How to Write Flash Fiction
Start the story in the middle of the action., Show your readers only the “tip of the iceberg”., Create your character carefully., Focus the story on a single moment in your character’s life., End the story before the last sentence., Write as...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start the story in the middle of the action.
You don’t want to waste valuable words setting up a complex backstory or giving a wordy exposition on the scenery surrounding your character.
Begin your story at a moment of change; a crucial moment to the narrative.
Focus on showing your readers the tension of the scene, rather than wasting words describing why characters are acting a specific way.Your flash-fiction piece should arrive at its main narrative or plot conflict in the first paragraph—or even the first sentence.Don’t leave the readers in suspense; you don’t have words to spare.
For example, open with something like: “The car barreling down the road did not stop at the light, but crashed into the side of a parked van." As another example: “Jess walked out into the rain after midnight, thinking of ways she could win back all of the money she had lost at the poker table that night.” -
Step 2: Show your readers only the “tip of the iceberg”.
By starting in the middle, you’ll indicate to readers that much of the story has already happened before your flash-fiction begins, and that the story may continue after your story concludes.
Allow some of the action to occur off of the page, so that you can focus on one important scene and idea.
This means that literary devices such as foreshadowing and tone will be important in your flash piece.
By focusing on a single scene in a plot or conflict, you’ll allow readers to imagine the rest of the narrative for themselves.
For example, if your protagonist’s childhood is relevant to the story, do not write, “Sarah was born in a bathtub in Kansas City and lived there through elementary school, when her father got a job in Tulsa …” as this level of meticulous detail can bore readers and slow the action.
Instead, say something like, “Sarah reflected on her brief and unfulfilling childhood as she waited for a taxi.” , In a good flash piece, you’ll likely only have room for a single main character.
Don’t waste words telling readers about the character—instead, show him or her already in a scene, and let the character’s qualities, personality, and unique predicament unfold throughout the story.Think about the most important change you want your character to experience, and get there in the story as soon as possible.
The same goes for secondary characters (if your story has any)—they should be interesting but not require a lot of setup or explanation.
Ask yourself how your secondary characters further the action surrounding your main character, or how they enhance the scene or theme. , Your story should focus on a single moment or a single scene—it shouldn’t contain the life story of a character, save that for longer forms of fiction.For flash fiction, choose a moment in a character’s life that you can tell a lot about them in, but in a short amount of time.
A good flash piece should only have one theme, one main idea.This means that any “nonessential” themes and ideas need to be cut from the story—otherwise your story may become bloated and lose its focus.
Your flash-fiction piece should also only have one central conflict.
To clearly show the conflict and make sure that its importance is clear to readers, make sure your story answers these two questions:
What does the main character want? What or who (whether circumstances or people) is keeping the character from getting what they want? , Too often, flash-fiction pieces become an exercise in writing punchlines, or surprising reveals at the conclusion that can feel more like a magician’s trick (ta-da!) than interesting literature.
If your story leads up to a surprising or emotional event, present that sometime before the concluding lines.This way, your readers can consider the implications of the story’s climax along with the character.
Also consider introducing a twist at the end of your story.
This is a common literary device in flash fiction a twist will leave the reader surprised by the unexpected end of your story.
You can include a twist by withholding important information into the revelatory moment., With a flash-fiction story, you have to be extremely concise in your story telling.
Long explanations and multiple character development should be saved for longer stories.
Most of your sentences should be devoted to developing the main conflict of the short story, not setting up characters’ backstory or describing the scenery.Your ending should be a resolution for the character and, as like with the beginning, make sure that the end is extremely short.
A paragraph should do. , Although you shouldn’t necessarily have a definite “ending” in your last line—in a flash piece this may feel contrived or unnecessary—do focus on crafting a final line that sticks in your reader’s mind.
It should take the story in an unexpected direction, or take the reader to a new place that encourages readers to think about the story and its significance.Think of the last line less like a conventional “ending” and more like a surprise or shock to the reader.
