flash fiction

[corvus]

I know Rose does.

 

An informal definition: writing a piece within a short time frame (on the order of 2 or 3 minutes, I think) based on a prompt, often as random as "marshmallows."

 

The reason I got to thinking about this (besides from reading Rose's eFiction) was because there was a time when I wanted to do Lots of Exercises to Improve My Writing. From what I heard (not much), doing flash fiction was a good way of Doing So. But I'm sure flash fiction can be done for less rigorous purposes.

 

So the questions are: do you do it? would you do it? It would be possible, actually, to get people together to do it on the forums, because they take so little time and space. And it can Improve Your Writing.

[S.L. Lewis]

Yeah, I do, do flash stories. It's mostly for me to keep my skills from rusting and a few times I'll create an entire story out of one. It's a great way to motivate the muses and your mind.

I usually pop my headphones on, turn my portable radio/cd player to my fav station/song and sit at my computer for around 5 to 10 minutes depending on the word prompt and if I have an idea for it.

I choose 100 words the day before I start and stick to that list. I don't go in order all the time, but who cares? Some words seem easy and are, while some words seem hard and are indeed hard. But heres the kicker. Some words seem easy but are hard while others seem hard but turn out easy.

It all depends on your muse, the word and your time limit. They're fun and like I've said, you can find your inspiration from them.

 

And yes, dear, flash stories can be done just for fun. Me and a friend turned it into a game. We created a list of about 100 to 300 words, either just one or words that were connected to each other (ex. Black velvet) and would create mini stories. Two others would rate the stories and at the end of the list would tally the scores. It was fun not to mention funny at times.

[BeaStKid]

Indeed I do. I have two of my best ones posted in E-Fiction. And some of mine are there in the Drabble Writing Prompt in the Writer's Workshop area.

 

I love writing Flash. They're like Haikus of story writing... There's so much you can tell in a short piece...

 

BeaStKid

[Tiger]

I cannot seem to construct a chapter of a short story with less than 3000 words. I am more into really telling a story. I recently wrote a story of more than 3,500 words but less than 4,000. I do not see myself writing a story any shorter than that. It is not my style.

[Tiff]

Indeed I do. I have two of my best ones posted in E-Fiction. And some of mine are there in the Drabble Writing Prompt in the Writer's Workshop area.

 

I love writing Flash. They're like Haikus of story writing... There's so much you can tell in a short piece...

 

BeaStKid

 

I cannot seem to construct a chapter of a short story with less than 3000 words. I am more into really telling a story. I recently wrote a story of more than 3,500 words but less than 4,000. I do not see myself writing a story any shorter than that. It is not my style.

 

Yeah, BeaStKid and Rose are good at writing short stories...as seen on eFiction. They can pack so much punch and emotion in so little words, but like Tiger, I cannot do it. I just know I can't. My short stories are usually 20 plus word doc. pages, and for the anthology submission, I was under 5000 words and that was my shortest story, ever! So I guess it's not really my style either. I need the whole begining, background info., middle, and ending...so it wouldn't be considered a flash story, lol.

 

However, I do think it's a good way to improve your writing, maybe challenge yourself a bit, and pour out your creativity.

[BeaStKid]

Yeah, BeaStKid and Rose are good at writing short stories...as seen on eFiction. They can pack so much punch and emotion in so little words, but like Tiger, I cannot do it. I just know I can't. My short stories are usually 20 plus word doc. pages, and for the anthology submission, I was under 5000 words and that was my shortest story, ever! So I guess it's not really my style either. I need the whole begining, background info., middle, and ending...so it wouldn't be considered a flash story, lol.

 

However, I do think it's a good way to improve your writing, maybe challenge yourself a bit, and pour out your creativity.

Thanks Tiff.

 

I agree with you. Sometimes I too feel that whole beginning, background, etc thing in me and I like to write longer stories/novel/novella for that.

 

[Lugh]

I have written flash fiction, and the definition has nothing to do with time and everything to do with length... ie generally under 1000 words is considered flash. I do have some up on efiction, if you all care to look.

