Flash Fiction: Making a Long Story Short

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn." A story told in half a dozen words.

It's unclear who wrote it, some say Hemingway, others believe it came from a 1910 ad in the Spokane Press. But no matter who actually penned this enigmatic little story, it stands as the most well-known example of flash fiction.

 Authors as far back as French writer Charles Baudelaire (1821-1869) wrote flash fiction as "slice of life" stories. Mark Twain wrote tales short enough to fit the category, as well as Langston Hughes, Jamaica Kincaid, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, and Margaret Atwood, among other well-known authors.

In the past few years, flash fiction has become an increasingly popular form for online sites and anthologies, Although much of the flash fiction published online is in the sci-fi, fantasy, or horror genres, romance and humor publications also offer writers the opportunity to submit their work.

Flash fiction -- also known as sudden fiction, immediate fiction, micro fiction, postcard or nano fiction -- can range from fewer than 100 words up to 1500 words to tell a small story while hinting at a larger one. A concise vignette with the same structure as longer stories, flash fiction demands a solid plot and careful structure to deliver a complete story. There must be tension and conflict implied in as few words as possible. Beyond well-rounded characters, settings, and themes, this kind of abbreviated writing also needs strong tone and mood to carry it. 

In writing these short-short stories, the focus should be on the compression of language without sacrificing the elements of its form. There is a very tight space in which to develop movement, and intellectual and emotional impact. Scenes must be handled efficiently, and limited to only those necessary to the story. As in any writing, but especially in flash fiction, strong nouns and verbs should take the place of adjectives and adverbs.

Spotlight only one main conflict or the story will wander off in too many directions to keep the writing tight. Avoid backstory. That's part of the challenge in writing flash fiction. We writers tend to want the reader to know everything, the what, when, why, where, and how. But there is no room in a very short story for more than just a few solid (and telling) words of explanation or description, whether of character or setting. Word, phrase, or sentence -- if it does nothing to move the story forward, cut, cut, cut.

Your readers want something to happen within the first paragraphs, so start the story with action as your hook. (But even before that, choose a title that draws the reader in.) Flash fiction often ends in a twist, so end the piece with a surprise, if possible.

Although flash fiction is thought of in some circles as "the underdog" of writing, busy readers appreciate the opportunity to read a good story in a short amount of time. Experiment with the form. Challenge yourself to craft one of these mini-stories. It's great practice, and a perfect cure for that place called "writer's block" where your longer story or novel is refusing to move beyond that crappy scene you wrote last week.

Before submitting your flash fiction to online sites, do the research. Some of these markets are not well-presented. But there are many legitimate publications anxious to publish good quality stories. Some pay well, some pay a nominal amount, but no matter whether these popular sites pay or not, it's always great to see your name attached to a successful piece of writing.   

Here's a short list of popular online publications accepting flash fiction. Read the kind of stories they publish and check out their submission guidelines.
Flash Fiction Online
Word Riot
Brevity
Smokelong Quarterly
Nano Fiction

In addition to the above, you can find many more flash fiction publications at WritersMarket.com, and duotrope.com.

"Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it's work . . . " Stephen King