Writing: Great Flash Fiction Ideas
Think long but write short.
Do a search of flash fiction. You will get blogs. You will get comments. You will get definitions. You will get stories. You will get publications, some of which pay. You will get the world of flash fiction. Somewhere in that world will be my blog, Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette.
I would say that flash fiction is popular for three main reasons. It doesn’t take long to write. It doesn’t take long to read and it doesn’t take up much room to print.
So, readers like it. Writers like it and editors and publishers like it.
Anyone can write flash fiction. Few people write it well. I’ve had over 50 flash fiction stories published in print and online publications. The stories got me an offer to be the fiction editor of a local weekly newspaper but the paper folded before I could assume my duties. Oh, yes. It was a paying position. I would have been a player in the local literary scene. That was four years ago. Now I blog. I write flash articles. Flash articles have the same form as flash fiction.
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Why is the writing of good flash fiction so difficult? We writers are in love with words. And that’s a wonderful thing. And that’s why writing good flash fiction is so difficult. When writing flash fiction, a writer must be stingy with words. A writer of flash fiction must agonize over every word that does and does not show up on the page.
Then on top of all of this, a writer must make sure that the words left on the page tell a very short story about a long subject. You don’t tell the entire story, just tell that little piece that illustrates the whole.
Remember, flash fiction captures a moment in time. A flash fiction writer writes short on long subjects.
Click here if you would like to download my ebook of flash fiction short stories.
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December 6th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I enjoy writing flash fiction. Interesting article.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Very informative article about flash fiction. Guess it’s a bit of like a minimalist style in writing. Gotta be concise and to the point, yet not compromising on the storyline. Not an easy task, but definitely worth the while!
December 6th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I’m glad you’ve used the idea of agonizing over words here, Guy. I disagree with your first statement that flashash fiction is quick to write. Getting just the write word, or group of words is definitely agonizing. Thanks for reminding me of a genre I haven’t touched for a while.
December 6th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Whoops! I didn’t edit that comment before I pressed the submit button, sorry.
December 6th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Interesting!
December 6th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
An informative piece. I hadn’t heard of Flash fiction before.
Christine
December 6th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Very enjoyable read,Thank you
December 6th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Glynis, good flash fiction is a wonerful art form. I’m mainly a flash fiction writer.
December 6th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
nightcharmer, you have described flash fiction perfectly. Flash fiction taught me how to write very short articles like this one.
December 6th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
valmnz, flash fiction is my favorite genre. The words left out are just as important as the words left in.
December 6th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Jenny, some people have said that flash fiction is closer to poetry than it is to the short story.
December 6th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Christine, it’s a pretty old genre. It’s gone by many names. Now because of the Internet it has become very widespread and popular.
December 6th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Themax, flash fiction has carried me a long way. Now I write flash articles.
December 6th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Excellent information, I will keep trying.
December 6th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Helpful information, are there rules to define flash fiction?
December 6th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Though I’ve never tried, I think I would have a hard time writing flash fiction. I do love my words.
December 6th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Lots of good information about flash fiction.
December 7th, 2009 at 1:27 am
A very informative read, may be I should this style of writing a try.Thanks!!!!!
December 7th, 2009 at 1:46 am
Brilliant. I have read ur works in the blog, though I dont always leave a comment, coz I am lazy.lol.But I love ur work
December 8th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Guy,
I heard of flash fiction years ago. When I was in my teens, it was called short short stories. I used to write something even shorter yet than flash fiction. I called it sixty second fiction, which the story had a maximum of four paragraphs. The least being one paragraph. If I can find any of them in my files, I’ll publish them here to show you how I did it. I would write them when I didn’t really have time to write. It kept my creative juices flowing. Great article.
Randy