Resources for Writing Flash Fiction

Tips and recommendations for lovers of compact and powerful microfiction stories

I fell in love with flash fiction last year. Why you ask? It’s a type of word puzzle, much like poetry, but in narrative form. I love the challenge of deciding each word that fits in telling that story. To tell a story with a limited narrative is challenging. You do have to think about the role of each word which hones your editing eye.

Think of flash stories as a tiny moment in time of a larger story. Take a love story. A flash story can capture the precise moment the two people met, that shift from seeing a stranger to feeling something more.

What is flash fiction?

Oxford Languages defines flash fiction (also known as microfiction) as:

“Fiction of a type characterized by being very short, typically consisting of only a few hundred words.”

Flash refers to a specific word count, usually under 1000 words. You will find publications that challenge writers to write exactly 100 words or by a general word count, like 500 or less.

My flash fiction writing process

I’m always on the lookout for flash writing challenges and prompts. They are the spark to any flash story I begin. The prompt can be a single word, like doughnuts or a photo with a specific word count or word limit. My word count sweet spot is between 100 and 300 words. The best flash puzzle is the word count challenges, where you have to write a specific number, like 100 words. If you use 99 or 101 words, you are disqualified.

First, I freewrite by hand in a journal. I allow myself to write whatever comes to mind for 25 minutes (set that timer). I literally keep writing without stopping. You must turn off your inner editor when you freewrite, like you used to know when you were a kid (or was that just me?!). If I’m not happy at all with what I wrote, I let it be. I never throw away or delete what I have written. You never know what hidden gem you may have from that freewriting session. I will try again later and freewrite at a different time.

After I freewrite I walk away from my piece. I recommend waiting another day before you edit. Let your words sit.

As I edit, I start from the top with the concept. Start with the idea, does it make sense? Do I need to add something for it to flow better? Do I need to remove something?

The first sentence needs to be stellar. It needs to hook and ground the reader as quickly as possible for flash fiction.

Three parts. No matter what size piece I’ve written, I structure in three parts. Set up, conflict, resolution. Of course each part could be a sentence if writing a micro story.

Get down to the nitty gritty. Once I feel the structure is in place, I look at each word. Is it necessary? Is there a better word to capture the tone I want? Have I included the five senses? I look over each word with a fine-toothed comb.

Then stop, don’t over edit (which I do). There is a fine line between editing to strengthen your work and ripping the piece down to nothing. As most writers, I could edit endlessly but I feel the more I do, the less original it is. It takes experience to feel that balance.

Inspiring flash writing resources

Are you needing to find flash inspiration and guidance? These suggestions are ones I’ve read read or have attended for flash writing inspiration.

I discovered Retreat West last year which is what speared my interest in flash fiction. Retreat West is an online creative writing community. Each month they host a micro fiction writing competition centered on a theme, like a word or photo, and it must be exactly 100 words. I love word limit flashes because of the challenge. It lends perfectly for the genre, making sure each word is necessary. They also hold a quarterly themed flash competition with a little more wiggle room, a maximum of 500 words.

Another flash resource I found recently is the Flash Fiction Festival. Because of Covid, they normally hold in person, but switched to an online platform. I’m so glad they did. I’ve written some of my best freewriting during these sessions. It’s been ongoing, once a month, since March, with the last one being held in August. I’ve attended two of the festival dates and I highly recommend it for any level writer. There are challenge contests each month and excellent writing sessions with flash writers.

I discovered the artistry of Kathy Fish through Retreat West and the Flash Fiction Festival as she was an instructor. She is a flash fiction writer and expert teacher in flash fiction. I highly recommend subscribing to her monthly newsletter, The Art of Flash Fiction. It is one I savor and save for reference.

I also recommend the book, Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction, written by Nancy Stohlman. I read it a few months ago and refer to it when I need inspiration.

Another find at the Flash Festival is FlashBack Fiction (great title!), which features historical flash. I love that they have a timeline for all the stories they have published. As a reader, you can jump into history and read the flash fiction stories that took place during that period.

I use Twitter to find flash publications, contests, and writers. I put together this Twitter Flash Fiction List you can follow to find flash writers, contests, and publications.

One such writer I found on Twitter is Meg Pokrass. She shares her writing tips on her website. She also teaches excellent flash workshops.

Where to read and submit flash fiction

As a writer of flash fiction, I look for places to read flash and of course submit my work. Not only is writing flash like a literary puzzle finding the right place to submit your work is another piece of the puzzle.

Flash Fiction Online is an online magazine is free and a must read for flash fiction fans. You can subscribe for the magazine to be mailed to you, like the “olden” days which I love.

If you like dark fiction, you will like the writing of Ross Jeffrey. I recently read his novella-in-flash, called Tethered, which I recommend. If you have Kindle Unlimited, many of his books are available for borrowing.

As I mentioned above, Kathy Fish teaches flash, highly recommend reading her book Wild Life. I adore Kathy’s writing style. It feels effortless when you’re the reader, but as a writer I know how much work she puts into her stories.

When I started writing here at Medium, I had to search for publications that feature flash fiction. The active flash Medium publications I found include Microcosm, Centina Pentina, The Arcanist, Sci-Fi Shorts, Fantasy Shorts.

There is a multitude of flash fiction publications online and in print. These are the ones I read and have submitted my work: Craft, SmokeLong Quarterly, Jellyfish Review, Ghost Parachute, and The Drabble, who was the first publication to publish my piece, Below the Surface.

Final Thoughts

Irving Howe wrote in his book Short Shorts:

“Everything depends on intensity, one sweeping blow of perception. In the short short the writer gets no second chance. Either he strikes through at once or he’s lost.”

As a writer of short stories and creative nonfiction, writing flash fiction has taught me to be a better writer. The restriction on the number of words used forces me to cut out unnecessary words and focus on the impact of each word.

I recommend becoming an avid flash fiction reader. Study the stories that impact you. Look at each word used. Study the stories that had no impact. Why did it fall flat for you?

Then get writing! Have fun putting together your own literary puzzle of flash fiction.

@ Ellie Jacobson 2021

Please share in the comments your flash fiction recommendations and writing tips.

A few of my flash fiction stories: