Flash Fiction

Flash fiction is a short story that can typically be one or two typewritten pages. It can also be known as micro fiction or a short short story. As with all forms of fiction, a determining factor is word count, but I think there are more important elements to consider for any story. I'll dedicate a future post for word count. 

I think much can be said about a story that is perhaps no longer than a page or two. This brevity allows a writer to come up with a simple story that can mean a great deal. There are thousand page epics out there that describe every possible detail and fill the pages with material that can easily be cut without losing the overall importance of a story. Then, there is the opposite found in flash fiction. A story depicting a single brief moment can be a life changing event or at least of interesting note.

I've never liked incredibly long pieces of fiction. The days of Dickens are gone. We don't have to write more words just to get better pay for a commissioned work. Writers have greater freedom to write as much as they want, although many publishers are still hung up on word count.

I'm from the school of writing that believes less is more. Don't bog down a story with pointless dialogue that's only used to fill lines. I think the worst thing us writers can do is write too much exposition. This can lead to a path that goes against the rule of showing versus telling. Instead of using so much exposition to tell a story, use dialogue and action. These are the meat and potatoes of fiction.

Flash fiction is an admirable form. Although not as popular as others, it's great practice for learning to be concise in writing. I've used the lessons I've learned from flash fiction and applied them to longer works.