Noticing Newbies

Hello,

I just joined about a week ago. What has me interested in writing again? I started entering Flash Fiction contest last month. I just won my first contest. The Flash Fiction contest I entered was for stories of 250 words or less. The prompts for the story are just a picture, no phrases. I was intrigued by the challenge and just wanted to have fun and see if I could do it. The stories have to have a beginning, middle and end. Generally there is a surprise ending, which to me was the thing that grabbed my attention the most.
You have to make every word count, so to me, as a new writer, Flash Fiction is a good exercise to hone your skills and get to point quickly. I usually introduce one or two characters, establish a setting based on the photo prompt provided, maybe add one or two lines of dialog, then hit you with a surprise ending. Its so much fun.

I would like to hear from other writers here, who have experience with Flash Fiction. I am still learning and have some questions and ideas about Flash Fiction. Has Flash Fiction inspired you to write short stories? Are there Flash Fiction writers who have turned there stories into a series of storied that are connected by a specific theme or central character?

Thank you.

SB Huddleston