I'm thrilled to share with you that my latest flash piece, "Cutty Sark" has been accepted to the Writer's Bone. This piece is part of a larger manuscript titled Backroad.  

Slow the pace

​Thank you Kathryn Schleich for having me as a guest on your blog. 'Show don't tell' is common advice. It's been unpacked in dozens of blogs. Luckily, this won't be one of them. That's because it's repeated so often, it crowds out other important writing errors such as, pace. Pace is all about rhythm and speed in a story. Think: how much time has e...

I was thrilled this morning to find myself at the top of the Book Club Reader Recommended list on the Jewish Women's Archive site.  Thank you JWA!

Today's question comes from Naomi in Beit Shemesh. Thanks for emailing me. Naomi asks, what is the difference between essay writing and writing a non-fiction flash piece?  

Imaginative truth and non-fiction

Today's question is one of two questions from Naomi in Beit Shemesh. Thanks for writing. Please email me any additional questions and I'll try to answer them in a one-minute vlog. Naomi asks if her non-fiction piece has some imaginative truth, does that make her piece flash fiction? 

​What do you need in a writing partner? 

Passport Control by Gila Green is an amazing book with lots of plot twists and mystery. It tells the story of a Canadian Jew, Miriam Gil, who comes to Haifa University to study. She gets involved with many unexpected people and events. Passport Control is fiction, but to be honest, it's clear that everything Green writes about is a real possibility...

The autumn issue of The Fiddlehead is out and I'm honored my piece "Winnipeg 1987" is part of it.  Thank you to editor, Alicia Elliott. I enjoyed your editorial so much, I repost it here. So many of you ask me for a definition of non-fiction, I recommend you read below.  Whatever We Need It To BePosted on November 12, 2018 Late last year ...

Today's vlog answers the question: do I need a villain in my story? 

 I'm always excited to share author Q&A articles with you. I'm thrilled to have another Israel-based writer joining me on my blog. I virtually met Diana after I published my first novel King of the Class and I've been following her blossoming publishing career ever since. I still hope to make it up North to meet Diana in person or to catch...

​THE TRIBALISM THAT REIGNED IN BEIT SHEMESH FOR A DECADE IS OVER BY GILA GREEN I live in Beit Shemesh, the city that made global headlines when a Jewish man spat on a young girl (in December 2011). As a writer I was asked to speak out, to write a blog post or article that would distance "us" from "them." But I felt articles created more hatred, wer...

​Are you looking for a place online where you can find writing advice, read author interviews, watch short and useful vlogs and learn about life in Israel at the same time? You're here. I'm Gila Green, a Canadian author from Ottawa living in Israel. I'm excited to have a new writing space online and I would love to hear what you'd like to see ...

I'm always excited to share author Q&A articles with you. This time stands out because I rarely meet a Jewish writer from my hometown, Ottawa, but I found Brandon on Linked-In in 2013 when my first novel King of the Class was published and we connected quickly over shared writing interests. I'm excited about Brandon's Jewish history reference b...

This week I was thrilled to be a guest on C.S. Lakin's site LiveWriteThrive. Thank you again."The exploding number of flash publication opportunities as a way to break into novel publishing also offers a break for writers who might be burnt out with a novel or short story. Specifically, you get a break from following those longer manuscript rules, and we all need a break from “the rules” once in a while to recharge." Read the rest.

I am always excited to share author Q&As with you. This time is even more of a pleasure because I took a play-writing class with Atar Hadari 11 years ago and before that I attended some of his classes at Bar Ilan University. So, we go way back.  Moreover, Atar has generously honored me with two of his poems for two of my own novels. I'm always thrilled when Jewish writers can collaborate and together extend their own works.  We connected over our love of writing but also over some of our shared background. Atar is a tenth generation Israeli and my family, too, came to Palestine in the 1880s. I've lived in Israel for 20+ years but have not met many people who share this dual background with me. I'd love to meet more if you're out there! I'm excited about Atar's new book "Lives of the Dead: Collected poems...

An excerpt from my young adult novel, No Entry is out. My novel is now signed with Stormbird Press, Australia for a September 2019 release. I'm working on a sequel right now.What's No Entry about?Teen heroine, Yael Yekutiel, signs on to an elephant conservation program and ends up coming face to face with violence, greed and murder. The story takes place in South Africa’s famous, breathtaking Kruger National Park. Yael vows to devote herself to saving the planet from human greed and is set to learn all she can about ivory poaching when she accidentally encounters a murderous poaching ring taking place below the surface of her newfound paradise. She receives a second blow when she discovers her idol Clara Smith, the prestigious and well-respected program director, profits from blood ivory, while preaching about the sanctity of wildlife. Yael is forced to decide on a new mission: expose this poaching ring to...

You can check out Passport Control and please let me know what you think.My October release turned into an August one! As of today it is on Amazon Canada, too.

Imagine a group of friends and relatives coming together throughout the afternoon over food and drink, staying late into the evening to share stories that engender laughter, tears, empathy and admiration. The profoundly satisfying stories in White Zion are rich in intimate detail, peopled with a cast of heart wrenching characters at once familiar and unique, a gathering of personalities that leaves me reluctant to leave their company and eager to revisit them.Pearl Luke, author Madame Zee

Writing Opportunities In Unexpected Places. Being a student has reminded me that if you write, you are a writer; write and write often; and opportunities to write really are everywhere. When I decided to get a MA in Technical and Professional Communication, I felt that I was betraying my creative writing self.   I repeated, "This doesn't define you. You're still a creative writer.”  Even when my professor said in research class, "to not be mistaken, this is a writing class," I still felt like a cheat. After a couple of writing intensive classes, it surprised me what I learned and relearned:  writing practice comes in many forms and still adheres to basic writing rules.   Honor deadlines  There is always a deadline.  That’s frightening when staring at a blank page. Gather research and focus on your writing goal with your deadline mind.Remember the 5 magic wordsAs I freaked about creating a budget...

