In Short: A Flash Fiction Collection

By Rachel Tonks Hill

Short stories. Flash fiction. Itty-bitty bite-size morsels of story goodness. Sometimes that's what you need.

This collection brings together fifteen pieces of flash fiction in a wide range of genres and styles. Go on an interstellar adventure, start a revolution and fall in love, all from the safety of your own home. And in less than the time it takes to make a cup of tea.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rachel Tonks Hill
• Release date: Jul 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311662750

Rachel Tonks Hill

Rachel Tonks Hill always wanted to be either a doctor or writer when she grew up. Her first novel, On the Rise, was released in 2016, having been written alongside her doctoral thesis. While having a novel out fulfills the “writer” part of her dream, she hopes this doesn’t mean she has to grow up. Rachel lives in Nottingham with her partner and insufficient dogs.

Book preview

In Short: A Flash Fiction Collection

by Rachel Tonks Hill

Copyright © 2016 by Rachel Tonks Hill

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover design by Rebecacovers

www.racheltonkshill.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Toothbrush

Citizen

Kindness

Hallow

Relative

Alone Out Here

No Going Home

Featureless

Glow

Creature in the Dark

Locket

Confidence

The Clock Strikes Rebellion

The Clock Strikes Victory... Or Death

The Clock Strikes Anew

About the Author

Introduction

Sometimes short fiction is just what the doctor ordered. I mean, I love an epic slow-burn story just as much as the next person (because my friends are good people) but sometimes that’s not what you need. Longer stories require commitment. They take time, and we don’t always have it.

Flash fiction is quick to read. It’s a tiny bit of story goodness. It’s a wordy snack that can be read between larger meals (I’m losing this analogy I know). For me the sweet spot for flash fiction is 500 words.

But just because they’re short doesn’t mean they don’t matter. Flash fiction can be just as funny, just as brutal, just as sad. They can affect us just as much as any longer piece.

That’s the goal anyway; to get the same reaction in a small amount of words as you would a novel.

Here’s a collection of fifteen of my flash pieces. Some have been put out in the world before, others are brand new. I hope you enjoy them

Rachel Tonks Hill

June 2016

Toothbrush

It’s just a toothbrush, isn’t it?

But if that’s the case why is it scaring her so badly?

Because

Reviews for In Short

[Graham Downs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like Flash Fiction. Sometimes you just want to read a complete story in five minutes flat.

And this collection doesn’t disappoint. The stories are outstanding examples of the format, all brief and punchy, with a lot of deep things to think about. I really enjoyed the first story, Toothbrush, because it’s so poignant (not that the others aren’t, but that’s the one that stuck with me the most).

The stories are sensibly arranged so the best ones are first, which is a good strategy because those are the ones readers will encounter during a free sample when deciding whether to buy the book, and those are the stories that’ll make them keep reading after they HAVE bought the book.

It also means those are the best edited. They’re absolutely flawless in that respect, but after those first four or five, you start seeing the typos. I just wish the author had put as much effort into copyediting the rest.

There are fifteen stories in this collection, of different genres and with different themes. But the author did “cheat” a bit on two different occasions, each of which sees three pieces which are actually continuing stories broken up into flash chunks. I didn’t mind that much, because both of them are so good.

If you’re looking for stuff to read during a quick five-minute break here and there, you won’t go wrong with this collection.