It’s that time again, Writing Wednesday here on the blog! This week I’m going to talk a little bit about flash fiction. My own personal experience with flash fiction is pretty limited. It’s something I’ve only recently started reading on a regular basis and I’ve rarely attempted to write it. I’m not an expert but I know someone who gives top notch advice about flash fiction and I’ll talk about her a little later.

For someone who wants to try something new, or someone who is looking to try out writing, I think flash fiction can be a wonderful tool. For a beginner, I think this can create some great habits for description. When your story needs to be five hundred words or less, every description matters, every piece of dialogue matters. In truth, every single word matters and they should all be chosen carefully.

I came to the conclusion that, in my opinion, flash fiction and poetry are really kindred spirits. I began studying poetry in college because my fiction professor thought it would help me hone my descriptions. It worked, my imagery become stronger and tighter because of studying poetry. I think writing flash fiction can exercise some of those same muscles. You need to get right at the heart of the tension, the center of the scene, and the pacing needs to be just right.

If you’re interested in flash fiction, The Word Wood is a great place to check out. The site has some great writers with wonderful stories. The stories are short in word count, but not in scope and depth. With multiple writers working in multiple genres, there’s something on the website for everyone to enjoy. Who knows, one of the stories might even inspire you to write something of your own.

If you’re interested in learning how to write flash fiction, I’ll direct to my friend R² Writes. You can find her first post on the subject here, and her second one here. She’s also one of the writers for The Word Wood, so you can check out her writing and see some of her advice in action. If you end up having questions about the subject, feel free to contact her over on her blog. She’s always happy to talk about writing and flash fiction is something she’s incredibly familiar with.

Now it’s your turn! Do you write flash fiction? Are you interested in trying it out? What techniques do you use in your own writing to keep phrases and descriptions concise?