What makes a good flash fiction piece?
To answer that question, we need to understand what flash fiction is about. It is a short story under 1000 words right at or around 500 words. Flash fiction is the length of one short scene with emotional IMPACT using shocks, twists, irony, OR something deeply meaningful to end it.
Anything less than 500 that is Micro Fiction, which has several sub-categories, or over 1000 words which would still be considered a short story, not flash fiction. The purpose of micro fiction is to express interesting ideas or tell a brief story in as few words as possible, differing it from flash which depicts a scene or a “moment or realization” in the life of your character.
- Flash fiction should have all the qualities of good story craft and scenes with a character having one problem. (This is hook & inciting incident for another term)
- At least 1 or 2 possible conflicts to carry the story forward. (Forward Action) (Brevity-keeping it simple)
- And a brief ending, creating an overall satisfying capsule of the story. The short word limit only has room to capture a meaningful or powerful moment in the character’s life.
Flash fiction should give the reader some satisfaction with its ending. The more complete and self-contained the story, the better. I try to create a “semblance” of the 3-arc structure when I write flash fiction keeping it loose with word limits.
- One or two descriptive words for character, e.g. nervous typist, sarcastic officer, disillusion magician
- One or two descriptive words for setting, e.g. windy sidewalk = city, snowy incline or anything from hill to Everest or ski resort. Sweltering heat = anything from the beach to desert and so on. Let the reader use their imagination to interpret your word picture. Hint: don’t spell it out to save words.
The key is to use strong, actionable single words to knit a body of descriptive and action passages together to evoke emotion, forward action, plus intriguing and interesting conclusions.
Flash fiction is so brief the end can at best trigger or create an emotional response in the reader or leave questions in their mind or possibilities. It is only meant to be a window of time or moment in the character’s life, not the whole story.
REMEMBER!
- Conflict=Action Taken. The action has immediate consequences for the character. It is not just a random sequence of unrelated events happening to the character. Especially in flash fiction. Limit words normally around 500.
- Everything, every word, included in flash fiction has one of three purposes or all: 1. to progress the story’s forward momentum 2. or cause a change in the character 3. or reveal something important that gets a reaction from the reader.
Make the character responsible for his choices and actions.Action=Reaction Don’t forget conflict has real consequence for the character to deal with or accept, a lot of times with compounding effects that the character has to deal with now or in the future.
Personally, I prefer flash fiction that engages me, evokes a reaction, makes me think, a twist that sparks curiosity without leaving me hanging, irony, and/or the shock factor.
The shock factor must be meaningful, or I won’t read that author again. It must intrigue or raise a question, not make me feel bad or disappointed. It must be consistent with the tone of the story. I love when they make laugh with irony.
One of my flash fiction posted on Medium.com. This is my Medium friend link. This flash fiction was chosen to be read aloud on a podcast at Halloween.
Number 99 by Juneta Key.
- Check out Storytime Blog Hop flash fiction by several authors around the world in 2015, & 2016, & 2017.
- Dragon Smoke & Wind by Karen Lynn (This one is one of my favorite from July 2016 blog hop.)
What is Conflict in the Short Story or Flash Fiction?
Published on Medium This is my friend link. You don’t have to be a member to read the story with my link. Visit me on Medium and clap. The account is free and claps help get me curated so a bigger audience reads, and if you are subscribing, member earns me money.
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Natalie Aguirre
February 15, 2022 @ 06:12
I agree with Alex and Elizabeth that it would be hard to write a story with such few words. It takes a special talent to write flash fiction. Thanks for the tips.
admin2
February 15, 2022 @ 12:56
I agree it can be hard, but it can be learned. There is also great reward in finishing something quickly -the pay off mentally in confidence, and feelings of accomplishing something.
Elizabeth Seckman
February 14, 2022 @ 19:23
The shorter the story, the harder it is to execute, I think.
Excellent tips!
admin2
February 15, 2022 @ 12:57
It can be, but it can also be a lot of fun and rewarding.
Alex J. Cavanaugh
February 14, 2022 @ 18:11
Flash fiction is tough as you have so few words. I found writing a short story at or below 1500 words really difficult.
admin2
February 15, 2022 @ 12:58
Yes, is can be, but also a lot of fun and rewarding. It can also give you optin for a newsletter, or promo and giveaway things to share with your readers.