Hi.
I haven't been active in this community until very recently. I am currently working on a project which, when it comes to fruition, will see the publication of an anthology of flash fiction on a specified theme. I am inviting contributions from people from all walks of life - not just writers - and the entire proceeds of the venture will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, UK. Would it be acceptable for me to give a link here to the dedicated website for the project - so that people can take a look and join in if they feel so inclined?
Thanks
Best of luck to you and your project, Hache! I tried to look at the Make-A-Wish website, but it’s too powerful for my ancient browser and laptop. Got completely frozen, wouldn’t let me move back to Google, and took 5 minutes before it would even let me close the window!
Still, I got enough of a glimpse to see that it’s a good cause: something like Daytrippers, to whom 1/3 of the profits from “Alice And I” was to go (2/3 to 2 other worthy causes). Trouble is, we lost money on that one: only [some of] the contributors ordered copies (aside from 1 or 2 that I managed to sell to friends). I certainly hope that you’re better at organising and marketing than I am! So no profits for seriously ill children…
Yes: tell us all about it here on Q&As (some people are too lazy to follow links) and see if you can add it to upcoming events or competitions. I must correct Emilie: I seem to remember that I wasn’t allowed onto competitions (only comps organised by W&A?) but did get onto events. But ask Admin.
(I see that you've replied to Em, but haven't read your replies yet: I've "copied" this and am going to "paste" it before my laptop crashes!)
The link to the website is:
http://thebabyshoesproject.weebly.com/
And the Facebook page is:
https://www.facebook.com/TheBabyShoesProject/
Hi Emilie - thanks for that. I got the idea some time ago when I was doing a little research for writing flash fiction. I discovered that the shortest story ever to have been written has been attributed to Ernest Hemingway. You may have heard it - but in case you haven't - the story goes that he bet some of his friends that he could come up with a complete story in just six words. They all accepted his bet and he then took a napkin, wrote on it, and passed it around the table. Each and every one of his friends paid up.
The napkin said "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."
They are powerful words, whoever wrote them, and I started to think how wonderful it would be to give people the opportunity to write a piece of flash fiction (max 500 words) to explain how a pair of baby shoes, never worn, came to be for sale. I wanted to challenge people to think on different lines. The immediate temptation is to assume that some tragedy has taken place - and that's OK - write tragedy if you wish. But there may well be humorous reasons, criminal reasons, mundane reasons or outright weird reasons why those shoes were for sale.
My theory is that human beings have the capacity for amazing original thought if they are given free rein. To date I have received 92 contributions amounting to 35,929 words. I am aiming at not less than 60K words. And I have been delighted by the inventiveness and originality shown by our authors.
My publisher is being very supportive and is giving his services free of charge - including the artwork. And I have to confess to being pretty excited about it.