flash fiction

• Flash fiction


  Also known as micro story, is a fictional work of extreme brevity that still offers character and plot development
• Typical definition of flash fiction

  A short fiction story of under 1500 words, usually under 1000 words
• Identified varieties of flash fiction defined by word count

  • Six-word story
  • Twitterature (280 words)
  • Dribble or minisaga (50 words)
  • Drabble or microfiction (100 words)
  • Sudden fiction (750 words)
  • Flash fiction (1,000 words)
• Flash fiction cannot be considered completely new because it can be traced back to older genres such as the fable and the parable
• Notable flash fiction


  • Aesop's Fables
  • Works by Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway, Italo Calvo
• Dagli


  The equivalent of flash fiction in the Philippines
• Examples of dagli


  • Appeared regularly in newspapers and magazines even during the American occupation in the Philippines
  • Popular writers include Jose Corazon de Jesus, Lope K. Santos, Teodoro Agoncillo
• The genre of dagli has been popularized because of the internet and social media
• Writing flash fiction


  • Extremely difficult because the writer has to cover a lot of ground with few words
  • Able to touch on all elements of a typical story arch (beginning, rising action, climax, conclusion) within the strict word count
  • The word limit provides a very creative challenge
• Why readers enjoy flash fiction

  • Flash fiction stories are so easy to get into and take little time commitment
  • Flash fictions are so fast and easy that people read the stories on the spot and can immediately share feedback and even dream up new ideas
• How to write flash fiction

  1. Jump into the action - don't have time for lengthy explanations, character introductions, and setting descriptions

  2. Figure out the ending before writing - best flash fiction stories involve great endings and plot twists

  3. Try not to worry too much about word count until the editing process - keep the story brief and be conscious of the flash fiction format, but don't obsess over the exact word count on the first draft