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Ten answers to ten questions in 20 words or fewer. That’s less time than it takes to burn a match*.

(*Depending on the length of the match and your tolerance for burned fingers, obviously)

Our newest Flash! Friday winner isChris Milam.  Read his winning storyhere. Note that this is his THIRD THIRD win at Flash! Friday (woot!). Read his previous #SixtySeconds interviews as well as his bio here. Then take another minute or two to get to know him better below. (Note that three-time winners are never held to the word count rule. Chat away, Chris!)

1) What about thepromptinspired your winning piece?  Nothing revelatory with the kitchen prompt, to be honest. I instantly saw a mother and son at breakfast. I wrote the first paragraph without having any idea how to include the prisoner picture. As the story unfolded, I knew a tale…

It was a huge party here at the dragons’ lair this week, with loads of entries battling over the FF crown and over the penultimate Golden Ticket for the Flash Dogs’ prized anthology. This week in addition to some new faces, we saw the return of a few beloved and missed faces, which warmed our hearts. We like all your faces!

And thank you above all for continuing to share your extraordinary writerly talent here, and for torturing tantalizing our dear captains so. Did I laugh hysterically as they wept and anguished over their decisions, writhing in pain from the stress of it all? No, of course not — certainly not, never; that would not have been nice.

P.S., totally unrelated topic: can anyone recommend a tonic for sore ribs?

P.P.S. REMEMBER!!! Tomorrow’s the last chance to earn a Golden Ticket anywhere. Join us here Tuesday, April…

Howdy, y’all!!! and welcome to Results Day, which I think ought to be celebrated with a global TimTam SLAM. (For you novices, this requires biting the ends off a TimTam and using it for a straw in, preferably, a hot cup of coffee. This creates a sloppy, caramelly mess which will keep you happy for days.)

COME BACK TOMORROW for an interview with the celebrated Writer’s Digest expert, professional editor, former publisher, and novelist Jeff Gerke. His interview’s a riot, and in conjunction with his visit, Flash! Friday is giving away to one random commenter a FREE 2 PAGE OR QUERY LETTER EDIT by Jeff. Don’t miss it!

Then please remember next is Warmup Wednesday, then Thursday’s Sixty Seconds interview with today’s winner. And then Flash! Friday’s back all over again! 

♦♦♦♦♦

Dragon Captains Tamara Shoemaker/Mark King say: From stone-cold, lovelorn buildings to evil queens disguised in gingham…

When I (Rebekah) joined the flash circuit in the spring of 2012, it was already a thriving community, centered on contests as colorful and vibrant as the writers themselves. Among my favorites were Nicole Wolverton‘s “5 Minute Fiction” (you had 15 minutes from when the prompt posted, to submit your story. WHAT A RUSH!) and Jeffrey Hollar‘s “Monday Mixer” (up to 9 difficult vocab words to incorporate in your 150 word count). We writers followed each other throughout these various weekly contests, and we got to know each others’ styles and flavors. It was glorious.

All too soon and to my horror, that circuit began petering out as contest hosts moved on to other projects; so I launched Flash! Friday in December 2012 in a desperate bid to keep the community alive. I needn’t have worried, of course. Two years later, and look at you!!! In 2012 we couldn’t…

I was standing beside the Tower of London, looking down at the red poppies, picturing blood and 1914. Within seconds, an eager tourist had gifted me their smartphone, crammed all their friends onto the tiny screen, and was posing before the River Thames: a brown, pixellating streak in the background.

It may be the world’s most photographed river, yet much of the Thames is hidden. The watery reflections of Big Ben and Westminster, the New Year fireworks blasting off from the London Eye, and the Oxbridge Boat Race grab most of the headlines; but with the exceptions of Henley, Marlow and of course, the Queen’s fortress at Windsor, few ever consider what lies upstream of Chiswick Bridge. With my inflatable packraft, I headed west into Oxfordshire. To see the real Thames, you must seek out the backwaters.

Swift Ditch near Abingdon is the most literally-named place I’ve ever been. Abandoned…