You don’t necessarily need a confusing or obscure ending (unless you want one), but it can help to have an enigmatic or evocative last line., Once you have a first draft, go back through and remove as much material as you can without losing the narrative, plot, or characters.Edit everything out of the story that isn’t essential to understanding the setting, the action, or feelings of the characters.
Be intentional about every word in the story.You can also remove modifiers that aren’t necessary, such as “very,” “quite,” and “actually.” Removing adjectives and adverbs can also decrease your word count and keep your flash fiction concise.For fiction writers who are familiar with Twitter, practice writing your flash fiction piece as if you were writing a tweet.
Remove all inessential words and phrases.
Never use a long clause when a shorter one will do. , As with any type of literary writing, it’s challenging—some would say impossible—to write effective flash fiction if you’re not immersed in the genre already.
Find a published flash-fiction collection at your local bookstore, or an online journal that specializes in publishing flash fiction.
Read stories, and note their approach to narrative, plot, characters, and economy of language.
Look into online flash fiction journals like:
Flash Fiction Magazine, Flash Fiction Online, The Vestal Review, or SmokeLong Quarterly., Writers need other people’s feedback and opinions to improve their own writing.
Once you’ve written several flash-fiction pieces that you think show your best work, ask a friend or two to read over your work.
See what they say: if friends point out weak spots in your writing, characterization, or plotting, fix the weak sections, and then ask for a second read.
If you have the interest, time, and money, there are many good online writing workshops that will allow you to present your flash fiction to other writers.
This process will improve your writing, and develop your ability to workshop and talk about the writing of your peers.
For example, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has a Continuing Studies program which offers year-long online fiction workshops—including workshops specializing in flash fiction—for around $150., Once you’ve spent time writing flash fiction, you may want to consider publishing your work.
Online journals are a great fit for flash fiction, since the short format can be read easily on a webpage or literary blog.To find publication venues, talk to literary friends, or do a few online searches.
Try searching for “flash fiction online journals.” Expect rejections—rejection is a part of the publication process for any author, and flash fiction pieces are rejected as readily as any other type of story. -
Step 3: Create your character carefully.
-
Step 4: Focus the story on a single moment in your character’s life.
-
Step 5: End the story before the last sentence.
-
Step 6: Write as concisely as possible.
-
Step 7: Focus on the last line.
-
Step 8: Cut all nonessential elements.
-
Step 9: Read many examples of flash fiction.
-
Step 10: Look for feedback on your work.
-
Step 11: Send your work to online journals for publication.
Detailed Guide
You don’t want to waste valuable words setting up a complex backstory or giving a wordy exposition on the scenery surrounding your character.
Begin your story at a moment of change; a crucial moment to the narrative.
Focus on showing your readers the tension of the scene, rather than wasting words describing why characters are acting a specific way.Your flash-fiction piece should arrive at its main narrative or plot conflict in the first paragraph—or even the first sentence.Don’t leave the readers in suspense; you don’t have words to spare.
For example, open with something like: “The car barreling down the road did not stop at the light, but crashed into the side of a parked van." As another example: “Jess walked out into the rain after midnight, thinking of ways she could win back all of the money she had lost at the poker table that night.”
By starting in the middle, you’ll indicate to readers that much of the story has already happened before your flash-fiction begins, and that the story may continue after your story concludes.
Allow some of the action to occur off of the page, so that you can focus on one important scene and idea.
This means that literary devices such as foreshadowing and tone will be important in your flash piece.
By focusing on a single scene in a plot or conflict, you’ll allow readers to imagine the rest of the narrative for themselves.
For example, if your protagonist’s childhood is relevant to the story, do not write, “Sarah was born in a bathtub in Kansas City and lived there through elementary school, when her father got a job in Tulsa …” as this level of meticulous detail can bore readers and slow the action.
Instead, say something like, “Sarah reflected on her brief and unfulfilling childhood as she waited for a taxi.” , In a good flash piece, you’ll likely only have room for a single main character.
Don’t waste words telling readers about the character—instead, show him or her already in a scene, and let the character’s qualities, personality, and unique predicament unfold throughout the story.Think about the most important change you want your character to experience, and get there in the story as soon as possible.
