What is Flash Fiction?

In our first class we will be briefly discussing flash fiction...then you will have to go home and write some yourself. So, what is it? Essentially flash fiction is a short story, a very, very, very short story (sometimes it is even as short as 100 or 55 words).

This is how Wikipedia defines it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_fiction

Why are we starting with flash fiction? Flash fiction is great for a couple of reasons (and if you are not convinced by mine, here are 10 more reasons to write flash: http://www.kporterfield.com/journal/flash.html).

First, it makes you cut out all your crap :-) You know what I mean: all the extras which a lot of us writers love but no one else does. Ah, glorious precision. It may not be the final style you choose but it is certainly something to experiment with.

Second, it makes you really examine the elements of plot and action. With only 55 words in your story you really have to figure out what it important. Why are you telling this story and what are the basic essnetials that you need to help get you/your characters there?

And finally, flash fiction is fun! Or at least I hope it you will find it to be. It is much much harder than it looks but usually 55 words doesn't feel as daunting as 5500 so the dreaded "writer's block" isn't as much as a problem for most of you. What I want to get you doing in this first assignment is focusing on getting the basic writing done as quickly as possible so that you can work on polishing and refining your ideas in a critical manner that will help improve your work.

Here are a couple of good online sources for flash fiction, so you can read a selection of current flash fiction for yourself:
http://newtimes-slo.com/index.php?p=showarticle&id=1158

http://www.creativenonfiction.org/brevity/index.htm

http://www.nefarious-tales.com/

http://www.wordriot.org/shortshorts/

http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/index/flash-fiction/

http://www.flashquake.org/

So, what are you waiting for? Write!