Despite it being much shorter than most other types of writing, flash fiction can be a valuable launch-pad for writers, offering them an opportunity to practice their art and do it quickly. Whereas a novel can sometimes take years to write, a piece of flash fiction can often be written in a few minutes, although the general principles of writing it are the same. You still need to use good grammar – although there are exceptions to this and every other rule you may encounter – and you still need to write clearly and with a good idea of what you’re hoping to achieve. But, unlike most other types of fiction, flash fiction can be read quickly and can appeal to almost anyone. And because of this, it’s much easier to get someone to read your work if you write short pieces, and this makes it easier to get the valuable feedback you need, especially if you’re a developing writer needing advice on your writing style and abilities. Continue reading “Flash Fiction – A Literary Addiction”
Tag: writing flash fiction
Writing Flash Fiction
Guest Post
by Dale E. Lehman
For the past fourteen months, I’ve read and written flash fiction for IU’s weekly contest. Experience and a bit of research has taught me several things about this art form. At the risk of making it harder for me to win than it already is, I’d like to share some insights with you. Continue reading “Writing Flash Fiction”
5 Reasons to Be a Flash Fiction Junkie
Guest Post
by R.B. Frank
I’m addicted to flash fiction. I like reading it; I like writing it. Writing flash fiction is a quick hit and an adrenaline rush for those who crave immediate satisfaction. I can jump from website to contest to blog. I can submit and move on at lightning speed. And if that’s the case, then do I have another issue? Could you say I have FF-Induced ADD? When I read Top-Reasons-Why-yada-yada-yada, if there are more than five I zone out. Forget about 100 Places to Visit Before You Die. I’m dead before I finish the list. So for those of you who stare at the kettle willing it to boil, your wait time is over. Here are 5 great reasons to spend available nano-time writing nano-fiction. Continue reading “5 Reasons to Be a Flash Fiction Junkie”
Five Flash Fiction Elements
As I hope you all know, here at Indies Unlimited, we have a weekly flash fiction contest. The prompt goes up on Saturday, and the submission period closes on Tuesday. The word limit for our contest is 250 words. But there’s more to flash fiction than just our challenge.
As a general rule, flash fiction is considered to be less than 1,000 words long. And believe it or not, you can study how to write it. I did a web search for “how to write a flash fiction story” and got five million hits, including some for courses that would take way longer to complete than would simply writing a bunch of flash pieces until you get the hang of it.
Flash is a recognized format for fiction, with elements that each story ought to include. As usual with these sorts of things, the list of elements varies, depending on who’s writing it. I’ve seen lists of three, four, five, seven, or ten elements, or do’s and don’ts, or what-have-you. I like the number five, so for this article I’m going to stick with five things your flash fiction story should include. Continue reading “Five Flash Fiction Elements”