Wednesday
A common comment communicated to me about a flash piece that's being workshopped is "I can't seem to find the story." Story implies a narrative, and a narrative implies a "succession of events." In a story, this happens and then this happens and then this happens and so on; in a plot, this happens because this happens, and this happens because that happened, and so on. Whether the comment about "lack of story" refers to plot or story doesn't matter much; I think what such a reader senses as missing is that event after event.
It makes sense, to me at least, that as writers compress the space for fiction, that they also think about other things this space might be used for other than "story." The question for me is this: "In doing so, how does one address the expectations of readers for story?" It feels defensive and snarky to comment back, "I wasn't trying to tell a story." When using compressed fiction for things other than stories and narratives, how does one let a reader "in on it"?
That's the therapy session for me today: To think more about communicating to readers the intention of flash, especially if that intention goes against expectation. I'm thinking more and more of how a title might be a way to guide the reader into how I, as writer, suggest reading the piece. Even an unsubtle title such as "This Is Not a Story" might be one thing to consider using. Having a character be someone "tired of stories, of the drawn out action leading to insight" might also be something to consider. But that's what's on the mind today. Definitely comment, if you'd be so kind, if you have any suggestions.
For further reading, check out FlashFiction.Net's suggested readings of flash fiction and prose poetry collections, anthologies, and craft books, by clicking here.
From Gay Degani
July 26, 2010 at 6:54 pm
For me, flash can have some suggestion of story and it works, but sometimes what’s left out of a piece is just as intriguing. It’s what’s left out that makes flash perfect for the internet, perfect for interaction. Participatory reading!
If the writer of flash is on her game, she will give the reader impressions of her intention, but does it matter really if the reader gets it right? I don’t think so. If a piece through content, structure, language or combination there of moves the reader in some way, it has fulfilled its intention if not the writer’s. And the blanks are often what creates that emotional response.
From Randall Brown
July 26, 2010 at 7:38 pm
“Moving the reader in some way” sounds like a great goal for flash, Gay.