 

Flash fiction is fiction characterized by its extreme brevity, as measured by its length in words. While there is no universally accepted exact word limit, generally a short story is considered to constitute flash fiction if it is less than 1,000

[BeaStKid]

I have written flash fiction, and the definition has nothing to do with time and everything to do with length... ie generally under 1000 words is considered flash. I do have some up on efiction, if you all care to look.

I agree, Lugh. Flash, for me, is a short piece of work usually less than 1000 words as well.

[GaryK]

Does flash poetry qualify?

 

I take nightly walks and am always inspired to write down my thoughts or things that happened during the walks.

 

My poems take the form of four lines. Four words in the first and third lines. Five words in the second and fourth lines. The first line always begins with, "I took a walk".

 

This format forces me to summarize what I'm feeling with a minimum of words. It's good exercise for me because I've kept a journal since high school and each entry is quite lengthy.

 

My journal is private. Nobody's ever seen it except me. I post my flash poems in eFiction and they're grouped into chapters that each have a theme.

[corvus]

Yeah, BeaStKid and Rose are good at writing short stories...as seen on eFiction. They can pack so much punch and emotion in so little words, but like Tiger, I cannot do it. I just know I can't. My short stories are usually 20 plus word doc. pages, and for the anthology submission, I was under 5000 words and that was my shortest story, ever! So I guess it's not really my style either. I need the whole begining, background info., middle, and ending...so it wouldn't be considered a flash story, lol.

 

I think you can. I mean, each chapter is subdivided into scenes, and each scene can be seen as a flash fiction piece. It'd certainly be about the same length. And you don't really have to go through so much exposition to lead to a scene -- the reader's imagination, if you poke it the right way, does that for you. So I think you should never say never until you've tried -- multiple times -- and failed.

[Tiff]

I think you can. I mean, each chapter is subdivided into scenes, and each scene can be seen as a flash fiction piece. It'd certainly be about the same length. And you don't really have to go through so much exposition to lead to a scene -- the reader's imagination, if you poke it the right way, does that for you. So I think you should never say never until you've tried -- multiple times -- and failed.

I must be way too analytical or something; I wouldn't be able to leave things to the reader's imagination, because I'll be wondering how it led to that point, and once I've thought about it, I'd have to write it down in a preceding scene!

 

I do think it would be good to challenge myself, even if it means failing multiple times, but I hate getting frustrated....because it's so....frustrating

 

But now that you mention it, it does sound kind of fun. Leaving things unanswered and letting the readers fill in the holes.

 

But I still don't think I'd do it. Im gonna be a bum and stick to my usual.

[BeaStKid]

I think you can. I mean, each chapter is subdivided into scenes, and each scene can be seen as a flash fiction piece. It'd certainly be about the same length. And you don't really have to go through so much exposition to lead to a scene -- the reader's imagination, if you poke it the right way, does that for you. So I think you should never say never until you've tried -- multiple times -- and failed.

I concur

 

Even my 'long' stories are actually flash stories, combined....the way you put it. I think, when parts of the story is left to the reader to interpret, the beauty of the story comes out tenfold.

 

Just my opinion as a reader...

[S.L. Lewis]

Yeah, BeaStKid and Rose are good at writing short stories...as seen on eFiction. They can pack so much punch and emotion in so little words, but like Tiger, I cannot do it.

However, I do think it's a good way to improve your writing, maybe challenge yourself a bit, and pour out your creativity.

 

 

Thank you for that.

Anyways, have you really tried to do a flash story? Ever? You'd be surprised. I started writing flash stories after reading several of them during a prompt-a-thon on livejournal. It turns out that I could do it, even as I thought I wouldn't be able to pull it off.

If anything, try to do one. At the least, you'll have fun, at the most, you'll have a mini story that can turn into a larger story.

[GaryK]

I think you can. I mean, each chapter is subdivided into scenes, and each scene can be seen as a flash fiction piece. It'd certainly be about the same length. And you don't really have to go through so much exposition to lead to a scene -- the reader's imagination, if you poke it the right way, does that for you. So I think you should never say never until you've tried -- multiple times -- and failed.