Out of the Closet, Into the Fire:How I Burned My Old Darlings and Got Back to Writing FictionJoyce Barton (Guest Blog Post)I was coming off of a year of transcription and research for a nonfiction project and feeling ready to get back into fiction, but I was stuck. It had been so long since I’d used that muscle, could I even write fiction anymore?Write something new? What about my orphans, my piles and files of decades-old material—leave no story behind, I’d promised my characters, and myself.Here’s how I burned through my indecision (aka resistance) by feeding some old friends to the fire.State Your MissionI’m a writer, right? I write things down. So it seemed natural to define, in writing, what I wanted and why, when this would happen, how I’d get there, and commit to it—a good old-fashioned Mission Statement. Here’s my ‘Mission Bonfire’:Mission: Go through old files of stories and...

My summer guest post series is so successful, I'm continuing this summer.My first guest post is from Andrea Hunter.5 Reasons Why Every Writer Should be on Instagram You don't need me to tell you that social media is a powerful tool. It's evident in the fact that we can upload and share a photo, video, article, message, or opinion - on an ever-growing variety of social platforms - in a matter of seconds. That's pretty impressive in its own right. But the real power comes into play when you consider that the content you just posted has the potential to be seen by literally millions of people around the world.Millions.It's mind-boggling when you stop and think about how connected we are. I won't tell you that social media is the new word of mouth. (It is.)I won't even tell you that almost one-third of the global population is using some form...

I'm excited to share with you that my new story "No Entry"will be published in terrain.org. in September 2018. As soon as it's up, I'll post the link.

I'm thrilled to share with you that my novel Passport Control will be coming out with S&H Publishing October 2018."Many novels have attempted to orchestrate the impossible marriage of politics and human relations in the state of Israel, but few have presided over that perilous ceremony with the grace, affection, and emotional clarity of Gila Green's Passport Control.  A stunning achievement."Steve Stern, author of The Book of Mischief, A Plague of Dreamers, The Frozen Rabbi, and The North of God.What's it about?Miriam Gil flees Canada for Israel when her Israeli dad says he needs more room in their house — for his new girlfriend. Soon at university, living in a dorm with three bickering roommates, she falls in love with Guy, a former combat soldier who dreams of peace. Miriam is caught off guard when her visa and passport application are rejected on the grounds that she’s suspected of being a Syrian Christian. In rapid order, the university...

The Fiddlehead, Atlantic Canada's Literary Journal, accepted my story "Winnipeg 1987."Look for it in the autumn 2018 issue.

My short story collection White Zion is coming out with Cervena Barva Press.White Zion migrates between 19th century Yemen, pre-State Israel, modern Israel and modern Canada. Stories explore racism, alienation within the family unit, and the fall-out after generations of war.In a journey of generations from Aden to Palestine to Ottawa, one Yemenite family encounters new and difficult realities: racism and war, rejection and divorce, resourceful survival and tragic death. With smells of delicious breads wafting up from the page, embroidering detail upon detail in fine literary stitch, Gila Green draws us fully into her narrative, as she generously shares with us the hidden core of family life and the stories she is not afraid to tell. Yael Unterman, author of The Hidden of Things: Twelve Stories of Love & Longing. Voices in the collection include Assaf, a Yemenite boy growing up in pre-State Israel, Miriam, a young Canadian girl growing up in...

Writers must write emotion. That's a given. But many writers lean too heavily on stock emotional body language when they describe their characters: the wink, the nod, the yawn, the shrug and that American favorite, the smile. North Americans smile more than people from other cultures. And we don't just smile (way) more, we smile bigger and brighter. Scroll through a brief comparison of photos of American vs. Chinese leaders and you'll see it, too. As an editor, I don't go more than five pages without spotting it in first drafts for longer pieces and there's a rare Flash piece without at least someone smiling by line four. From the first grin in a draft, it's everywhere, way too much of it. For many writers it is a crutch whose sell-by-date has expired. So short of moving to Russia or Japan and imbuing a whole new body language vocabulary, what's a...

Setting is an often overlooked story element for many writers.  I cannot tell you how many short fiction submissions I've received that take place No-where in No-time. When queried the most common answer I receive from writers is, "this story can take place in anywhere USA." Or, "It doesn't matter. They could be in any modern city." If you've ever sat down to write fiction or non-fiction and used this approach to setting and location it's way past time to stop. This response couldn't be more wrong. There are several key points for you to remember about your story world. Today I will discuss one of them. Remember this: no one has ever been to your story world except for you. Consider the world you live in every day. Who inhabits that world? You do. Nobody else. You have a unique perspective on your world. Not sure? Don't think you're very different from anybody else?...

