What does it take to learn
how to write flash fiction?

First of all, know that in learning how to write flash fiction, you must be able to differentiate between what makes for a flash fiction story and a short story.

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Flash fiction stories are usually 1,000 words or less. They do have a beginning, middle, and end, but the least amount of writing is done in order to make your point clear, concise, and almost immediately noticeable.

Think of Aesop's fables as examples of how to write flash fiction that is relevant and purposeful. "The Ant and the Grasshopper" and the story of the boy who cried wolf are two flash fiction examples that have morals. These morals serve as the driving purpose and motivation behind the stories -- the theses, if you will.

Have you ever told a story to someone and had them tell you to "get to the point already?" Our lives, nowadays especially, are so fast-paced. Hearing things and forming quick and discernible meaning from them is highly important to people. That is not to say that people don't enjoy reading a good novel or other longer work. Sometimes, however, short is truly sweet. Flash fiction stories, or short short stories, relate just enough exposition to make readers engaged, and leave them with a sense of satisfaction that the story resolved itself.

Beginning flash fiction stories or short short stories with a creative writing story starter, or forming a bond through a few items, such as you might do in a triple decker writing prompt, may prove to be two thought-provoking ways to elicit creative thinking for a story.

There is also flash fiction that can be merely a few words. You may want to check out our adult writing contest page to see the six-word memoir contest. Even though this contest may rely more on reality, it still takes its preliminary form from flash fiction, as it relies on a writer's words being quick, to the point, and all-encompassing of what is being expressed.

Think about how to write flash fiction of your very own. You might do this by remembering your dreams and jotting down what happened in them. Dreams may include extreme detail, but figuring out what the most important parts were can help cut down on what you want to say and make for a flash fiction story rather than a short story of more than the allotted 1,000 words.

If you write more than the normal word count, do not fret. Just make your writing into a short story or the beginnings of a novel. Never stop writing just because you've passed the word count, unless, of course, you are being overly repetitive and not making yourself clear.

Read some flash fiction examples and stories and see where the ideas lead you. Do you want to include a moral in your story? Do you have a beginning, a middle, and an end to it? Is your conclusion satisfying, or does it lack clarity? Does your main idea stay consistent throughout your flash fiction story? Once all of these questions are answered, you flash fiction short story will have begun to take shape, and you will be on the road to writing in more concise, creative terms in all types of writing you do before you know it.

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