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What is flash fiction and why is it so difficult to write?  These two questions are at the heart of the dilemma faced by every writer who has tried to master the art of flash fiction.  Let there be no doubt that flash fiction is an art form.  You will find it all over the Internet.  There are dozens of print and online publications that publish flash fiction.  Editors and publishers love flash fiction because it saves space for ads.  An online search will even turn up paying markets for flash fiction.

So what is flash fiction?  There are many definitions for flash fiction.  Most of the definitions have to do with word length.  The best definition for flash fiction may be, “flash fiction is a significant event with closure.”

That’s it.  Using this definition a writer can write a 100-word story or a 1,000-word story and feel comfortable that the story is flash fiction.  The difficult part is coming up with an idea to write about.  Using the above definition of flash fiction a writer can write about any subject.  The writer can write about love, relationships, family, friends, sex, men, women or money.  It doesn’t matter as long as the subject matter fits into “a significant event with closure.”

Here are 10 significant events.  You probably can think of lots more.  How the events turns out (closure) is up to the writer.

1. The beginning of a relationship
2. The end of a relationship
3. A birth
4. A death
5. A marriage
6. A divorce
7. Leaving home for the first time
8. First love
9. First job
10. Any realization