I took one of your classes and, you may remember, the story (The Storm) I wrote? Anyway I entered it in a contest and placed third which pleased me.Nancy SheltonSpringfield, MO

Diction. Slang and other everyday words sneak into our vocabularies. If you don’t live and write in the same language, it takes an extra effort to root out unintended foreign words from your work.Names. Many writers spend time enhancing their work with thoughtful character names. But when you live in one language and write in another naming story characters can be frustrating. Names from your adopted country often seem awkward in your mother tongue, or worse become words that take the reader out of the story. On the other hand, mother tongue names may appear mundane.Setting. If you choose to write about your adopted country, it may appear too exotic or you may worry you lack the background to make the country come alive. How long do you have to live somewhere to feel you have the authority to write about it, especially if the country operates in a language that...

8 Easy Time Savers

With LoveBy Sari FriedmanIf I’m lucky, something spectacular happens at some point in my writing process. I fall in love. Sometimes I’m in love with my protagonist, but not always— it’s impossible to predict which character, setting, technical aspect or plot sequence will fill me with that combination of tender regard, affection, allegiance and the desire to start writing a sonnet.As I wrote my first novel, which is about a New Yorker who starts to remember her past-life 4,000 years ago in the Land of Canaan, I fell in love with the antagonist’s manipulative pyrotechnics. I loved the technical challenge of revealing the conniving of a hurt-causing personality. I’m not conniving in real life. I'm nurturing and empathic. Strangers have been known to call me “Mom.” But this meant that I’d never understood how a hurtful personality could function. And that led to my sometimes being very hurt. In practical terms,...

Please see my latest noir flash fiction in Akashic Books Mondays are Murder Series./

Come see me at WriteSpace for Spring Flash Fiction SeminarsCan't come to Jerusalem? Virtual Classes start May 11, 2016Eight Weeks Flash, Six Weeks Short Story, Four Weeks Mini Publishing Workshop. OR join me at the Jewish Women's Writers Seminar May 24

3, 2, 1, lift off…Come meet fellow writers and flex your writing muscles with guided prompts.Find out more about WriteSpace Jerusalem and meet a selection of our instructors:Jane Medved (poetry), Gila Green (flash fiction), Mitch Ginsburg (literarytranslation), Anna Levine (young adult & children), Sheffi Raiskin (bibliotherapy),Batnadiv Hakarmi-Weinberg (creative nonfiction), and Nadia Jacobson (fiction).Date: Thursday, April 7, 2016Time: 19:30-21:30Location: PICO Jerusalem, 4th floor, Poalei Tzedek 2, Talpiyot, Jerusalem (oppositeHadar Mall)Entrance is free of charge and light refreshments will be served.An additional perk: Receive 10% off your first seminar or workshop.Reserve your place:Subscribe to our mailing: www.writespacejerusalem.com/contact-us.htmlEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 Focus on Flash Fiction Half-Day Seminar Date Options:​March 7 / 8 / 13 / 14  To Register and for more Info: WriteSpaceEveryone has time to read flash fiction. That’s one of the reasons why it’s become such a popular genre.What value is there to distilling whole stories into narratives under 1,000 words, down to even 6 words? We read fiction to build empathy, to explore new realities, to escape, Can you do that in so few words? Yes, you can.Flash is ideal for our modern short attention spans (though there’s nothing really new about it). The 21st-century reader has made flash fiction "in-demand" fiction. It’s ideal for our screens: tablets, smartphones, netbooks, and laptops. Reading a whole story on a single screen is an aesthetic experience and, best of all, it’s an increasingly sought after genre offered by small presses. There’s even a National Flash Fiction Day on, you guessed it, the shortest...

Revision Decisions"It hurts when someone calls your baby ugly." My co-author's comment rang painfully clear over the metallic thrum of the Metra train coasting along its tracks. We were on our way home after a writer's workshop in the city, and the "baby" she referred to was our book. After years of balancing schedules, juggling real-life responsibilities, and carving out countless hours to write together our novel was finally finished. The result? Over 250,000 precious words detailing the beginning, middle, and end of each of our fictitious characters' journeys. We did it! [insert enthusiastic high five] But even as newbie authors we were keenly aware that just because you peck out those two little words on the very last page: The End doesn't necessarily mean the end. In fact, quite the opposite is true. As fate would have it, one frosty winter morning, we each received an email announcing an upcoming...

Some Flash to Read by Gila Green TMy Mom fought the fifties. I never knew. If anyone would have asked me I would have told them that my mother was straight-laced, demure, a Canadian Capital City poster girl, not just in character, but on the ground.In the photo I like best, my mother is a teenager, a head turner, a talent. She and her acting group have just returned from yet another triumph at the annual Dominion Drama Festival. Mayor Charlotte Whitton has come as part of the surprise welcome home to the young, gifted locals. The camera has captured the confetti in my mother’s bark colored hair and I imagine the scent from the rose petals overpowers the usual train station smells of machinery and cigarette smoke. Well, it’s not the usual train station atmosphere, it’s a party.The thought that she is going to be giving birth in six years time...

I'm continuing my author guest posts this week and welcome Chana Bunim Rubin Ausubel. Dear Gila...As Long as the Candle Burns written by Chana Bunim Rubin Ausubel is “moving and inspiring. The author's stories are culled from her experiences throughout her working career,” (Jewish Book World). Ausubel's careers varied from directing a program in Headstart, to forming chapters for Emunah Women’s Organization throughout the United States. In Israel she put all of her heart and soul into directing and teaching students from all over the world returning to Judaism or in the process of conversion.  Even as a single mother she was able to accomplish and contribute to many causes such as, the New York Conference for Soviet Jewry, founder of Gush Emunim in America and Ausubel was involved in forming the Israeli town of Bet El.“Chana openly discusses the challenges of supporting and raising four children in a single-parent home....