The same goes for secondary characters (if your story has any)—they should be interesting but not require a lot of setup or explanation.
Ask yourself how your secondary characters further the action surrounding your main character, or how they enhance the scene or theme. , Your story should focus on a single moment or a single scene—it shouldn’t contain the life story of a character, save that for longer forms of fiction.For flash fiction, choose a moment in a character’s life that you can tell a lot about them in, but in a short amount of time.
A good flash piece should only have one theme, one main idea.This means that any “nonessential” themes and ideas need to be cut from the story—otherwise your story may become bloated and lose its focus.
Your flash-fiction piece should also only have one central conflict.
To clearly show the conflict and make sure that its importance is clear to readers, make sure your story answers these two questions:
What does the main character want? What or who (whether circumstances or people) is keeping the character from getting what they want? , Too often, flash-fiction pieces become an exercise in writing punchlines, or surprising reveals at the conclusion that can feel more like a magician’s trick (ta-da!) than interesting literature.
If your story leads up to a surprising or emotional event, present that sometime before the concluding lines.This way, your readers can consider the implications of the story’s climax along with the character.
Also consider introducing a twist at the end of your story.
This is a common literary device in flash fiction a twist will leave the reader surprised by the unexpected end of your story.
You can include a twist by withholding important information into the revelatory moment., With a flash-fiction story, you have to be extremely concise in your story telling.
Long explanations and multiple character development should be saved for longer stories.
Most of your sentences should be devoted to developing the main conflict of the short story, not setting up characters’ backstory or describing the scenery.Your ending should be a resolution for the character and, as like with the beginning, make sure that the end is extremely short.
A paragraph should do. , Although you shouldn’t necessarily have a definite “ending” in your last line—in a flash piece this may feel contrived or unnecessary—do focus on crafting a final line that sticks in your reader’s mind.
It should take the story in an unexpected direction, or take the reader to a new place that encourages readers to think about the story and its significance.Think of the last line less like a conventional “ending” and more like a surprise or shock to the reader.
You don’t necessarily need a confusing or obscure ending (unless you want one), but it can help to have an enigmatic or evocative last line., Once you have a first draft, go back through and remove as much material as you can without losing the narrative, plot, or characters.Edit everything out of the story that isn’t essential to understanding the setting, the action, or feelings of the characters.
Be intentional about every word in the story.You can also remove modifiers that aren’t necessary, such as “very,” “quite,” and “actually.” Removing adjectives and adverbs can also decrease your word count and keep your flash fiction concise.For fiction writers who are familiar with Twitter, practice writing your flash fiction piece as if you were writing a tweet.
Remove all inessential words and phrases.
Never use a long clause when a shorter one will do. , As with any type of literary writing, it’s challenging—some would say impossible—to write effective flash fiction if you’re not immersed in the genre already.
Find a published flash-fiction collection at your local bookstore, or an online journal that specializes in publishing flash fiction.
Read stories, and note their approach to narrative, plot, characters, and economy of language.
Look into online flash fiction journals like:
Flash Fiction Magazine, Flash Fiction Online, The Vestal Review, or SmokeLong Quarterly., Writers need other people’s feedback and opinions to improve their own writing.
Once you’ve written several flash-fiction pieces that you think show your best work, ask a friend or two to read over your work.
See what they say: if friends point out weak spots in your writing, characterization, or plotting, fix the weak sections, and then ask for a second read.
If you have the interest, time, and money, there are many good online writing workshops that will allow you to present your flash fiction to other writers.
This process will improve your writing, and develop your ability to workshop and talk about the writing of your peers.
For example, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has a Continuing Studies program which offers year-long online fiction workshops—including workshops specializing in flash fiction—for around $150., Once you’ve spent time writing flash fiction, you may want to consider publishing your work.
Online journals are a great fit for flash fiction, since the short format can be read easily on a webpage or literary blog.To find publication venues, talk to literary friends, or do a few online searches.
Try searching for “flash fiction online journals.” Expect rejections—rejection is a part of the publication process for any author, and flash fiction pieces are rejected as readily as any other type of story.
About the Author
Carolyn Baker
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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