Flash Fiction: What Does It Ask of Writers and Readers?

Flash is not just a very short sto­ry. It’s a sto­ry that cap­tures a rev­e­la­tion, for both the char­ac­ter and the read­er. Flash is by nature tight, vivid, and star­tling.

As a writer, flash is ask­ing me to find that one instant that changes every­thing for a spe­cif­ic char­ac­ter in a spe­cif­ic sit­u­a­tion. Speci­fici­ty is required for urgent rev­e­la­tions to occur in such a con­cen­trat­ed space.

As a read­er, I think flash is ask­ing me to come to the sto­ry with­out pre­con­ceived notions or expec­ta­tions. I want to observe the mag­ic show in awe and not both­er with won­der­ing how the magi­cian pulled it off or which illu­sion will be next.

Author’s Note

Chelsea Cov­ing­ton Maass has lived in Kansas, San Fran­cis­co, and now Philadel­phia, where she is an MFA can­di­date at Rose­mont Col­lege. Her recent fic­tion can be found at HOOT Lit­er­ary Review.