I don't know if this counts or not but each chapter of M&W poked me in the right way. A lot was left to the imagination until the next chapter came out. And the last chapter was a huge poke because it left so much unwritten and my imagination could wander off in almost any direction.

[Tiff]

I don't know if this counts or not but each chapter of M&W poked me in the right way. A lot was left to the imagination until the next chapter came out. And the last chapter was a huge poke because it left so much unwritten and my imagination could wander off in almost any direction.

Ooh yeah, definitely a good point.

 

M&W had the same effect on me. There was so little stated, and the flashbacks didn't provide too much. I mean, it gave hints but didn't outright tell you the facts- like his father cheating. I don't think it was definitely factual, but you get the impression it was from vague hints through Mike's eyes. I liked that. The mind is always left wondering; you definitely have to think more.

 

The last chapter was a major mind trip-- lots and lots of wondering and what if scenarios.

 

Maybe it's a good idea to write flash fiction, and then somehow create a serial story out of it. But that could either come out very good if done correctly, or very confusing (which it may it my case. Still haven't grasped the concept of flash fiction).

[S.L. Lewis]

Maybe it's a good idea to write flash fiction, and then somehow create a serial story out of it. But that could either come out very good if done correctly, or very confusing (which it may it my case. Still haven't grasped the concept of flash fiction).

 

 

I've actually done that and with betrayal. Though, it was a fanfiction and a one shot. So, yeah. Anyways, when done right, you'd be surprised at how well you can build a story around the flash story. Granted half the time the story is like several chapters into the rest of the story, but hey, I'm not complaining.

[Demetz]

I don't do flash fiction myself... most of the time, my stories are written over the course of a long time because as i'm writing i'm fully entranced in the world i'm describing.

[Libby Drew]

I've done this to break up cases of writer's block and to get the creative juices flowing. But I'll admit, it takes all my will power not to go back and edit, edit, edit when it's all said and done. I've found the more quickly I write, the more time I spend re-writing. Not exactly "flash fiction".

 

I'll be sure to read Rose's flash fiction, now that I know it's there.

[S.L. Lewis]

I've done this to break up cases of writer's block and to get the creative juices flowing. But I'll admit, it takes all my will power not to go back and edit, edit, edit when it's all said and done. I've found the more quickly I write, the more time I spend re-writing. Not exactly "flash fiction".

 

I'll be sure to read Rose's flash fiction, now that I know it's there.

 

 

But that defeats the purpose of the flash story. I personally will go over to edit the typos and the spelling, maybe add a missed word, but otherwise, they are usually posted just the way you see them.

I hope you enjoy the stories to.

[Azure Dragon]

Never done flash fiction but it's starting to sound like fun. Kinda like improv or freestyling, which I was never good at, but this could be a good exercise. And I agree, Rose your stories are awesome :ranger:

[S.L. Lewis]

Never done flash fiction but it's starting to sound like fun. Kinda like improv or freestyling, which I was never good at, but this could be a good exercise. And I agree, Rose your stories are awesome :ranger:

 

 

I'm going to say this once: Please either review the stories or complement me in the discussion thread in the eFiction discussion forum. I don't want anyone getting in trouble. But thank you for the complements on my stories.

Anyways, flash stories are fun to write and they are a good exercise. You just have to be in the right mind set to do that and have a timer if you are doing them alone. Personally, I take about 20 minutes before hand to think about the prompt if I have one and gather my thoughts. I then set my egg timer for however long I think it's going to take, usually 4 to 10 minutes on average and start to type since I'm faster at typing then I am at writing. I urge everyone to try this at least once. You never know what you will get out of it.

[BeaStKid]

lol..Rose..

 

On one idea I had...Reminiscence... I had intended it to be for celebrating an anniversary (i year)....and look how it turned out...

 

I usually go with the flow...or the flow that my muse makes me dive into..