I liked Diana's post so much, I got permission to repost it. If you are in Israel Diana's novel, A Remarkable Kindness, is available at Steimatsky or you can get free shipping via bookdepository. Pope Francis in the Great Synagogue and Guess Who at the Open Door Bookshop in Rome on the Same Day. Posted on January 19, 2016by dianabletterPope Francis visiting the Great Synagogue in Rome, January 17, 2016Just an hour before I spoke at the Open Door Bookshop in Rome, Pope Francis was speaking at the Grand Synagogue just a few minutes away. It was the third time in modern history that a pope visited the synagogue. Quite incredible. Just to put this in perspective, historian David Kertzer, who wrote The Popes Against the Jews, said that throughout history, the Vatican forced Jews to live in ghettos (the word itself is Italian) and subjected them to forced conversions, expulsions and persecution. And now the Pope said, “Every...

We just started this week, but there's still plenty of room and lots of time to catch up.Four Fantastic Virtual Workshops:Flash: 8 weekshttp://wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/GilaGreen_FlashFictionWorkshop.phpLiterary Devices I & II 6 weeks: http://wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/GilaGreen_MemorableWritingLiteraryDevicesI.phpHow to Publish Your Short Story 4 weeks: http://wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/GilaGreen_PublishShortStoryWorkshop.phpOR if you're in the area, sign up for my four week workshop in Jerusalem offered through Temech. The JWWS network, in conjunction with Temech, is pleased to announce our FOURTH SESSION for all women writers…The JWWS Writers’ Educational NetworkFor WomenRegistration is via Temech’s office (02- 538-8665, press 0 and say you are calling for JWWS/ Writers’ Courses) and tell them you are registering for the next JWWS course that is to begin on Jan 19th. To ensure your place you must pre-register. These JWWS courses will be a pre-paid and pre-booked only in advance option.Price for full course, all four sessions: 200 NIS per personPrice for only one session at a time: 75 NIS per...

I have enjoyed the (Flash Fiction) course. I found the way you gave us pieces to study most helpful. The two lessons which gave me the most were those on sensory detail and pacing.Thank you,Regards, Eileen Cooke              Australia.

If you want to know what it really feels like to live in Israel and why people stay, even when the challenges become formidable, then you should read For Better and For Worse: An Israel Odyssey –the book that captures that 'Only in Israel' feeling.Based on real people and true events, For Better and For Worse: An Israel Odyssey shows an inside glimpse of Israel through the experiences of a new immigrant over a period of 25-years. Through inspiring, funny and thought provoking stories, the book presents a positive yet realistic perspective of what it's like to live in the Land of Israel, fall in love with the country and the people, and cope with the many struggles that come with being an Israeli.Along with the wonders and miracles that accompany an uplifting life in the Holy Land, For Better and For Worse: An Israel Odysseyreveals the strengths and weakness of  the...

The JWWS network, in conjunction with Temech, is pleased to announce our FOURTH SESSION for all women writers…The JWWS Writers’ Educational NetworkFor WomenRegistration is via Temech’s office (02- 538-8665, press 0 and say you are calling for JWWS/ Writers’ Courses) and tell them you are registering for the next JWWS course that is to begin on Jan 19th. To ensure your place you must pre-register. These JWWS courses will be a pre-paid and pre-booked only in advance option.Price for full course, all four sessions: 200 NIS per personPrice for only one session at a time: 75 NISper personHurry to reserve your spot – spaces go quickly!_____________________________________________________The JWWS Session FOURCourse Title: The Art of Short Story WritingCourse Instructor: Gila GreenCourse dates: Jan, 19, 26, Feb 2, Feb 9th  Tuesday mornings, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 pmCourse Description: Get your creative story juices flowing!This course is for anyone who wants to sharpen her short...

I often receive e-mails from class participants (Thank you. Keep them coming).One of the most troubling comments is this: I can write, but I can’t edit. This type of writer usually proves she really believes this when she sends in a new piece instead of an edited version or revision of a piece she’s already sent me.If this sounds familiar, you need to stop thinking this way because it hurts your chances of publication. This bears repeating. Stop selling yourself this line. I don’t know who made it up, but it’s got to go.All writers need some self-editing skills. This is not to say that writers don’t need editors. They do. I do. Still, at some point all writers must switch from writing to editing mode. Editing mode is not the same for all literary forms. If you are editing a Flash Fiction piece, your first goal will be to eliminate...

By Gila GreenWriters are forever hearing they need to improve their writing skills. No matter what we produce and how frequently, there’s always some well-meaning editor, fellow writer or classmate hinting that you can never learn enough about writing. Interpret that as you wish. Perhaps, you see great writing as an exercise bike you need to ride forever, or like a sink in which dishes grow (if it’s anything like my kitchen sink). Either way most of these messages are downers. The answers we’re given repeatedly once we ask that inevitable question: how does a writer improve her craft are often framed as more of a chore than a bowl of cherries.  No doubt you’ve read that writers have to be voracious readers, readers so starved for reading material that only the dry end of a book cover or sharp end of a kindle is true nourishment. Food is blasé in...

