FlashFiction.Net

As a follow-up to Shaula Evans's asking "What is flash fiction?" Deborah Walker provides an answer:

I write the short-story kind of flash, but after reading some of the contest stories I'd like to attempt the vignette type.

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But what I try with all my stories, no matter what length, is to get the what I think of as the 'emotional thread' to the story. Trying to incorporate an 'aha' moment for the reader (doesn't have to be character-change; it can be the reveal style). It's exciting to try and do this with the vignette and much more challenging I think.

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Perhaps that's why I have a more genre style than literary (not wanting to open that can of worms—I know genre writing can have literary elements—of course and I love spec fiction like that).

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Vestal Review is a good place to check out—I think they're the ones who pay more per word for the shorter works.

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If you're writing short-story flash, do you feel cramped by the word count? What do you find stays in and what do you cut?

I do like flash. Writing flash is a treat for me.

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I usually set out specifically to write it. Especially when I've finished a long story (that's around 5K for me). I can complete the story in one or two sittings (let's say 4-8 hours).

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I don't feel cramped because I know I'm going to write to that length. For me that means limiting the characters to one or two.

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But then again, I also write drabbles (exactly 100 words) and tweets (140 characters around 20 words). It's a mind-set for me.

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To answer your question, I don't need to cut much, because I know that Im writing to that length. Occasionally a story goes over, and that's fine, but not as often as you'd think. It's a kinda magic: I know I want to write flash and that's what happens. I don't know how I do it; as with other aspects of my writing it's instinctive.

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