What is Flash Fiction? A Guide to Keepin’ It Short & Sweet
Flash fiction. Short shorts. Micro-fiction. Nanotale. Twitterature. Dribble. Drabble.
There sure are a lot of adorable ways to refer to ultra-short stories, but don’t let the cuteness fool you. Flash fiction packs a wallop. It can stun a reader with just a few hundred words. Its focus and precision are unmatched in long-form fiction, and it’s growing in popularity every day.
Flash fiction is also incredibly difficult to write. Worth it, though. Even if you only dabble in these extremely short stories as a writing exercise, you’re bound to have a lot of fun and sharpen skills that will serve you in every format.
So let’s take a cue from our favorite flash fiction authors and get right to the point: what this style of writing is, how to write it, and where to publish it.
What is Flash Fiction?
Flash fiction includes all prose fiction that is fewer than 1,500 words long. Most actually cap out at 1,000 words. So we’re talking very brief stories that still have a beginning, middle, and end.
Because they’re working with such a low word count, flash fiction authors focus each work on a specific theme or moment. You’d think that their limitations would force them to give their topic a more shallow treatment, but writers who work hard to master this form manage to bring out the complexity and emotional weight of a single subject through the precision of their words.
I’ll give you a few tips on how to do that before we’re done here, but I’ll say for now that they do this in part by going hard on literary devices and a distinctive style. This is why many people see flash fiction as a gateway to poetry.
It’s also why writing flash fiction is a great way for authors to experiment with different storytelling techniques and improve their craft. You still have to tell a complete story in this format, so it forces you to introduce characters, setting, and conflict succinctly. No fluff.
Plus, any experiment you do with these micro-stories is going to be fairly low stakes. While it’s not easy to fit a compelling story into 1,500 words or less, it takes way less time than plotting and drafting an entire novel.
Where Does Flash Fiction Come From?
Flash fiction feels new with all the experimental formats and its funny little nicknames. It’s super old, though. Aesop’s Fables old.
When you think about it, most fables and folklore are ultra-short stories, from One Thousand and One Nights to Grimms’ Fairy Tales. They center on a single protagonist dealing with a single conflict, the resolution comes in about 1,000 words or less, and by the end, they’ve clearly communicated one strong theme.
Even so, the term “flash fiction” didn’t start showing up prominently until the late 20th century—another detail that makes this form of writing feel newer than it is. These little story snacks have steadily gained popularity over the last few decades, with new flash fiction anthologies emerging as well as literary magazines that exclusively publish flash fiction stories.
Not surprising when you think about it. The digital age has done a number on our attention spans (that’s the downside) while deepening our appreciation for concise self-expression. We’re delighted with TikTokers who can deliver a hilarious twist in a three-minute video and admire anyone who can make us cry with one tidy little Instagram caption.
So it’s no wonder the digital age also loves flash fiction and its gift of quick storytelling.
Flash Fiction vs. Short Stories
Now here’s an interesting question:
What makes flash fiction different from short stories? And why bother to distinguish between them in the first place?
The official difference is the word count. That’s really the only thing. A short story is generally 1,000 to 20,000 words. Flash fiction is under 1,500. (Yes, I see the overlap, and I’m as annoyed with it as you are.) Despite a difference in length, flash fiction contains all the same elements as a short story.
I can’t say for sure why we decided to classify these two forms of short fiction differently, but I can tell you that they tend to offer different reading experiences.
A short story keeps the reader occupied for a longer amount of time and allows them to truly immerse themselves in the world. A flash fiction story is more like a quick, shocking plunge.
Short stories also have space for wider exploration of a theme and can even incorporate more character development and backstory (though still within limits). Flash fiction captures a brief moment.
You’ll find some stylistic experimentation in both forms, but it tends to be more common in flash fiction.
Micro-Fiction and Other Flash Fiction Formats
In this age of brevity, flash fiction now has a whole bunch of subgenres specifying lower and lower word counts.
You may have heard of micro-fiction. That’s one of the more common ones and includes any short story under 300 words. But there’s also:
- Sudden fiction - 750 words or less
- Drabble - 100 words or less
- Minisaga or Dribble - 50 words or less
- Twitterature - 280 characters or less
- Six-Word Story - 6 words (You probably didn’t need me for that one.)
If a six-word story sounds crazy to you, I offer you this famous one attributed (rightly or wrongly) to Ernest Hemingway:
For sale: baby shoes, never worn.
This is what I’m talking about. Flash fiction packs a wallop.
Characteristics of Flash Fiction
We’ve established that the defining characteristic of flash fiction is its brevity. Now here are a few other key characters you’ll find in this extreme short-form fiction.
Symbolism
Symbols allow us to say a lot just by describing an image or action. In the story “Sticks,” George Saunders uses a pole the narrator’s father decorates for different occasions as a symbol for the father’s mental and emotional state.
It’s how he manages to absolutely gut the reader in just 392 words.
Concrete Specificity
As a general rule, all writing is better with specific, concrete details like “tight hug” rather than abstract generalizations like “emotional greeting.” But this is especially important in flash fiction, when you have to make an impact in very few words.
See, readers are more likely to emotionally connect with a story when the author helps them see and feel what the protagonist experiences. Vague descriptions that tell the reader how to feel are often wasted words when you have to accomplish so much in so little time.
“Things I’m Holding (for You)” by Kaleigh Shoen is a solid example of this.
Powerful Endings
Again, this is something you should expect from a well-written novel, too. It’s just more noticeable in flash fiction because the whole thing happens so fast. By the time that stunning last sentence lands, you feel blindsided. You find yourself thinking about the story long after it ends.
