I read Swicks Rule by Kathy Fish over at Wigleaf today. Loved it. I have read a fair few stories by Kathy Fish, and they each have an indefinable something about them that makes me really enjoy. I’m gonna use a very crap analogy now, sorry, but if the story is a car, then Ms Fish is the smoothest, safest, most confident driver you have ever had.
Pondering more on why I rate this flash so highly, I think it’s because it is a perfect example of showing not telling, and it’s in the tiny details. I came away from it thinking, wow, now that’s how to tell a story.
So, um, yeah, read it. Let me know what you think.
Sara Crowley 
Yeah, that’s a good one. A flock of observations, each one revealing something small but telling and contributing to the overall picture. Reading it is like someone opening a tin of secrets and letting you peek inside.Thanks for the link. I’ll have to look out for more of Kathy’s writing.Cheers,Bob
Agreed.Kathy Fish always amazes me. I’ve read ‘Wake up’ too many times to count.
First read of this I just sort shrugged and thought, ok.So I left it and came back fresh another day and read it again… and it was brilliant… I loved it and got the huge ache in it… yes a slow burner but what a wonderful heat.And this is a flash that feels whole. I am not, at the end of this, thinking: I want the whole story. It is all there. I don’t see many flashes that I can say that about. Maybe it’s the way I read flashes… wanting them to be flashy enough to make me reread them… I might have learned something here.Thanks SaraD
Thanks for pointing me to this, Sara. It’s excellent. What a fabulous first line! It grabs you and doesn’t let you go, every now and again she drops in something odd and compelling – narwhals, Gigi Gran etc… – and keeps you hooked right until the end. As Douglas says, it’s whole, complete. I love flash.