How to Write Flash Fiction

Flash fiction is a fun and vibrant form that tells a story in under 1500 words, and often much less! This very short short story can often have more in common with a poem, and is an ideal form to experiment and try strange or new things. However, flash isn't just a short short story, it has its own unique features and techniques, and requires specific considerations when writing with such limited space.

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
0:54 - What is flash fiction?
1:47 - DO tell a story
2:12 - DON'T tell too much
2:48 - DO write with the form in mind
3:30 - DON'T be too overt
4:35 - DO be enigmatic
5:39 - DON'T be too ambiguous

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RESOURCES:

[zuhwylo]

Shailyn!!! It's your old teacher, Mme. McEwen. I'm using your video in my English class. Well done!

[funandlala]

1:17 Short stories mainly focus on plot and characters and flash fiction focuses on those as well but mainly movement. Since it's so short, every word must progess the story.

DOS AND DONTS

1:47 DO tell a story. Although you can't stress plot (a chain of multiple events) there still should be a story ie THERE STILL SHOULD BE CHANGE.
Ie there's conflict, change and tension. Without those things you just have an image or situation but it's not really a story. The story will still have a beginning, middle and end, they will just be very short.

2:12 TWO
Don't tell too much. If you use too much telling and not enough showing your FF piece will read like a text message. This also means you don't want to include too much. You simply dont have the space for it. You want as few characters as possible as few events as possible, minimal plot points, the fewest details possible to articulate the setting and the story. FF will force you to use the fewest but most crucial details as possible. Like in all writing you want to aim for very strong details rather than an abundance of details. Writing flash fiction will really force you to do that.

2:50 THREE
Write with the form in mind. FF has a very specific form with it's very specific restraints and if you're not considering them you'll just end up with a short story and going over the word count.

QUALITIES of FF are : Intense prose
Precise language
Strong voice that defines the character
Powerful essential image
A punchy, relative ending
And the most meaning in the fewest words possible.

Make sure your idea is both very small and intense enough to pack a punch in this very small form. It doesn't need to be flashy but there should be some kind of impact to gained. Sometimes ideas that are too subtle actually need more space to be fleshed out. 3:20

[u_t_d_s_h-_a]

Flash fiction can be fun to read, but it is challenging to write. . .

[tarynquinn]

My distance learning teacher in high school would have us write based on a collection of words. Sometimes we'd barely write a page and the story would be over. Some of the best writing I would say I've done to this day. It it was also very interesting to see how everyone interpreted the words.

[paulapoetry]

Flash fiction is the type of short story that comes naturally to me. I either write novels or flash fiction, for some reason. I'm working on longer short stories too though, as I would like to develop my skill in that area. But flash fiction is awesome, and I hope to keep writing it.

I'm interested that you classify anything under 1, 500 words as flash fiction. My work will often end up being about 1, 200 to 1, 300 words, and it does still feel like flash fiction, but some people quote 1k, or even 800 words, as upper limits. I read one blog post that quoted up to 1k words for flash fiction, and then said that regular shorts started at 2k words. Hello? What about any story length in between? That's most of mine...!!!

Thank you for covering this subject. 😃👍💝

[mageprometheus]

Good advice. I know people who need to practice this. Their current work is an exercise in mind-numbing convolution. Take care.

[jacindaellison]

Thank you so much for bringing up the fact about not being too ambiguous. I've read some flash fic where I didn't get it and worried I wasn't quick to understand the message.
P. S. My professor introduced me to flash fiction and I love to write them. I'm currently working on a fantasy anthology filled with flash fiction and
short stories.

[FrankDaley]

Good, clear, description of the task!

[lauradrakebooks]

This is the best explanation and tips for Flash fcition EVAH!

[baliocelot]

That you so much, I really needed this video!

[upg]

Love your videos, keep up the good work!

[mohammedalobaidi]

I love the tips you give. Thank you so very much, dear.⚘

[mckayla]

i want to be a writer but i cant sit down and write a whole novel, i get bored very quickly, same with even short stories! so the idea of flashfiction is my saving grace, can you please make another video about it? and can anyways respond with good flashfiction recommendations?

[alfogel]

Enjoyed you vid. I usually write children’s short stories but once in a blue moon my Muse, she will inspire me to write microfiction under 50 words. Here’s my latest ( about 30 words):

Butcher Shop

Every weekday morning on my way to work I walk pass the local butcher shop and notice neatly arranged on the overhead clothing rack the
white aprons

—Al Fogel

All love,
Al

[informalliteraryexperiments]

I like to think that I've written a few pieces of good flash fiction however they are probably just really short stories. To write effective flash, there must be something poetic about the story/prose.

[stevensmith]

Very helpful advice. Throw in a few sample passages to flesh out the abundant number of abstractions? Just a thought.

[josereidenvach]

Hello! I loved your video. Very informative. Greetings!

[sumayyahkhan]

Im in a writing competition if i win i get to go to the harry potter world.
Thnx for the help
Please can you do a video on how to write an adventure story.

[clintcarpentier]

Ima tell you a story...





A few years ago, I was getting ready to go to work. A lot of unrelated issues were leading up to what happened, so when it inevitably did, I was quite flustered.

For years I'd been having heart fluctuations. Nothing to get bent over, it would get confused as to what rhythm it was dancing to, then it would remember in after a minute or two.

