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Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [flash-fiction]

This tag should be used for questions about very short fiction, generally containing less than 1,000 words. For longer pieces of work you may want to look at [short-story], [novella] or [novel].

This tag should be used for questions about very short fiction, generally containing less than 1,000 words, such as how you can share your work or what problems you are facing when trying to keep your story as short as possible. For longer pieces of work you may want to look at , or .

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How should I start to write a flash fiction story?

I recently saw a contest for writing flash fiction - the contest rules were that it had to be under 100 words long. I thought "Hey, that's cool! I'll give it a shot." So I sat down, and tried to start writing something. Emphasis on tried - nothing…
Mithical
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Dangers of being sympathetic to the killer

I wrote a piece of flash fiction as a mental exercise. I happened to listen to Glen Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade,” and happened to watch an episode of “Samurai Jack.” “Moonlight Serenade” is a song without words, though sometime later decided to…
Dave Harris
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Does this microfiction provide a slightly surreal sense when describing an ordinary scene?

In this short story I'm trying to describe an unexceptional scene in an exciting and compelling way. I want to make a common ritual seem strange and a bit surreal. Does this paragraph accomplish these goals? What could be done to improve it? The…
Amichai
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Where can I find paying markets for flash fiction?

I've written a great deal of flash fiction, < 1000 word stories. I know I can send them out to literary journals and online literary journals, but are there paying markets for this sort of thing?
Lynn Beighley
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Are contests an effective way to gauge the quality of your writing?

I'm gearing up to start writing after a bit of a hiatus. But rather than just jump in and start on a novel (which will take several months, at best, to create and even then it might not be very good) I thought I'd start by trying my hand at a few…
Jed Oliver
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Where are some good places to publish free flash fiction?

This question has been asked about paying markets, but does anyone know good places for putting up flash fiction just to build readership?
MiraAstar
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If one is in a hall of mirrors, at a carnival for example, would this sentence make sense, or is kaleidoscope incorrect (Also Me's?)

I have this sentence in a flash fiction. My alpha/beta readers are unsure if the wording is correct, and I am starting to doubt myself. As I entered, I picked a mirror ahead of me and locked eyes with my reflection, ignoring the infinite…
Mikayla
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Writing and sharing Microfiction

So I've always enjoyed writing but never had the stamina to write a short story, let alone a novel. Mostly what I write these days is Micro-fiction (all short pieces of a couple hundred words, I've included one of my favorite pieces of mine below).…
Maladictus
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Is there a way that I can make my story interesting without writing too many words by using a strong ending or climax?

The main character is a young Rohingya girl. The story starts with her hidden in a tree with her young brother while she observes an attack on her campsite where her parents die. She then continues her journey to the Bay of Bengal to escape to…
Marry Smith
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How to create conflict in micro fiction which force reader to interact

Are there some specific rule of thumb or heuristic to consider while writing a micro fiction or a 500 word post on some social media to create conflict or anything which force reader to interact or comment about the post or story? Edit I think my…
Abdul Rehman
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How to Win Short-Fiction Writing Competitions

I've written many stories and have received some good feedback but have never tried to compete with others. I've been thinking recently that it would be nice to enter a piece of my flash-fiction in one of the many competitions I see advertised. But…
robertcday
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