Every Writer Should Write Flash
Flash prose: why it’s attractive to readers and a boon for writers
There is a writing trend and it’s all about tiny. 100-word stories. Six-word memoirs. One-sentence poems.
Some publications, like Brevity, have centered on flash for years. But short-form writing is on the rise everywhere. Literary journals feature it. Contests highlight it. Readers read it.
Flash is like lightning. It happens fast, shines bright, dazzles the reader. The lessons learned in writing flash will make all your words shine.
What flash is
You may see flash writing called something else, like short-short, micro-story, micro-fiction, or postcard. Length may vary, but word counts typically range from 500 to 1500 words, sometimes up to 2000. The category is found in fiction, nonfiction, or what some simply call prose.
Readers need flash
Look at stories on Medium. Many of the most popular are a 5–8 minute read. Why is that? Because life is hectic. Readers have limited time to invest in a story. If a writer can develop a story arc, entertain the reader, and wrap it up with a statement or revelation—all in 1000 words—readers will read.
Writers need flash
Flash pieces are not easy to write, but they are rewarding. Compared to a book or lengthy article, they can be started and finished in a short time. Like longer pieces, they benefit from time away, improved through multiple edits over several days; but because of the low word count, less time is time spent with each edit. So the writer can produce numerous pieces in a variety of styles and uncover a multitude of lessons.
By writing and editing lots of flash, skills will automatically carry over to other pieces.
The benefits of writing flash
Motivating
I almost always enter Prime Number Magazine’s 53-word story contest. Every thirty days, fresh motivation and a reasonable goal spur me—I can certainly write 53 words, especially if someone else provides the prompt and there is no entry fee.
Satisfying
I submitted several stories to the 42 Stories Anthology. There, I chose from 42 categories, composed a 42-word story with a 42-character title, all submitted with a 42-word bio. When productivity lags, I can usually convince myself to write 42 words. The result is an immediate sense of accomplishment.
Enlightening
With so few words, the writer is forced to create a clear beginning, middle, and end. There is no room to meander through wordy exposition or pages of backstory. Once mastered in flash, this structure will be easier to generate in longer works.
Constraining
In flash, every word counts. The writer is forced to edit. To cut. To take out extraneous material. Soon, it is obvious how many words are expendable. And once the clutter is recognized in flash, it will be obvious everywhere.
Empowering
To make a 500-word piece effective, the writer must become a ruthless editor. Every decision is critical: timing, dialogue, word choice, tense, point of view. With flash, the writer can experiment and quickly determine what works. There is time to write a piece three different ways and compare them side by side. In making judgments about the elements of writing—and recognizing how they function—the writer builds confidence.
Marketable
Whether writing fiction, essay, memoir, or creative nonfiction, there are markets for flash pieces. A Google search quickly reveals literary journals that publish it. Bloggers highlight lists of flash markets. Writing websites feature flash submission calls.
A trend is emerging in books of flash too. While chapbooks are most often associated with poetry, publishers are creating flash prose chapbooks. Porkbelly Press has a call for prose or micro-prose chapbooks; the Thirty West Publishing House Annual Chapbook Contest is accepting 20–30 pages of poetry, fiction or nonfiction.
Flash, bam, alakazam! Flash magic works anywhere
Within the microcosm of flash there lies a craft workshop in the elements of writing. There is room to experiment. There is time to examine. There is the freedom to explore. Those lessons from flash will be transferred to every essay, story, poem, or book.
Nancy Jorgensen is a writer and musician. Her 2019 memoir, “Go, Gwen, Go: A Family’s Journey to Olympic Gold,” is co-written with daughter Elizabeth Jorgensen and published by Meyer & Meyer Sport. Her flash pieces are found at CHEAP POP, Wisconsin Public Radio, and other literary journals.
