Who would have believed that one little 200 word story could travel so far? Other stories I’ve had published, 20 times as big, live in the dark pages on my bookshelf after their five minutes in the spotlight. ‘Koi’ keeps getting asked out as if she’s the popular girl on Tinder.
When ‘Koi’ was shortlisted for the Newcastle Writers’ Festival Microlit short story award, director Richard Holt made a movie about her. (Drum roll) ‘Koi’ won the Oscar, and her movie was screened at the iconic Civic Theatre. If you haven’t seen it yet you can watch it here.
Little Fictions – Sydney Stories
A month later she was invited to the Sydney Writers’ Festival session of Little Fictions’ Sydney Stories at the Knox St Bar, and read by actor, Holly Myers, to a full house.
This month ‘Koi’ came back from the Melbourne Writers’ Festival and the launch of the Award Winning Australian Writing 2016 anthology published by Melbourne Books in which she’s included. The launch was held at the grand sandstone Athenaeum Library in Collins Street, which somewhat made up for having to be read by the author instead of a professional actor.
launch @ Athenaeum Library
The Books!
This week ‘Koi’ has learned she’s performing with Spineless Wonders at Book Expo Australia 2016 in Sydney on the 8 – 9th October. She will be part of the initiative called story phone. You pick up the handset of a 70s
style push-button 
telephone and press a number to listen to one of nine stories.
As a work of fiction ‘Koi’ may be tiny, but the opportunities and possibilities for micro-fiction are enormous and excitingly varied. As you can see from Koi’s journey.
Want to try your hand at writing short fiction? See What is Microlit? for writing tips.
And then check out the burgeoning avenues for microfiction, including creative short fiction publisher Spineless Wonders.
The Writers' Life 
Wonderful achievement Karen. Congrats to you..
Thanks, Michael. The story took off in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
Great when that happens, now to write another that will go the same way….good luck with it all…
Yes, that’s the worry!
How wonderful Karen and how popular is your story. Well deserved.
Thank you, Marg. The opportunities for micro fiction are exciting. Your fabulous story in the Grieve Anthology is a great beginning.
That’s amazing!
Congratulations to you! 🙂
Thanks very much, Nam.
It was obvious right from the start that ‘Koi’ was deserving of celebrity status. Take a well-deserved bow, Karen.
Thanks, Di. I’m very excited by the innovative directions micro fiction is taking these days.
Wow! This is fantastic Karen. It’s obvious that your story, ‘Koi’ is a well crafted masterpiece and deserves the recognition she gets … and so do you, her author. I love the idea of phone story – brilliant!
Thanks, Maree. Those people at Spineless Wonders are so creative!
In our creative writing class you announced the recognition and the film’s production. I have only now seen the film. Congratulations Karen! It is so very beautiful. The things we take for granted so often become our jewels. Thank you for Koi.
Karen – Koi, the little story that could – and did!
Cheers Don Cohen
Ha ha, Don. Clever comment!
You’re proving – again – the old adage that quality can be better than quantity. 🙂 I’m so pleased Koi is doing so well.
Thanks, Joanna. It was Friday Fictioneers that introduced me to this very short form. And you! A win on both counts.
Friday Fictioneers has a lot (of good) to answer for 😉
I laughed out loud at the ‘popular girl on Tinder’ line. Koi is wayyyyy classier than that. She’d be an eHarmony girl for sure. Congratulations! The Koi production I watched during the Writers Festival that year was beautiful.
Ha ha. thanks, Jessie.