms. Expo’s multi-genre short form writing competition Flash 405 is back for another round. Offering you a chance to win cash prizes and online publication, we’ll be accepting entries in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and stage & screen for our next round from April 4–May 5, 2017 via Submittable.
Read on to get inspiration on this month’s theme from guest judge and one of Expo’s favorite writers and former USC MPW professors Trinie Dalton:
Continue reading “Call for Entries! Flash 405, April 2017: “Shangri-La” with Trinie Dalton”
For our first Flash 405 contest of 2017, judge and Expo editor Lauren Gorski asked for short form narratives that explored “the abnormal, deviations from the acceptable, the outsiders”—and you delivered, with a “monster” number of submissions! From February 4 to March 5, we broke another Flash 405 record for most entries, receiving almost 100 submissions!
Among these entries were stories that scared us, thrilled us, and softened us to the gentle monster within. Lauren wanted “the emotion of Quasimodo compacted to 405 words. The violence of Grendel in 4-5 lines. The conviction of John Proctor in 4-5 pages.” We think she got it. The winners that emerged were able to deftly weave emotion, ugliness, and horror to create very human, but no less memorable monsters. Read on to discover them for yourself!
Continue reading “Flash 405, February 2017, “Monster” Winners”
Our annual issue submissions are closed, but you know what that means—it’s time for the 2017 Flash 405 season! That’s right, Expo’s multi-genre short form writing competition is back. Offering you a chance to win cash prizes and online publication, we will be accepting entries for our first round of Flash 405 from February 4–March 5, 2017. We accept entries in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and stage & screen via Submittable.
Read on to get inspiration on this month’s theme from judge and Expo editor Lauren Gorski:
Continue reading “Call for Entries! Flash 405, February 2017: “Monster””
We are so pleased to announce the winners of the last Flash 405 contest of 2016! In early August, our judge and Expo editor Annlee Ellingson posed the theme “Connect,” asking writers to consider and explore this idea in all it’s various iterations (you can read more here!), and the pieces we received did not disappoint.
Continue reading “Flash 405, August 2016: “Connect” Winners”
We’ve had tremendous success during the first year of our Flash 405 short form competition. We’ve redefined flash, going beyond fiction and publishing pieces in nonfiction, poetry, and stage & screen. The submissions have wowed guest judges Amy Gerstler and Judith Freeman, along with some of Exposition Review‘s own editors. As we prepare to open regular submissions for our 2017 issue, we’re putting out one last call for entries for our final round of Flash 405 in 2016. That means it’s your last chance to transform the theme into a “quick or romantic punch to the gut.”[1] It’s your last chance to help us prove that flash crosses the barriers of genre.
In case you’re not familiar, Flash 405 is Exposition Review’s multi-genre flash competition, awarding cash prizes and online publication to the winners. Entries for the final 2016 round will be accepted from August 4-September 5, 2016 via Submittable.
The full rules are available here and the winning pieces of past contests are available here. Read on for the August 2016 theme and details. Good luck!
Continue reading “Call for Entries! Flash 405, August 2016: “Connect””
From June 4 to July 5, we received an amazing number of entries for our Flash 405 contest (our largest yet!). They spanned every genre: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, stage, and screen. Some stories even blurred the boundaries of genre—fitting, given this month’s theme of “Metamorphosis,” chosen by guest judge and acclaimed novelist, critic, and essayist Judith Freeman.
Continue reading “Flash 405, June 2016: “Metamorphosis” Winners”
As Expo prepares for our “Flash of Inspiration” panel at LitFest Pasadena, we are excited to announce that one of the panelists, Judith Freeman, will be the guest judge for our June 2016 round of Flash 405!
Flash 405 is a multi-genre flash competition, awarding prizes and online publication to the winners. Entries for this round will be accepted from June 4-July 5, 2016 via Submittable.
The full rules (and past winners) are available here . Read on for the June 2016 theme and details. Good luck!
Continue reading “Call for Entries! Flash 405, June 2016: “Metamorphosis” with Judith Freeman”
Exposition Review had a great #AWP16–we launched Vol I: “IX Lives,” met some amazing writers, and heard some amazing work–and we wanted more. That’s why just a day after the conference ended, we opened submissions for our next round of Flash 405. Our chosen theme for this round was “Fault.” Judge Mellinda Hensley invited writers to think about rifts, blame, and brokenness–those tenuous moments that make us hold our breath.