#FridayFiction

Finding and engaging with fiction has never been as exciting as it is right now. From our home here on Mibba, to e-books and social networking media, accessing fiction and networking with writers is becoming a new, more exciting process. With the dawn of smart phones, tablets, and e-readers, ‘On-the-go fiction’ is accessible, and easy – the days of lugging books around, printing whole chapters to read, or logging onto Jurassic library computers for your fiction fix are fast becoming a thing of the past.

And writing on the go has never been easier, either!

Artists, musicians, film-makers and designers very quickly found that Twitter and its companions (Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and many others) were fantastic platforms for promoting their work and connecting with other like-minded creative bodies, while many writers outside of journalism may have seemed to have been left behind in the dust of the digital revolution. Yet, while many in the popular media may have you believing that Twitter is a site dedicated to what Justin Beiber had for lunch on Tuesday, it is in fact becoming an increasingly popular and safe space for writers to network, share ideas and create.

To those of us with lots to say, the 140 character limit on twitter can often prove itself a hindrance. For the creative minds at Richard Hugo House, however, it provided the perfect opportunity for a world-wide workshop in brevity and thematic writing. And with the rising number of people accessing social media on a daily basis, these kinds of innovations in the way we utilise something as simple as a tweet become a welcome break from the usual micro-blogging.

Hugo House is a retreat and foundation for writers, based in Seattle, Washington. Their mission is one which “fosters writers, builds community and engages the Pacific Northwest in the world of writing.” The house runs regular retreats and workshops for youth and adult writers, supporting new works, and creating a real sense of community. On-site workshops include a full set of youth programs, such as ‘Write Time’ a weekly drop-in circle, and Stage Fright, an open mic night which has been on the go since 1997. If you’re in the area, Why not stop by Richard Hugo House and find out more about their classes and programs for all ages.

The determination at Hugo House, to foster a strong community for writers certainly carries over into the #FridayFiction workshops, run by @SarahSamudre, every Friday, from 3-6pm PST (11pm-2am GMT.) Hugo House run the Friday Flash Fiction workshop through their Twitter account, @HugoHouse, using the hash-tag #FridayFiction.

Around half past two or three every Friday, they release a brief, with a theme – previous themes have included shame, rebel, damage, and forgiveness – and an example tweet. Then it’s up to the twitter community to interpret the theme, write, and publish their short piece under the character limit, and including the hash-tag #Friday Fiction.

So this Friday, kick off your creative weekends with a new challenge, and head over to @HugoHouse on Twitter to take part in #FridayFiction – and flex that grey matter in a new, exciting way. If you share your stories here on Mibba, be sure to tag them "FictionFriday" so users can find them on the site.