Dear Gila: This course has been superior so far. I can't thank you enough for your keen attention to detail and piercing critiques. A great learning experience!Also, thanks for your summary, How Not to Write flash. I see it covers most of the mistakes I've been making--so an invaluable guide. A great course, and I appreciate that you made it available to me over email. You're the best, Gila--may you thrive in your writing, editing, and teaching.Best wishes,Tom Allan

I read a lot of Flash Fiction. Over the years I’ve noticed that some writers continuously flounder over these common misconceptions and mistakes. If you’re trying to master the art of Flash Fiction writing, these eight “don’ts” might help you jump up to the next level. Don’t approach Flash Fiction as though it’s just a very short story. Flash has its own set of rules and the king of those rules is this: you have no time. This means spending the first eight lines on background and leaving minimal space for any action to occur is sure to flop. Don’t do it.Flash Fiction is supremely brief. But the buck stops there. You can write non-fiction flash, romance flash, fantasy flash and any other genre you feel passionate about. For some reason many of the submissions I receive in my Flash Fiction courses forget all about genre, so focused are they on...

Flash Fiction (8 weeks)Create Memorable Writing with Literary Devices (6 weeks)Create Memorable Writing with Literary Devices II (6 weeks)Publish Your Short Story (4 weeks)

Hi, Gila! Hope you are well. Just wanted you to know about a flash market that’s very writer-friendly, a good place to land for some of your flash students who are looking for their first publishing credit (or have a good piece that doesn’t seem to fit with other markets): Every Day Fiction. I just had a piece published there (http://www.everydayfiction.com/campaign-button-by-joyce-barton/), and here was my experience:-Their response time was reasonable (90 days is their max; I heard from them in 88)-All 6 of their editors gave me comments/feedback on my story.-I was given the opportunity to make changes based on the feedback before publication, if I wished to do so (had a nice back-and-forth with one of the editors and added a sentence as a result)-Readers can comment and rate your story (1 to 5 stars), and the writer has the opportunity to respond to the readers (not something you see in most...

Fall Classes Begin October 5 and registration is open:FLASH FICTION WORKSHOP by Gila GreenHOW TO PUBLISH A SHORT STORY WORKSHOP by Gila GreenCREATE MEMORABLE WRITING WITH LITERARY DEVICES by Gila GreenCREATE MEMORABLE WRITING WITH LITERARY DEVICES II by Gila GreenNeed a little more time to catch your breath from summer?For the first time I'm offering two sets of fall classes. No need to wait for winter, but you can still pause a little longer than usual this year:November 16, 2015 registration is open CREATE MEMORABLE WRITING WITH LITERARY DEVICES by Gila GreenCREATE MEMORABLE WRITING WITH LITERARY DEVICES II by Gila GreenHOW TO PUBLISH A SHORT STORY WORKSHOP by Gila GreenFLASH FICTION WORKSHOP by Gila Green

The summer writing season has begun.If you would like a post on any particular topic, please send me your request.I'd be happy to consider it. Summer post by Gila GreenI have a confession. When I fill out forms in my kids’ schools or any other official forms —for some reason only schools seem to come to mind, but that’s another post—I always write ‘housewife’ under mother’s occupation and I instruct my husband to do the same. He always nudges me in the ribs with the same expression on his face, his jaw slightly lowered, his eyes at a half roll. “Because” I hiss at his unasked question. “How many times do I have to tell you?” This is normally enough for him to shrug his shoulders and follow my instructions. Would that all marital conflicts resolve themselves so easily.So, why don’t I put in writer or even editor?  Because I always, yes always,...

Dear Gila,BH my book will be delivered to me this week in print. This is the link. http://www.mazoproducts.com/cat/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=276It was wonderful working together and I greatly appreciate all the help and advice you provided me with, even after the editing was completed.Good luck with all of your future pursuits,Love Chana.Dear Gila,Here's the link to my short fiction piece - Silent Partners. The WOW! quarterly contests are a great way to get motivated and test your skills. I appreciate your interest so please feel free to share it with your Flash class. I would be grateful for any feedback/critique you or your class would like to offer! http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/63-FE1-Fall14Contest.htmlThanks,Andrea 

There is still time to sign up!

There is still time to sign up!

Carol Ungar on the upcoming publication of her cookbook Jewish Soul Food: Traditional Fare and What it Means. Dear Gila,I couldn't have done it without you!Carol UngarIt was fun editing a cookbook for the first time, if not a little fattening, but it improved my cooking skills and it's always a pleasure to work with Carol. Mazal tov! I look forward to part two.And to Pia Wolcowitz on the release of her novel The Nurse.Thank you for everything,Pia It was a pleasure to edit this novel and I wish Pia much success! I look forward to her next jump into adult women's fiction.Chana Bunim Rubin Ausubel whose memoir As Long as the Candle Burns is coming out this spring with Mazo Publishers. Thank you for choosing me as your editor, Chana. Your work is an important part of American Jewish history. Dear GilaYou were a marvelous editor!Love Chana

Flash into the Middle of Things by Gila GreenWhy do writers use in media res (Latin for “into the middle of things”)?  There is nothing new about this narrative technique, which we find in everything from Homer’s Odyssey to films, poetry and plays. In media res is neither a frame nor a story within a story nor a self-contained story. In media resallows the audience to jump into a story right in the middle of the action. If done well, the audience is quickly consumed by the narrative, even though many questions are unanswered. For example, if a story begins with a murder we do not know the victim, the motive, whose side we are on, but our curiosity is immediately addressed. In Flash fiction in media res can be particularly useful because of the very short word count allowed. Yet, I find many writers find it difficult to break away...

