Today’s Prompt
Write a story with the prompt
below. It should be 300 words or
less…
After three months he knew the
cat hated him but it came as quite
a shock to find out the dog felt the
same.
Flash Fiction
What is Flash Fiction?
- Style of fictional literature or fiction of extreme
brevity. There is no widely accepted definition of
the length of the category.
- Other names for flash fiction include sudden
fiction, microfiction, micro-story, short short,
postcard fiction, prosetry and short short story.
- One type of flash fiction is the short story with
an exact word count. (Ex: a story with 55 words)
Elements in Flash Fiction
Setting is where the action takes place. This can be
told in a sentence: She watched him go to bed.
Usually, there is not room for more than two
characters--three at most. But realize "characters"
don't always have to be human. In fact, they don't even
have to be animate. Can you create a story about a
pebble and a blade of grass trying to inhabit the same
spot?
Conflict is just a difference of opinion--tension to
keep the reader reading. It can be verbal, physical or
mental. It doesn't always have to be villain/hero.
Elements of Flash Fiction
Resolution is the conclusion of the conflict. "Small"
works best in flash fiction; don't go for miraculous
resolution, in which the protagonist is saved by some
miracle not of his/her making.
Most writers use surprise endings, partly because
flash fiction lends itself to such, but mostly because it
makes it more fun both to read and to write. But they
are not necessary. Even with a twist, don't surprise your
readers too much. Make them think, "Ah--of course!"
Don't make them think, "Boy, am I stupid!"
Flash Fiction Writing Tips
Write as fast as you can. Write as fast as you
can. Don't worry about grammar - yet. Fill about
half a page, count the words, fix the grammar,
then read it aloud to yourself. Does it have
setting, implied or otherwise? Conflict?
Resolution? Does it affect a change?
Edit yourself-ruthlessly. Write your story, then
go back and erase all phrases, clauses and
coordinating conjunctions that are not absolutely
vital to the story. Delete any unnecessary
adjectives. You'll be left with tight, active
sentences.
Flash Fiction Writing Tips
Let dialogue do it. Write an all-dialogue story
using as few tags as possible. Let the dialogue
describe the characters and create conflict.
Stories to avoid. Although the form is new,
there are some clichés already. Don't write about
a writer writing and don't rely on "it was just a
dream" pieces. These are overused and abused
in many types of fiction, especially in flash fiction.
And when your story is over, just stop. Like this.
5 Elements of Powerful
Flash Fiction
Flash fiction contains most of the following
elements in every single story:
Brevity
Flash fiction tells a complete story in 1,000
words or less. Sometimes a lot less words.
Many markets want stories that are 750, 500,
or 100 words long. Some contests, such the
annual 55 Fiction contest, require even fewer
words. With the surging popularity of Twitter,
some writers have now exchanged word
counts for 140 characters.
Character
All fiction requires characters, or at least some
sort of presence through which the story is told.
The reader identifies with the characters in a
story. In flash fiction, characters have little time
to be developed and described, so you must
make the most of your opportunities. Show
them in action. Describe the little details that
bring the character to life in the reader’s mind.
Surprise Endings
Flash fiction is famous for its twist endings
which often surprise or shock the
reader. Think of a punch line to a joke as a
good example of this.
Rich Language
Flash fiction exists somewhere between the
realms of poetry and short story and uses
poetic language to weave the tale efficiently.
The format is fluid, allowing the writer to
experiment and play with words and form.
Change
Even though flash fiction doesn’t have a lot of
words, a lot of action is packed into each story.
Something has to happen during the course of
the story.
“A story is a container for change.”
This means that something has to change within
course of the story. It can be a physical change
to the character, an epiphany that changes the
character’s way or thinking, or a change in how
the reader perceives that character and/or
situation.
Famous Flash Fiction Pieces
“For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.” - Ernest
Hemingway
“The Dinosaur” by Augusto
Monterroso
“When he woke up, the dinosaur was still there.”
Margaret Atwood
“Longed for him. Got him. Shit.”
Richard Powers
“Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization
collapses.”
“The Scarlatti Tilt” - Richard
Brautigan
"It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San
Jose with a man who's learning to play the
violin." That's what she told the police when she
handed them the empty revolver.
Today’s Exercise:
I finally kicked down the
noisy neighbours' door to find
they had moved out. All that
was left was a recording of
them arguing. On loop. At full
volume.