Sometimes it’s a plot twist. Sometimes it’s a shocking reveal. Sometimes it’s a particularly poignant last line. In any case, it’s mighty.
For an example of this, check out “Let’s Say” by Julia Strayer.
Examples of Excellent Flash Fiction Stories
The beautiful thing about flash fiction is that you can access a lot of it online for free. The good stuff, too. So if you’re interested in studying this form of writing, there are loads of easily accessible flash fiction stories out there.
Here are just a few to get you started:
- “Salisbury Beach Pizza Time Machine” by Georgia Bellas
- “Give It Up” by Franz Kafka
- “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
- “Initiation” by Stuart Dybek
- “Likable” by Deb Olin Unferth
- “Rebuilding the World” by Paulo Coelho
- “The Visitor” by Lydia Davis
- “John Redding Goes to Sea” by Zora Neale Hurston
- “A Telephonic Conversation” by Mark Twain
Writing Flash Fiction Stories
Ready to dive in and start writing your own flash fiction stories? Here are some quick pointers:
Tell a Complete Story
Even though it’s short, there should still be a narrative. You need a setting and at least one character who has a conflict that carries through to some sort of resolution.
However, you do not need to follow a traditional plot structure like the three-act structure or the Hero’s Journey. You can probably manage an abbreviated version of those structures in a longer flash fiction story, but it’s a lot to pull off in 400 words.
You definitely don’t need extensive character development. Focus on illuminating one important thing about one character.
Start When It’s Already Good
Flash fiction doesn’t have enough time to get good. There’s no space for the action to ramp up. All the fun stuff should already be happening from the very first line.
As you study more flash fiction stories, you’ll notice that a lot of them begin in medias res (in the middle of the action). And they’re usually the better for it.
Keep It Simple
Wherever you have an opportunity to simplify, do it.
Tell a story that doesn’t require the reader to know a lot of backstory or the rules of the world. If you can reduce your story to a single scene, do it. Pare down your details to only the most essential, and trust that your reader will get the full message by filling in the gaps themselves. (It’s more fun for them, anyway.)
Show, Don’t Tell
Remember what I said about how concrete details create a bigger emotional impact than abstractions? That’s the reasoning behind “show, don’t tell,” one of the most fundamental rules of strong prose.
As much as you can, use external details to tell an internal story. Indicate characters’ emotions through their movements and dialogue. Create a sense of atmosphere with sensory details. To learn more about this, you can check out this article. DabbleU Academy scholars can go even further with Doug’s full course on mastering “show, don’t tell.”
Make Your Words Work Harder
Flash fiction stories are all about efficiency, and that includes the language you use and the way you lay out your story.
Choose words that convey a strong sense of tone. Tailor your narrator’s diction to create an engaging voice that draws the reader in. Use strong verbs instead of piling on the adverbs—”snickered” rather than “laughed quietly.”
Even the title should do some of the heavy lifting. Take “Widow’s First Year” by Joyce Carol Oates:
I kept myself alive.
That’s the whole story. It’s even shorter than “Baby Shoes,” but it only manages to be shorter because the title gives us some pretty important context.
Keep It Moving
There’s no time for lingering here. Ditch the long moments of reflection. It’s all about action and movement.
What happens next? How does your character react? What does that lead to? Keep peeling back the layers. Keep moving the story forward.
Get Feedback
From peers, mentors, whomever. Take the time to workshop your story until you know you’ve chosen the best words for the job. NYC Midnight runs flash fiction challenges that include feedback from judges. That can be a fun way to dip your toes in if you’re comfortable with the entry fee.
(Or you can join DabbleU Campus where you can share up to 500 words of your work with your peers for feedback for free at any time. Just putting that out there.)
Publishing Flash Fiction
Once you’ve written an outstanding flash fiction story, the next question is what to do with it. And my friend, you’ve got options.
If you just want to share it immediately with friends, family, and whatever social media followers you might have, you can post it yourself on a blog or in your Substack newsletter or even as social media content, depending on how long it is.
If you’d like to share it with an audience of strangers, your best bet is to submit it to a literary magazine. As I said before, this is a great time to get into flash fiction, because its increasing popularity means there are more publishing opportunities than ever before.
In fact, there are literary magazines like SmokeLong Quarterly, Flash Fiction Online, Flash Fiction Magazine, and 50-Word Stories that exclusively publish flash fiction. Some publications pay for accepted works and some don’t, so if you’re after payment, make sure you know what a magazine offers before you submit.
It’s fairly easy to find publications and contests that are looking for flash fiction in directories like the one at Poets & Writers, but here are a few (in addition to the ones linked above) to get you started:
Literary magazines are the most common avenue for publishing flash fiction, but it’s also possible to release a collection of your short shorts in the form of a book.
Just know that it’s really tough to find a traditional publisher who’ll take on a flash fiction collection, especially from an unestablished writer. It’s also not the most lucrative route in self-publishing, but if you’re in it for the money, you’re already pursuing the wrong specialty in the wrong field.
Short, Sweet, and Super Fun
If you’re at all curious about flash fiction, you’ve got nothing to lose by playing around with the form. It’s a small investment of time, and you’re bound to learn something. At the very least, the exercise will force you to get out of your head and tap into your creative impulses.
As always, all your friends at DabbleU Campus are here to be your partners in writerly exploration. This community is free to join and full of fun activities, from community writing sprints to our Weekly Coffee Hour.
You can even level-up and join DabbleU Academy for access to the exclusive Academy community, loads of live and recorded workshops, our Feedback Friday, and so much more.
Pop in and say hi! We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.
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