I read an article on the Writing Cooperative by John Kerr this week about writing Flash Fiction. I found it an enjoyable and informative read. If you’re interested in Flash Fiction, it will be worth your while to cast your eye over it. You can read it here.
Clearly, there are many ways of writing a flash fiction story, but I quite like the clarity this gives the process.
I’ve done a TLDR; below and included a template for you to use at the end.
Flash Fiction
1) INTRODUCTION: 100 words – Intro characters and setting.
a. 1 or 2 characters, never more than 3
b. What are they doing, where are they?
c. Establish genre
2) EXPOSITION: 150 words – Expand on the setting.
a. Say more about characters, where and WHY they’re there.
b. Show a problem they are facing. An obstruction to everyday life.
c. What kind of situation are they in.
d. How does this affect their interactions?
3) CLIMAX: 200 words – Narrative twist and story payoff.
a. Climax can be good or bad – should affect characters in a significant way
b. Should be something unexpected – a revelation that makes everything change.
c. Subvert readers’ expectations. Take an element of the characters or setting and flip it on its head.
4) CONCLUSION: 50 words – Note this is a conclusion not a resolution.
a. No need for a satisfying ending, just something to think about
b. Wrap up that issue, but leave the bigger story to your reader’s imagination
If you like this format, you can download my template here:
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