
Woman As Art
Edgar Allan Poe is a guilty pleasure of mine. I first discovered Poe in high school in the early 60s. Then I rediscovered him (for the third or fourth time) last year when I checked out a thick volume of his works from the public library. The man was a genius. He was probably mentally unstable, too.
Now that I think back to reading him again last year, one of the things I noticed about his writing, if I’m remembering correctly, is that all of his tales (stories) are told in the first person. Whether the first-person narrator is the admiring side kick of a brilliant amateur detective; or a murderous madman; or the aristocratic friend of a madman; or the victim of The Inquisition. The tale is always told by a first-person narrator.
Like I said, I don’t have his collected works with me as I’m writing this post; but that’s the impression that I’m left with.

English: Edgar Allan Poe. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Actually, I like the immediacy of the first-person narrator. The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell To Arms and The Great Gatsby all come to mind.
I’ve written plenty of fiction using a first-person narrator.
Just remember, my brother and sister writers, that no matter how much your first-person narrator is similar to you, he or she is not you. He or she is a character in a flash fiction short story. And as such the story is more important than the narrator.
The needs of the story must always come first.
This is the Old Soldier reporting from Pittsburgh on a sunny, mild (high 49) winter day.
*****

Cover of The Great Gatsby
Be sure to check the front page for the latest updates. The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is an online magazine of serious writing and brazen sexuality.
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Writers, Are You Looking For Inspiration?
Woman As Art
Now where can a writer find inspiration? Where can a writer find inspiration? Where can a writer…I’ve got it! The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette will give you all the inspiration you need.
Hello hello hello, my brother and sister bloggers and writers. This is the Old Soldier blogging out of Pittsburgh on a cloudy, mild (70s) afternoon that’s just right for spreading the word about the most exciting flash fiction publication on the Internet.
Sure, there are several other fine flash fiction publications on the world-wide web; but there are none with the unique blend of serious writing and brazen sexuality that puts the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette in a class of its own.
Add the fact that this publication is also a paying market, and you can’t beat that with a stick!
You want inspiration? You got inspiration.
Now I know this online magazine is definitely not for everyone. But maybe it’s just right for you.
Keep reading and keep writing that flash fiction.
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