As the stories in the Editor Unleashed/ Smashwords Flash Fiction 40 Contest continue to be analyzed under an atomic microscope, I wanted to offer up a few of the qualities I’ve observed that help a flash piece stand out.
It’s a tough form to pull off, and I’ve yet to find a satisfying explanation of what makes a flash story work. Many assume that short pieces are easier to write, but that’s far from true. A quality flash story needs to read like a complete story in 1,000 or less, without feeling like you’re reading a SparkNotes version of a longer story.
Here are 5 elements that help create a standout flash. Examples are pulled from a few of the winning entries.
1. An Opener that Grabs
Your opening lines matter so much more than you realize. This opener from “‘Tis the Season” by jmar2 freaked me out, in an I-can’t-stop-reading kind of way.
You’re going to die today. You don’t know it yet, sitting there sipping your overpriced Starbucks. You’ve got your life so tightly put together, you squeak when you walk.
2. Economy of Words
Obvious, but hard to achieve. It’s amazing how much un-stated backstory some writers can accomplish in so few words. “Grief Observed” by Laurita, which clocks in under 200 words, paints a vignette with a poignant ending that hits you like a cold wind.
Suddenly the woman cried out, buried her face deeper into her protector’s chest, then spun away and lurched toward the edge of the dock. Below them a blue toy boat bobbed on the water.
3. Rich Use of Language
Evocative language is especially effective at painting a mental picture when every word counts. “The Vigil of Clouds” by Alegra approaches the poetic in its use of metaphor and imagery to tell the story of a couple following the loss of a child.
The storm spread into my muscles, defining the parameters of my skin as it raged. I tried to contain it with my stillness. I knew it had come searching for my baby. I was not ready for Noah to be taken.
4. A Seamless Mix of Narrative and Dialogue
Stories that are nearly all dialogue have the feel of reading a screenplay, not a story. The reader is left with an overall sense of something missing. “Fairy Tales” by Ravenne sets a thrilling scene with a few well-honed paragraphs of narrative, before moving into a compelling line of dialogue:
“She’s up on the roof. I told the nurses to stop taping the latch. Goddamn nicotine addicts.”
5. An End with a Twist
While it’s certainly not mandatory, pulling off a surprise ending goes a long way toward making a story memorable. Check out “The Sportsmen” by JohnOBX for example. You’ll have to read the full story to see how he pulls off a masterful twist at the end as we realize the story we thought we were reading isn’t the one we expected.
Of course, flash fiction is a highly experimental form, which is part of what makes it so much fun to write and read. So I’m not suggesting there are any rules to follow, just that I read 280 flash fiction stories this weekend and these are some of the elements I found working.
I know there are many more stories we’d like to take a magnifying glass to and try and figure out why they worked, because writers are kind of OCD that way, right? So go ahead and share more examples here if you like, either from the stories entered in the contest or other flash pieces you’ve come across.
-Maria Schneider
A free anthology of the 40 winning entries in the Flash Fiction 40 Contest will soon be available on Smashwords so check back for details.
Flickr photo by atomicjeep
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d argue that the only thing tougher than writing GOOD flash fiction is tackling some of the more esoteric poetic forms and not sounding formulaic. These tips are great, but I think #2 and #3 are the most important, and interestingly enough, the most poetic. :-)
I’m not sure about the twist ending one, Maria. Yes, they’re great when they work. My problem with them is that so often you see them coming from almost the first sentence. Frankly, in the one you mentioned was that was the case. I immediately thought–oh, vampires or some such. *yawn*
It was a well-written story, don’t get me wrong, but if you depend on a twist ending, the whole story probably depends on it. If the reader does see it coming, you’re in trouble.
Otherwise, I have to agree with your observations and they’re why I rarely write flash (or short stories for that matter). I prefer a nice novel where I have lots of room to explore. :)
You’ve summed it up but that doesn’t make it easier. I usually work with micro-fiction because I am used to editing magazine articles to fit word count that I naturally stay away from wordiness. My nightly challenge before bed is to write a 100 word story that works. I am far from attaining that goal but I’ll keep practicing.
@Guy, yes, I think good flash fiction does have a lot in common with poetry now that you mention it.
@Susan, I love the idea of writing a 100 word story every night before bed, wonderful!
I’m honored to be used as an example!
You summed up the challenges wonderfully. Writing a story in under a 1000 words is a great discipline in fine-tuning all the aspects of what I think makes a ‘good story’ in general.
I do think comparing it to the crafting of a poem is true. Not that the story needs to be poetic but the idea that when you are working with so few words, those words really stand out on the page and each one counts. I think when we read a novel or a short story of a more traditional length, it is easier to get caught up in the rhythm of the story – sort of like watching a dancer on the stage, it is the overall performance that we notice, not the grimace on a face when leaping or the bruise on a thigh. Flash Fiction is like staring intently at another person’s face.
I also think it is a medium that teaches about the importance of scenes. I was just given Jordan E. Rosenfeld’s book ‘Make a Scene’ and I want to apply what I am learning from that into Flash Fiction exercises – I imagine it is all going to sharpen my understanding of how to approach the novel scene by scene, chapter by chapter.
As you can see, I am not a flash-comment leaver.
In short: I have become a devoted fan of both reading and writing flash fiction.
Maria, thanks for posting this. I’ve not tried fiction yet so this is a great lesson. I’ll be saving this one — thanks!
Great points all, Maria. I think JR Tomlin’s point about the twist ending is valid – I saw that one coming too. Then again, my entry had a twist ending and hopefully people didn’t see it coming!
I think a twist ending is the same as any other aspect of writing – done well, it’s great, done poorly it’s… well, poor! JohnOBX’s story was still well written even though I guessed the twist early.
Also, with flash, I don’t think there’s a need to define it particularly. It can be a vignette, a start/middle/end story, a bizarro scene and so on. It’s good if the idea is well realised and well written. I think all your points above are valid to apply to any form of flash, with only point 5 really being optional.
I could see many of the twist endings coming, though I don’t think I saw John’s until the end. I may be weird but I usually try to guess where a story is going before I get there. It’s always a delight when I am surprised.
I think 1 thru 4 are critical and a Twist is an added bonus if done well. Ron Hogan had a fascinating discussion of twist endings on Twitter the other day. Probably worth a Twitter search.
Can’t wait for the anthology to come out. I will enjoy having a volume that contains the fine work of many people I have come to know and respect as writers.
~jon
Maria – is there any chance of a print version of the anthology coming out? You could always do something POD through Lulu or CreateSpace so there are no initial costs. It would be nice to have the option of a print version too.
Guy, I so resonate with your comments. I initially began writing ‘micro-mini’ flashes AND poetry as exercises to tame my rather sprawling novel writing. It’s worked – I write much leaner and meaner than three years ago, when I started writing pieces beyond ‘publish-or-perish’ scientific articles.
I still contend the most difficult ‘genre’ to write is poetry; my goal is to pen an accessible poem that leaves the reader gasping. When I achieve this, perhaps I’ll consider retiring my quill…
As to twist endings… perhaps not twist, but satisfying. And every story, no matter how short or long, must have a satisfying finale. The example cited certainly provided the twist and the satisfaction. I know John’s work well (we’re in the same writing group) and I didn’t see it coming… Peace, Linda
@Alan, I only specified non-exclusive digital rights for the contest. A print version would get into more complicated rights issues and possibly prevent the writers from being able to re-sell the pieces.
Ah, I see. Fair enough.