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Flash Fiction – What it is and is not.

When I prepared this blog post, I neglected to note the source. I only have “White” as the author. I considered not posting this, but I love this definition of flash fiction. If you know who “White” is, please, let me know.

Flash Fiction

According to White, flash fiction “combines the narrative grip of traditional short fiction with the compression, imagery and allusiveness of poetry. A good flash tale instantly intrigues us, may also momentarily bewilder us, and delivers an emotional jolt to the solar plexus—all in fewer than 1,500 words.”

White lays out the steps to writing flash fiction. Briefly:

  • The best flash stories are bona fide stories in which a viewpoint character struggles with internal or external conflict.
  • Aims for intrigue and complications.
  • Includes unique ways the protagonist struggles with the problem.
  • A lesson is learned or an epiphany experienced.
  • Uses sensory detail.

What Flash Fiction is not

A flash story isn’t merely a hyper-compressed regular-length story; rather, the compression unlocks a dimension of experience that eludes us in other modes of creative expression. — White

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  1. Pingback: Is Flash Fiction right for you? – The Write Spot Blog

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