Writing Flash Fiction and Keeping a Journal

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“I’m talking with Guy Hogan, editor and publisher of the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette.  Congratulations on the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the Stanley Cup.”

“What a series.  What a game.  The Steelers win the Superbowl and now this.  It’s a great time to be a sports fan in Pittsburgh.”

“Do you keep a journal?”

“No I don’t; but I’ve got a stack of old manuscripts on a shelf in my bedroom from fifteen to twenty years ago.  Plus old stories and articles saved on my computer.  I’m always going back into those old manuscripts and files looking for usable parts for new stories.  And I’m always writing ideas down on scrapes of paper.  So, no I don’t keep a journal but I do keep notes.”

“Should a flash fiction writer keep a journal?”

“It depends on the writer’s writing style.  Flash fiction is less about research or journal writing and more about pure inspiration.  This is why it’s really closer to poetry than it is to the short story.  Once you understand the form of flash fiction, the hard part is coming up with an idea that fits into the form.  When you know you have an idea that’s going to work you can sit down and write the first draft in a matter of minutes.  Until you sit down to write the story, all the spade work can be done in your head as you walk around going about your life.  Something in your life will probably trigger a usable idea.”

“And what is the form of the very short story?”

“The setup, the buildup and the payoff.”