Wednesday, December 22, 2010

5x5 Fiction, Stories Told Loud and Clear: A Preview

Let me start by saying, I don’t intend for this e-zine to become a platform for my own work. I’m solely interested in seeing what the writing community can produce under such tight constraints. That being said, I’ve had many writers ask me what it is I’m specifically looking for. The best way to explain it is to provide examples. Remember, I’m not looking for writers to emulate my style (nor do I feel any of these examples are fantastic). No. But please be original, AND do follow the guidelines. Any further questions, please feel free to contact me at loudandclearfiction (at) yahoo (dot) com.

The 5x5 Fiction Preview

At the Park Fountain
By Angel Zapata

My name’s Penny, she sobbed. Like the coin, I thought. She was allowed one wish. Don’t kill me, she begged. I held her head down.


A Matter of Insurance
By Angel Zapata

Daniel received an anonymous e-mail. Gonna kill you, it read. Try it, asshole, he responded. The bullet entered his head. His wife destroyed all evidence.


The Inhabitants
By Angel Zapata

Their spacecraft landed at night. At first, we were frightened. But eventually we overcame fear. We entered their ventilation system. The human cargo was delicious.

Angel has little to say.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

5x5 Fiction: Stories Told Loud and Clear now accepting submissions

Updated 6.12.12

SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED. A blog post announcement will be made when we are once again accepting work for review.


5 by 5 Fiction: Stories Told Loud and Clear is a quarterly flash fiction e-zine.

I’m looking for exceptional stories to shout from rooftops. Complete stories (not rantings or poems) must be exactly 25 words long, told in exactly 5 sentences, with each sentence comprised of exactly 5 words. Read ISSUE ONE because it's amazing and it'll help you understand exactly what I'm looking for.

Quarterly deadlines are March 1st, June 1st, September 1st, and December 1st. Work accepted after deadline dates will appear in the following issue.

Any variation from these short, sweet, strict guidelines won’t even be considered. All genres are welcome. Write it, proofread it, and send it in the body of your e-mail to loudandclearfiction (at) yahoo (dot) com. Subject line should read: 5x5_Story Title_Author's Name.

I only ask for one time publishing rights. Otherwise, all rights remain with the author. And don’t even think about plagiarizing, ‘cause you will be found out and prosecuted to the full extent of the claw. That’s right, I said “claw.” As in having your eyes clawed out. I’m deadly serious. For reals.

I have no money, so won’t be giving any away as payment. Sorry, wish I did have money for you. Hell, I wish I had money for me.

But how do I style my work, Angel?

As you would any story. I don’t want to see your work broken into poetic verses. I love poetry, but don’t want to have any submitted for this venue. Yeah, really. For God’s sake, didn’t you read the bit about the claw?

How many stories can I submit for an issue?

No more than five. I will accept up to 5 works per e-mail.

Should I provide a bio?

Yes. Make it exactly 5 words (and yeah, that includes your name). You can provide a link to your website or blog and I’ll hyperlink it to your name, so it doesn’t count toward your 5 words.

Okay.

Am I making myself loud and clear?

Then get going.

-Angel Zapata, editor
December 11, 2010