A few months ago, a friend of mine introduced me to the art of Flash Fiction. Yes, I had heard of before and I knew there was some sort of rule restriction as far as word count, but honestly? I just didn’t see how I could possibly excel at such a thing. You can read all about that fun first attempt, here.
Since then, I’ve grown to love (looooove!!) writing Flash Fiction! I adore that I can sit down and pound out a story in less than an hour. And the possibilities are endless – there’s no need to process a complicated story with a 4-Point structure, or Snowflake Plotting, or whatever way you may plot out your stories. This is just a short snippet of a story that is meant to please the reader in a few minutes.
Haven’t delved into the world of Flash Fiction? Here are a few reasons I think you should give it a try! You never know, until you do. (*wink, wink*)
1. It’s good practice – It gets the juices flowing and is a good exercise before you do serious writing. Just like using a writing prompt or other warm up/exercise writing technique, this is a good way to get those cobwebs gone and start those wheels a-turnin’!
2. Contests – Yep, you heard me. Contests. Enter, enter, enter! Even if just for bragging rights. I dare you to Google search Flash Fiction Contests (and the name of your genre) and see how many there are with which you can dazzle the writing world. Have fun!
3. Blog posts – Hey, every writer/blogger needs blog posts. Sure, there may be weeks where you have too many ideas than there are days of the week to post. But there will always be those times when things are a bit dry and you are just. stuck. This is a guaranteed way to have at least one each week!
4. The Challenge – Yes, yes. At first I shied away from the idea of FF because of this very thing. But after giving it a try, I’ve found the word restriction can be fun! It’s a challenge to stay within that word count. You have to revise and cut and beautify your words, which works on your editing skills, and makes you a better writer. Go ahead, surpass your expectations for what you thought you could accomplish!
5. Possibilities – You never know what will inspire you. Maybe a short 500-word story will turn into a full length novel. Or maybe you’ll choose to combine a collection of your FF and produce one full length Flash Fiction book. Whatever your purpose or passion, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the stories that have come alive from just one simple thought.
What about you? Have you taken the FF plunge? What other reasons do you have for writing FF? Feel free to leave a comment below. I’d love to read what you’ve all written!!
Happy writing, friends!
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