It basically felt like it tripped on it's face, and dragged it's ass back up, "It's all good, nuthin ta see here."

"Ok, I'll believe you." And I'd nonchalantly have a shot of cancer as I observe the aftermath, before I'd go back to work.

So there I am getting ready for work, when my heart starts acting like a squirrel hopped up on chocolate covered coffee beans. I mean seriously, it didn't know what the hell it was doing.

I'm trying to calm it down, "Like chill..."

So I go to work anyhow, and I'm looking at the boss, Is there anyway you can bump today's job? My heart is doing funny things."

He looks me over, "I'm afraid not. I've bumped him twice already. I can give you the toby to do the heavy work."

"Hmm ok."

Then at the job site, I'm puttering about while the toby is muscling in my gear, and I can't focus worth a shit. I mean seriously, I get a train of thought going and my heart would punch me. I started to wonder if this was what the wife felt when the baby would roll over.

I send the wife a text. "Can you set up a doctor's appointment? My heart is doing funny things."

She texts back, "Go to the hospital!"

So I let the toby know, and make my way to the hospital. The wife shows up with the cards as I'm checking out the nick-knacks surrounding my forensics table... I mean, the examination bed... something... I'm comfortable.

So, on a rest day, my heart is solid 50-odd beats per minute. On a work day it's up to 70-odd beats per minute. If I exert myself, I can get it up to 80. What usually happens it it will beat harder. So you can imagine my rather apathetic shock when they told me it was up at 165.

"That's not good." They told me.

"You don't say."

"Don't worry." Understanding smile, "We're gonna feed you some drugs and hook you up to this machine here, and reveal all your darkest secrets."

"You have a stenographer to write down this new anime? Guaranteed to be banned in 42 countries."

The boss shows up, "How you doing?"

"They say I won't make it through the night. I think the bastards are lying."

"Ok, well... I've worked everything out on my end, so take it easy. If you need anything, let me know."

"Six pack of women and a beer."

He looked at the wife, and then blinked at me, "... ok, I'll see what I can do."

About mid-afternoon they let me go. I looked around, trying to figure out the best back forty to smoke the rest of my time in peace.

The wife ain't having any of it. Says something about pre...script...shuns. I don't know, but she drags me off to her favorite place in town, the pharmacy.

The pharmacist is rattling off greek without breathing and I don't have my How to Speak Dummy for Dummies book on me. I did manage to catch some phrases so my Dummy must be improving.

"Bleeding teeth... bleeding nails... bleeding nose... bleeding eyes... bleeding ass..."

"I think you missed your calling. Maybe you shoulda been one of those vampires at the hospital."

She blinked at me, "Your prescription is a blood thinner. Don't get hurt at work! You'll bleed out and they'll find you floating in a puddle of it."

"Ah! Got it. Why can't they just prescribe me booze? It's a blood thinner. Probably cheaper too."

"Because then I won't get my cut."

"Yeah, but you're not as much fun."

As we left the place, the wife looks up at me, all teeth and eyes, "Happy Valentines Day!"

I looked down at her with a sigh. "I love you so much it's scary."




Round Two... FIGHT!!!




So today I'm coming back to life. Having my morning hit of caffeine while browsing my subscription feed. I don't wanna go to work; not that I ever do.

The boss texts me, "I got work for you this morning."

"Ok." I text back.

Seems kinda superfluous, it's friday, so its a work day. Did he not have work for me today? Shit, fuckin busy body.

I'm staring at my laptop as I consider how soon I wanna get into motion. Then my heart decides that I've been ignoring it.

I haven't. It's as clumsy as ever. It's tripped half a dozen times since the last tango.

Feels like it went for the full tumble this time. Over the rail and down the hill it goes, "Oy oy! You're gonna make me give a damn if you keep this up!"

I text the boss that my heart is throwing another tantrum and he responds, "K. Breathe."

Did I forget?

I don't get to figure it out, cuzz my heart decides it's gonna show me just how tough it is. It's threatening to kick my ass.

"Tomorrow. I'm busy today."

Like a woman, it flies off the handle, screaming and kicking and punching.

"Oh really..." I start punching back. Now, I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure this isn't getting us anywhere. So I figured I'll go to the hospital, but first, I'll shower.

I grabbed some clean jammy pants on the way. The last visit they struggled with my jeans when they tried to molest me. May as well make it easier for them; I'm a considerate man after all.

After a 20 minute hot shower, my heart appears to have gone into hot-tub mode. I text the boss as much, and tell him to give me some time to confirm.

There's no point in going to the hospital if there's nothing left to measure. So I decide to go to work instead.

As a floor layer, I spend my time crawling around on the floor, standing six feet tall, crawl stand crawl stand etc. With my heart in hot-tub mode, I'm getting mild vertigo, so I slow down and take my time, I'll finish tomorrow if I have to.

I get home and the wife tells me we're going out for dinner.

At Boston Pizza, I look across the table at out youngest daughter, "So... how old are you?"

"Um, I'm eleven."

"Ol' bag."

"And what about you? You're forty... sompin..."

"Happy birfday."

"Thank you daddy."

[sumairaahmed]

As a complete newbie I don't understand many of these terms: intense pros, high concept writing, voice, form, etc. could you kindly explain what you mean by all terms in layman terms? 😬