Just recently, I have been dabbling in something called Flash Fiction.
If you look out in the realm of the internet, you can find loads of great competitions, where you can enter your flash fiction offerings.
Sometimes, these are open, in the sense that you can write about anything you want. Sometimes, the competitions have themes or prompts to help you get the creative wheels turning.
But in all cases, your story will need to adhere to a strict word limit. These word limits range from the very low, say one-hundred words, up to the more expansive, which could be as far out as five-hundred.
But if you think five-hundred words gives you licence to be loquacious, then think again! You can use up your limit before you notice it!
As a novel writer, I was not operating under the guideline of a word limit. When I wrote “Gone to the Dogs,” it was with a sense of space and freedom. To be honest, there were times when I wasn’t quite sure what was coming next. If something occurred to me, I could write about it and make sense of it later when editing appeared on the horizon.
But with flash, every word must be selected, polished, and placed with a mosaic precision. All fat must be removed, yet there must still be a narrative that pulls in and engages the reader. Maybe it’s more about leaving questions in your readers’ minds, rather than settling them.
Again, being honest with myself, I am not that good at flash fiction. But I am learning. There are many masters of the craft out there, and one of the great things is that the competitions allow you to read the work of the winners. It doesn’t take long, and it is a great learning experience.
So, who knows, when I finish the “Gone to the Dogs” prequel – currently entitled, “Thryke – The Man that Nobody Knew,” I hope my writing will have been tightened and polished by my experience of flash. It’s certainly something to aim for.
I’m going to end this post with a flash of my own. It was recently entered in a competition that came with the photographic prompt of a derelict bumper car. Perhaps I took the prompt too literally, as this entry didn’t trouble the judges, but I’ll leave you to decide!
Stay safe, and stay well!
It’s called “The Two Shells.”
“Look at it, love! Look at those lines! It’s a classic, is that!”
“But…”
“Look, I know what you’re going to say, but come on, consider that paintwork! Some of it might even be original. There’ll be collectors fighting over this when it’s finished.”
“It’s a bumper car. It’s the shell of a bumper car.”
“Come here, love! Don’t you remember? We rode on one of these, the night of our first kiss? It could even have been this very one!”
“That wasn’t me, Bryan.”
“It wasn’t? I’m sure…”
She touched his arm gently. “Don’t stay out here too late.”