Have you ever seen any of these comments in the margins of your work?·                     Slow down·                     Uneven·                     Lacks climax·                     FlatIf you answered “yes,” you should immediately browse through your writer’s toolbox of literary devices for pacing solutions—specifically how to slow the pace down.One device many writers threw out of their toolboxes long ago was indirect writing.  Most of us were told by everyone from our high school English teachers to published writers in creative writing programs that direct writing is good writing and indirect writing is bad writing. That’s often true. But completely eliminating indirect writing is also a surefire way for many writers to ruin the pace of their work. They write each line so directly that the story is over before it begins; there is never any time to savor the scene, in particular the climax or mini climaxes; there is no hair-standing-on-end time; and no goose-bumps-down-the-arms moments because...

Hi, Gila!  Just wanted to let you know that my first flash piece, Bar Rag, was published by The Legendary (an online literary journal).  Less than a year after taking your course, not bad. ;)Go here & click on 'Joyce Barton' link:  http://www.downdirtyword.com/fictionpage.html(Or you can access it from the bio page: http://www.downdirtyword.com/authors/joycebarton.html )Just wanted to say thanks again; your class helped me get started with flash, and now I'm on my way.Hope you are well, and Happy New Year!~Joyce

When I tell people I teach a virtual flash fiction course, I often get strange responses bordering on laughter. Isn’t flash fiction just really short fiction? What’s the point of taking a specific Flash class?No, flash is its own genre deserving of its own class and in my opinion, it’s still underrated as a way to break into publication. But the increasing number of publication opportunities is only one benefit of Flash. It also offers a break to a lot of writers who might be burnt out with a novel or short story. In the main, you get a break from following those longer-length piece rules and who doesn’t need a break from ‘the rules’ once in a while to recharge?  Here are five rules most of us hear over and over again that you get to completely ignore in Flash:Tell don’t show. If you’re like me, you’re not the ideal...

This is the first in my blog post series on writing, particularly flash fiction. This post was on the WOW-Women on Writing site in 2013.Many writers think ‘brief’ these days. Short fiction is popular both on the internet and in print and whether you call it flash, postcard or micro fiction it all comes down to your story’s bottom line: reduce your work to its barest bones. One guideline is to eliminate literary devices. We are told that although we may write: “He was Usain Bolt in his running shoes, sprinting towards the hospital.” This is a no-no in flash. Change this to: He sprinted to the hospital. You just went from eleven to five words. This advice saves the writer six precious words. It also ups the story’s pace, intensifying the drama and focus and flash fiction is nothing if not about focus. What about the meaning of the story?...

My new writing class Create Memorable Writing has been updated and revised. Mark January 12 on your calendars.Enamored with the new short writing trend? Sign up for Flash FictionShort on time? Try my four-week short story mini publishing workshop

Classes in Flash Fiction and Literary Devices Begin October 27.Sign up for FlashSign up for Literary Devices INEW: Mini Course. How to Publish a Short Story.Loved Literary Devices I? Sign up for part two. 

Welcome to my newest guest: Margo Dill. I've been virtual friends with Margo for a few years now and I'm very pleased to introduce you to her latest novel, a YA paranormal romance with a catchy title: "Caught Between Two Curses." To whet your appetite, here's a line about her latest work: Seventeen-year-old Julie Nigelson is cursed. So is her entire family. And it’s not just any-old-regular curse, either—it’s strangely connected to the famous “Curse of the Billy Goat” on the Chicago Cubs.   Practical Ways to Balance Motherhood and Writing  by Margo L. DillI have a 3 ½ year old daughter and a 13-year-old stepson. This summer, it seems harder than ever to balance work and motherhood. I think it’s because the kids are older—they sleep less and want to do more. But I’m working on some practical ways to entertain and love my children while I also work as a writer.1.      ...

My short story The Costume Room was a finalist for WordSmitten's 1010 Fiction Contest.Today Brian Henry posted it on his blog.

Thanks so much to Yael Shahar author of A Damaged Mirror,who invited me to participate in the current My Writing Process Blog Tour. Yael describes her book as an exploration between right and wrong; between choice and choicelessness, and the consequences of crossing boundaries. Check it out!This tour asks four questions that each writer answers before she passes on the virtual torch, so here goes:What am I working on? I just finished my second novel, Passport Control. I’m really excited about it as it is my longest work and I feel for me it means I have finally crossed the line from short story writer to novelist. Although, I have already published one novel King of the Class I was undergoing a transition with that novel from years of writing only short stories and some poetry. This time around I no longer had the ghost of a short story writer flitting...

I am so pleased to introduce my third summer guest, Renee Howard Cassese. Renee has been a participant in two of my virtual classes over the last couple of years. It is a privilege that many of my class participants continue to fill me in on their writing lives. Thanks for the update, Renee and congratulations on your move to self-publishing, which I've asked Renee to discuss in today's post. You can take a look at her self-published paperback I am my Mother's Only Poem: http://www.amazon.com/Am-My-Mothers-Only-Poem/dp/1494962535/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402002896&sr=8-1&keywords=i+am+my+mother%27s+only+poemTo self-publish or not to self-publish, that was the question. Though I rejected the idea of self-publishing because I thought it would brand me as an incompetent writer and unattractive to agents and traditional publishers, over the years I gently but surely changed my mind. When it comes to novels I still believe traditional is the way to go, but I am considering looking for small presses...

http://wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/GilaGreen_FlashFictionWorkshop.php

Continuing my summer series of author guest posts, this week I'm featuring Diana Bletter.We've met virtually and I'm looking forward to one day meeting in person. Thanks for visiting, Diana.What? Huh? You’re 57 and you’re only publishing your first novel now?It’s not as if I didn’t try. I’ve wanted to be a published writer ever since the poem I wrote about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination was printed in a newspaper. I was eleven. I loved seeing my name in print. I loved the way my parents showed my poem to total strangers. But most importantly—and I realize this more and more—I loved the actual writing of it. The way I could make words dance the Salsa right over the page. I loved the timing, the rhyming. I was so proud of the poem's last lines: “Can we help with the things he lived for: peace and non-violence? If we don’t, there...

