What Is Micro and Flash Fiction?
‘For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.’
If you’ve come across the above before, you’ve probably also heard of micro and flash fiction. The author of the story is ambiguous, with several sources having been attributed for it, not least Ernest Hemingway. Regardless of who the creator is, in nearly every single article I’ve read and every workshop I’ve attended discussing this style of writing, this sentence is always presented as the epitome of what micro and flash stories seek to represent.
Micro and flash fiction often get referred to as the ‘underdogs’ of the writing world. Their brevity belies the punch they often pack and, when written well, there’s something very exciting and experimental about the form.
I fell into writing flash fiction a number of years ago and over time, it’s a form I’ve come to adore as I’ve honed my craft as a writer in this space. I love the way micro and flash allow you to test and push structure, as well as creating grander worlds in tiny sentences. It’s an incredibly rewarding process.
What’s the Difference Between Micro Fiction and Flash Fiction?
“This form, flash, wants to play. It can’t be categorized. It can’t be taught. It knows not to know.” - Michael Martone
There is some flexibility over what exactly counts as micro and flash fiction, but having entered and written for several sites focused on this form, here’s a broad general rule I’ve found:
Micro Fiction: Tends to be stories that are 100 words or less. Some publications have stretched this to up to 250 words, but in general, 100 words is the sweet spot for defining stories in this category.
Flash Fiction: Tends to be stories that are 1000 words or less. Again, I’ve seen this stretched with some outlets accepting up to 2000 words as flash fiction, but the majority of publications stick to under 1000. There are a lot of competitions for these stories that focus on the lower end of the scale of 300 or 500 words.
In both forms, the stories aren’t just snapshots of longer stories. They’re complete vignettes in themselves. Often encapsulating a brief moment or experience and connecting it with larger themes and ideas. Each word is incredibly important in these stories, with every sentence peeling back a layer to quickly and succinctly reveal a deeper meaning within the story itself.
The Components of Successful Micro & Flash Stories
I’ve had a few friends comment that writing such short prose must be a piece of cake, to which I always ask them if they think writing poetry is a piece of cake?
The answer is almost always no! And I reiterate that, as with poetry, micro and flash also need to meet certain rules, bend certain rules, and tell a story. Every. Word. Counts.
That said, they are far less time consuming than longer stories to create and edit, and as such, can provide a fun and flirty opportunity to play with words and build narratives. Here are a few of the key lessons I’ve learned about writing successful micro and flash stories:
Show Don’t Tell
An important piece of advice in any writing, but more crucial when you have such a slim word count! Every micro and flash needs to tell a story, but unlike longer stories where you can build narrative over time, you need to do this quickly but delicately. Typically, flash is structured with a hook, a conflict or revelation, and an ending. There’s no time to build to the main point so starting your story right in the thick of things is always a great way to begin.
Every Word Counts
An editor at a workshop I attended provided us with the following anagram when it comes to writing flash:
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid
This ties in nicely with the first point, but it’s important to make sure your story maintains brevity. Each word needs to serve a purpose. When reviewing and editing a flash story, I always consider each and every word. Why is it there? What is it adding? How is it keeping the movement going? Just because I’m particularly fond of how I’ve structured a witty sentence, doesn’t mean it’s actually adding any value to my story or the plot.
Include Some Enigma
The stories that I love the most in this category (and my own ones that have been successful) always leave the story open. While they reach some sort of conclusion, they also ask more questions than they answer.
The endings in micro and flash fiction connect us back to the larger theme or meaning we’ve built in the rest of the story. They don’t have to be excessively dramatic, but they should surprise the reader in some small way.
Don’t Overcomplicate Things
In micro and flash, the experience of your characters and narrators is at the heart of the story. I often leave out things like names, place descriptions, dialogue and physical attributes. These can be saved for longer stories.
Don’t include too many characters, points-of-view, or dismissive details. Successful micro and flash fiction cut straight to the heart of the emotion or experience you’re attempting to convey and leaves the reader there to contemplate on what they’ve just absorbed.
Where To Read & Submit Flash
There are some great publications operating in this space that offer plenty of opportunities to not only read more flash stories but learn more about the form and submit a few of your own. Some of my personal favourites include:
If you’re keen to challenge yourself and flex your creative muscles, you might like to give micro and flash fiction a try.
