The Challenge of Writing Flash Fiction by J. M. Strother

I started #FridayFlash, the weekly flash fiction meme on Twitter, just over two years ago. However, I have been writing flash for much longer. I first started participating in online writing challenges on Renderosity in early 2000. At the time I thought it absurd, if not downright impossible, to write a complete story in less than 1000 words. My natural flow produced works in the long novella to short novel lengths. I really struggled to get my stories down to 1000 words or less.

To write successful flash fiction the writer first has to have a compelling story to tell, then it must be distilled down to its bare essence. It requires a willingness to take out the meat cleaver to chop off huge segments of fat if necessary. This can mean changing the starting point or eliminating entire scenes.

Once the word count is close to the 1000 word goal it is time to go over the story with a fine-toothed comb. At this point the writer needs to eliminate every single word that does not add to the story. This can be accomplished by eliminating adjectives, adverbs, unnecessary exposition, and convoluted sentence structure. Yes, these are all the things one is supposed to do anyway when writing strong prose. But with flash fiction it really forces the issue and helps the writer develop a sense of the essential.

Over time I learned that it is possible to write a story in very few words indeed. This story was written for a 75 words or less challenge and came in at just 71 words:

Shutdown
by J. M. Strother

Wind moaned through the rafters.
Bob already missed the sounds of the once vibrant assembly plant, now only echos in his mind. The thrum of motors – stilled. The rhythmic clink-clank of the presses – gone. No chit chat. No laughter. No cheer. The machinery sold – scrap metal. Employees let go – scrap lives.
He heaved the metal door closed with a resounding thud, listening for the click of the latch. Some Christmas.

The above story started out somewhere in the range of 95 words. Gone are the dust motes floating in the streams of slanting sunlight, the pigeons fluttering overhead. They were not necessary and are not missed. What's left is a very tight story with a real impact (I hope).

Which brings me to the other key element of good flash fiction – a powerful closing. There is a school of thought that good flash needs a twist at the end, something that the reader never saw coming. I don't subscribe to that theory. Yes, it can have a good twist, nothing wrong with that. But a twist is not required. All that is required is an ending that makes a visceral connection with the reader. There is no twist in Shutdown.

There you have it. Good flash fiction consists of a compelling story (with a beginning, middle, and end), reduced down to the bare essentials, with a strong close. It can be challenging, but it is also very rewarding in terms of honing one's skills as a writer.

If you write flash fiction, what do you think are the most important elements for success? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I'd love to see you participate in #FridayFlash.
~jon

© 2012 by J. M. Strother, all rights reserved.

Photo by Nyttend via WikiMedia Creative Commons, released to the Public Domain.