I have opened up my blog to a series of guest posts from other writers for your summer reading enjoyment and I am delighted that my first guest is my friend and colleague Yael Unterman.Yael  has just released her first short story collection "The Hidden of Things." Check it out!On Writing, Spirituality and Being a Mensch This piece is not an easy one for me to write. But it has an important message.In 2009 I published a work of non-fiction (biography), but the publication of my second book in 2014 – a work of fiction – was the realization of a childhood dream. Yet fulfilling a dream sometimes brings some huge challenges in its wake. As writers, our book is our “baby,” and we go to great lengths to ensure the welfare of our offspring. I, too, feel an abiding loyalty to my book and to the heart and soul I...

My humor flash piece Pithom and Ramses appears in CommuterLit this week.

Registration is open for new virtual classes beginning July 8.Bring your short fiction, novel or memoir up to publication level and meet writersfrom all over the world from your own home or office computer.Flash Fiction : http://wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/GilaGreen_FlashFictionWorkshop.phpLiterary Devices I: http://wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/GilaGreen_LiteraryDevicesI.phpLiterary Devices II: http://wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/GilaGreen_LiteraryDevicesII.phpSince 2009, more than 100 writers have taken my classes from the USA, Israel, Canada, UK, Australia and South Africa. Many have gone on to publish, to win writing awards and to find online writing partners.

My short story Spider Places will be published in Ireland's The South Circularin their ninth issue on March 20, 2014.thesouthcircular.com

Jill participated in my Raanana Creative Writing Workshops and I was also lucky enough to work as an editor on her book David's Story, which explores her life and struggles living with a son with schizophrenia.She is also a recipient of the Israel Mental Health Award for her devotion and work in the field of mental illness.Today, I'd like to congratulate her on winning FIRST PRIZE in a short story contest as well as $500. I'm so happy for you, Jill. Keep striving for excellence.Jill's winning short story has been published live online at Dare to Dream page 2,http://www.dreamquestone.com/daretodream02.html .

Register Here: Publish Your Short Story Workshop

Many writers think ‘brief’ these days. Short fiction is popular both on the internet and in print and whether you call it flash, postcard or micro fiction it all comes down to your story’s bottom line: reduce your work to its barest bones.One guideline is to eliminate literary devices. We are told that although we may write: “He was Usain Bolt in his running shoes, sprinting towards the hospital.” This is a no-no in flash. Change this to: He sprinted to the hospital. You just went from eleven to five words. This advice saves the writer six precious words. It also ups the story’s pace, intensifying the drama and focus and flash fiction is nothing if not about focus. What about the meaning of the story? Has it changed? If the writer is pulling in a metaphor for speed willy nilly from anywhere, then no, nothing has changed. (If the writer...

When I submit my short stories should I hide my Israellocation? This is a real question participants in my classes ask me. Most often these writers use an American address of a relative or the address of a friend overseas in their submissions. They genuinely believe that an address in Israel lowers their chances of acceptance in literary magazines and journals and, as the odds are already so stacked against new writers, they figure: who needs the handicap of an Israeladdress? I admit that it never occurred to me to alter my Israeli address in my submissions and I’ve been submitting stories since 2005. Is this naive? I don’t think so.  If a publication does not want to print my story because I live in Israel, I do not want to be published by that publication. Is that too simple? So, how have I answered these writers? I tell them the...

In the last two days I’ve been asked how I get ideas for writing stories. Two nights ago at a PTA meeting just before the homeroom teacher asked me if I’d come in and speak (again) to the girls. And the next day at an open house for my daughter’s ballet class. I don’t get ideas, I look for ideas. It can be really hard work. I don’t see why ideas for writers should come from a source any different from ideas for what to make for dinner. For me the latter can also be really hard work. When I have to make dinner on a regular weekday I whip through the kitchen, opening cupboards, vegetable bins, the freezer and dairy drawers: what have I got at hand? The same is true for writing. I consider genre (historical? satirical?), I consider format (should I try for another short story for a...

Five Year Anniversary Observations: Online Literary Devices Class On the eve of completing five years teaching Literary Devices on the WOW-Women on Writing site—three semesters per year—it’s an auspicious time to note my observations and to look for ways to improve. Some observations (note I have rounded the percentages).Participants are overwhelmingly female at ninety-eight per cent. Not a great surprise for a site with the word ‘women’ in the title.Sixty percent are working on a short story, thirty percent on a novel and ten percent on a personal essay.An overwhelming ninety percent are writing in realism (historical fiction, coming-of-age, memoir, romance). Only ten percent write fantasy.The biggest increase in a genre is in the romance genre with a thirty percent increase since 2010! Fully half of my new participants are now writing in the romance genre. Not sure how to explain this. Romance has always been commercially popular.Thirty-eight percent of participants have self-published...

