Flash fiction and metaphors go well together because metaphor is a great way to introduce an idea to the reader in very few words. Synecdoche is a somewhat related idea in which an object serves as a stand-in for a larger idea. This is used ALL the time in storytelling, and once you know what...
Some writing competitions ask for flash fiction submission, or excerpts under a certain word count. Flash fiction is great for this because it's an entire contained work that can showcase your creativity. I submitted the flash fiction below for entry to a creative writing course and it was selected among twelve others. Of course, I...
Okay so aside from being a great way to get your creativity reps in, flash fiction is a great way to take the edge off and good therapy. It’s good for working things out that are on your mind and otherwise have no outlet. Here I wanted to explore some ideas around motherhood, work,...
The main character in flash fiction must have a change or epiphany of some sort. I suppose there could be exceptions, but this is a good rule to stand by, especially when you’re just starting out. In my flash fiction below my main character reaches an unpleasant realization by the end of the story. Earthquake The...
Specificity around location can inspire your flash fiction when you’ve got nothing really on your mind, and nothing really to write about. Here I started with the idea of a fog and googled around to find where on earth gets intense fog. I found the town of Arica, Peru, and invented the story from there....
Despite the fact that flash fiction is under 1,000 words, flash fiction must have a beginning, middle, and an end. In flash fiction, the beginning can be a simple premise, the middle can be a central problem or conflict, and the ending works best when it’s a punchline. In this case, there is no punchline....
Here’s a flash fiction story example that’s limited to just one setting. Because of the word count limitations the transitions from one location to the next can be hard for flash fiction, so containing the story to one place for something dramatic to happen can work better. Hard conversations of many types can work well,...
Here is an example of flash fiction with surreal elements, where I’ve used hyperbole to get to the punchline. Because of the word count constraints I have found hyperbole (which just means exaggeration) as a useful literary device to tell certain types of stories. I think it worked okay as a way to handle time,...
All flash fiction must have a punchline, or an ending, and it works best if it’s surprising. Flash fiction is similar to jokes in this way. Take a look at this ‘punchline’ to my story. Maybe you saw it coming, but the cows certainly didn’t. The Chute "Today is the first day of the rest of...
I’m starting a flash fiction ten-story series for beginners because, well, this is the first time I’m attempting flash fiction. There are lots of great articles about how to write flash fiction and the benefits of writing flash fiction for your creative practice. In this series, I offer my flash fiction examples and unlock your...
