the point of flash fiction
Thu, 2001-12-06 16:06
#1
the point of flash fiction
does flash fiction have to have a point or can you just play with words. does there have to be a beginning and an end or can you just do what the hell you like? everyone i've spoken to seems to think it has to be some kind of story. if it has to be a story, then what the hell have i been writing?
justyn_thyme
help me out here, what is flash fiction?
Emily Dubberley
Very short (under 50 words? Under 150 words?) pieces I think
Andrea
Dunno.
Can't help.
Sorry.
...or is is (possibly sees light) one of them stories that have to have a beginning, middle and end with a max of 50 words...?
Andrea
In which case yes, it has has be a 'complete' story. Very difficult to do, as well.
But a good writing exercise (and you can even get paid for it!)
Sorry, didn't know what it was called - not too hot on terminology.
james cuzen
go here and get your work submitted
http://www.zoetrope.com/index.cgi
they except flash fiction. it's francis ford coppola's site
fish
those 50 word things are mini sagas arent they?
i think in zoetrope terms its just short short fiction ...
Andrea
S'right Fish.
*See, Fish is a hot-shot on termy things*
David Ritchie
Flash fiction is commonly referred to as sudden fiction, short short, mini-fiction. There is a large number of online and print magazines all over the world that specialize in it.
Always it is under 1,000 words, usually under 500, and some sites have stories in multiples of 2 ( 2 words, 4 words, 6 words, up to 500) Quite difficult actually.
I published a small chapbook of flash fiction a couple of years ago and found I really like it.
An example of flash fiction is my story Life With Father on this site. Please read it and tell me if you believe it to be a fully constructed fiction piece, or a vignette, which is becoming really popular as well. An example of the short vignette, is my piece The Yellow Boat online now at the Offcourse Literary Journal published by the SUNY at Albany. The URL is www.albany.edu/offcourse.
I would really like to create a converstion and interest in this type of writing here, if any of you are interestedl.
Thanks,
David Ritchie