I will be speaking in Hashmonaim  November 20 with my friend and colleague Nicole Nathan.INVITATION: Kislev Reflection & ReadingIt is now Kislev, the month of dreams.  Dreams reflect the hidden light of the soul and open up space to examine and reflect, and the long winter nights provide us with an ideal time to withdraw and read.Join us for an evening of reflection and of light in the darkness preceding Chanukah as two women writers read from their new novels.Originally Canadian, Gila Green and Nicole Nathan have spent much time reflecting and have written novels that examine our spiritual state.Other upcoming dates for Author Talks (email me for final confirmation of dates)Hashmonaim Wednesday November 20Beer Sheva Monday November 25Maaleh Adumim December 7Bar Ilan University May 11-13You are invited! Bring a friend.

Author TalksIf you are in Israel and have a women's group, synagogue, charity, school or other organization that would like to invite me to speak about writing, publishing and/or my novel KING OF THE CLASS or if you'd like me to offer a writing workshop, email me: gila green  @ gmail. com (remove spaces) with 'author talk' in the subject line.I am happy to invite other Israel-based authors to speak with me about our books if you'd like to offer a group talk to your audience.Part of the proceeds will be donated to charity.

Watch the WOW site for details of my January 6 virtual Flash Fiction and Literary Devices classes.

Don’t forget to make a post-novel plan. What do you want to do now that your novel’s been out for a while? Write a new novel? Go on a book tour? Go back to your day job? Try a new genre? This is especially important if you are anything like me i.e., flounders without specific goals.Don’t respond to criticism. It’s an absurd expectation to think you will write a book that appeals to everyone. Thank them for reading your work and move on. Some comments might be indecipherable. One reader told me that I was admired and talented and then went on to write that the best thing for me would be to write a novel that had no Jews, no Israel and nothing to do with any religion whatsoever. That would be a book to read, if I’d only write it! Umm. Thanks. I think.   Don’t check Amazon’s author central...

I’ve been publishing short stories since 2006, but this year my debut novel King of the Class was released by a small literary Vancouver publisher (www.nonpublishing.com).I’ve received many questions from debut authors mostly asking ‘what worked.’ Here are ten things that worked for me. Ten things I’ve learned four months after publishing my first novel King of the ClassTarget freelancers for reviews. I spent hours emailing publications I felt shared my target audience. Hands-down most of them ignored me or sent me polite ‘no’ emails. When I discovered the freelancers who sell regularly to these publications, I had far more success. Find them by clicking on contributors’ names.  Only no means no. Perseverance works. No answer does not mean no. Once in a while I’d get an email: “Good for you for not giving up. I was so busy with X, but now I’d be happy to read your book”. Everybody...

My new story, Mother, Daughter, Mercenary forthcoming September 2013 with Noir Nation (crime fiction) and Still Life with Father in Arc Magazine forthcoming from the Israel Association of Writers in English.

King of the Class by Gila Green Vancouver: Now or Never Publishing, 2013; $19.95. 237 pages. ISBN: 978-1-92694-214-8 Reviewed by Julie Anne Levin In her gripping and heartfelt first novel, King of the Class, Gila Green sets a timeless tale of love and religion in a politically and technologically futuristic Israel. Among cyber pets and hoverboards, a self-proclaimed nonreligious woman, Eve, is guided by supernatural connections through a plot maze that includes a difficult marriage and her only son’s disappearance. Tapping deeply into the experience of motherhood, Green’s most moving moments depict a mother’s relationship to her unborn child’s soul and, then, to her young son. The story also convincingly examines the sometimes healthy and sometimes disturbing sacrifices parents make to serve their children.This fast-paced novel is set in an Israel in which the twostate solution refers not to Israel and Palestine (a situation only briefly mentioned in the book), but...

Sign up for Flash, Literary Devices I, Literary Devices IIhttp://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html#GilaGreen_FlashFictionWorkshop

Gila Green's King of the Class is at once a bold and unflinching examination of love and faith in harrowing conflict, while at the same time a spellbindingly suspenseful tale that kept this reader breathlessly turning pages. The book clearly heralds the debut of a brave talent and brilliant entertainer.  Steve Stern author of The Wedding Jester, The Frozen Rabbi, The Book of MischiefAs a chronicler of contemporary Israeli religious life I think Green has no rival. She tells the stories from the born again trenches without the heavenly jingles and praise the Lord sighs. This is the spiritual equivalent of a soldier’s memoir from the Iraq War. Jarhead for the religious crowd.  The last hundred and fifty pages of thriller are page-turners, and it is no small feat to turn the religious lives of a few thousand Israelis into a drama you could make into a movie of the week.Atar Hadari, The Antigonish ReviewGila Green’s...

King of the Class now available on Amazon

Today I'm taking part in an exciting blog hop. Thank you Vicki Taylor for the invitation.What is a blog hop? For those of you unfamiliar with the term, here is THE NEXT BIG THING’s original blurb:“THE NEXT BIG THING is designed to raise awareness of our work, or work in progress. We do that by answering ten questions about it. We graciously thank the person who nominated us, and tag four to six other authors whose work could very well be THE NEXT BIG THING.”So let’s get this show on the road!What is the working title of your next book?Title: King of the Class.Where did the idea come from for the book? My idea initiated with my desire to write about the vulnerability of kids who do not fit into a box in the Israeli school system and I began with a family: parents + three children. I quickly felt that...

My new short story "Roller Coaster" will be published in Jewish Fiction (winter 2013).

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