How Not To - write flash fiction

How Not To write flash fiction

Today we continue with our ‘How Not To’ series with Sarah Nicholson, author of In Search of Lost Glitter, reflecting on flash fiction - and how not to write it. Over to you, Sarah!

Flash Fiction is NOT stories about meteorological events, photography in areas of low lighting or sartorial men in Mackintoshes wearing little underneath.

Although it could be…

Mr Smith never switched off the TV until he had seen what Mr Fish had to say about the weather. He watched as a dark cloud symbol, with yellow lightning hanging like a tail, was slapped on the map. Ominously it was right over where Mr Smith lived.

He donned his Mackintosh; it was nothing flashy, it was actually a bit grubby and it had a missing button just below his midriff. Couldn’t be helped; he needed to go out. He fastened the belt tight to pull in the gap.

The path to the allotment was dark. It hadn’t started raining but suddenly there was a burst of blinding bright light.

Startled by the flash, he blinked a few times and when his eyes adjusted, he was confronted by Casey the junior reporter at the Daily Village.

“Apologies, Mr Smith, there’s been reports in the village of a flasher, and well… you are dressed like one.”

“I’m just off to check on my chickens are in for the night.”

“Of course, Mr Smith, mistaken identity, I’ll let you be on your way.”

Mr Smith watched as the younger man scarpered. Then he headed towards the allotment, taking the scenic route.

Flash fiction can be anything up to 1000 words, above that and we are heading into short story territory, although I’m not sure if there is a definitive definition.

I could google it, but time is short and brevity is the key with Flash. A bright burst of fiction that only takes a few minutes to read, or even less than a minute.

One of the shortest flash pieces ever is often misattributed to Hemmingway. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_sale:_baby_shoes,_never_worn

For sale: baby shoes, never worn

Whoever did write it, it packs a punch. Why are they for sale, why were they never worn – you could be puzzling for hours.

That doesn’t mean flash has to keep you guessing, but the essence of it stays with you.

The story above about Mr Smith is exactly 200 words, but it could be tighter and still tell the same story.

There are details that are not needed, but how do you decide what to keep and what to edit out?

For example, how important is Mr Fish? If you remember him from the 80s his name alone might raise a smile, especially his fateful forecast in October 1987.

But you can’t write something in flash fiction just to show off. Especially if you are hoping to achieve a low word count.

But details about the macintosh being grubby, not flashy and missing a button?

To me grubby can indicate something a bit sordid, flashy is a play on words with the flash theme and as for the missing button – I’ll leave you to your own conclusions – but I think I’ll keep those details in.

Flash fiction still needs some kind of story arc, but there is little room for character development or back story.

We never find our Mr Smith’s first name and as for Casey we only find out he is younger and a reporter, but there is some connection because they have a conversation where Casey says, “Sorry Mr Smith”

Much is implied and flash makes you work harder at figuring out what is unsaid, what happened before and is going to happen. For instance, what is the scenic route to the allotment? Is the missing button the coat significant if I’ve left that detail in?

What else is there to say, I feel I’ve wittered on long enough, but let’s just turn this story into something tighter and shorter…

Ominously, the TV weather forecast showed a flash of lightning right over where Mr Smith lived.

He donned his Mackintosh; it was nothing flashy, it was a bit grubby and it had a missing button just below his midriff.

The path to the allotment was especially dark that night with all the clouds. It wasn’t raining yet, but suddenly there was a burst of blinding bright light.

Startled by the flash, he blinked a few times. When his eyes adjusted, he was confronted by Casey, the junior reporter at the Daily Village.

“Apologies, Mr Smith, there’s been reports in the village of a flasher in a mac.”

“I’m just off to check on my chickens are in for the night.”

“Of course, Mr Smith, mistaken identity, I’ll let you be on your way.”

Mr Smith watched the younger man retreat. Then he headed towards the allotment, taking the scenic route.

I’ve cut the story down from 200 to 150 words. Has it lost anything? Probably not, we are still left the with same unanswered questions.

You can play around with editing flash as much as you like, adding and taking away words. It can be fun working to a precise word count, it can sharpen your editing skills.

But there is one final thing to add about flash – if you ever enter a competition the title usually doesn’t count in the final word count.

So I think I’m going to call my story What Mr Smith did after he watched Michael Fish give the weather forecast.

Over to you - what do you think?