Flash Fiction Slows Down Time

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“Editor, Hogan, I brought you a gift.”

“A six-pack of beer!  Cold.  Young man, we’ll finish this off right after the interview.”

“Which means the interview won’t be long.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing, nothing.  Mr. Hogan, how does flash fiction slow down time?”

“You’ve heard the phrase ’show don’t tell’?”

“It’s one of your favorites.  When a writer uses ’show don’t tell’ the reader’s senses are more fully engaged because the reader actually participates in the story when the senses are involved.”

“Very good.  Very, very good.  Go on.”

“So, as I understand your theory of writing, the only way to ’show don’t tell’ is to use as little exposition as possible and to write in scenes.”

“Very good, young man.  And because a flash fiction story is so short…”

“It usually consist of only one scene.  And a scene usually consist of dialogue because the characters are inter-acting in real time.  The scene takes place right in front of the reader’s eyes.  Exposition compresses time.  So, flash fiction, the best flash fiction because it’s really just one scene, actually slows down real time.”

“Really for a beer?”