There’s nothing I like more than getting to the point. That’s what flash fiction does, and it’s also how I started writing. For the longest time, I wrote fractured pieces, snippets of stories that weren’t destined for me to finish. Characters came and went, challenges were entered, and pieces of stories lay frayed at the edges and abandoned to dusty corners.
But the skills I picked up writing flash fiction were invaluable.
If it weren’t for the heroics of bloggers and community builders like Charli Mills, I might never have been brave enough to pick up the proverbial pen and grit my way through 70,000 words.
February sees the launch of the first flash fiction anthology from Charli’s writing community: The Rough Writers over at The Carrot Ranch. I am both humbled and deeply honored to have been part of that anthology.
Check out the anthology here:
Here are 5 reasons why you probably ought to be writing Flash Fiction:
REASON ONE & TWO – COMMUNITY & FEEDBACK
Writers have a reputation for being lone wolves. We stay hidden with our laptop-BFF’s in the inky depths of midnight, caffeined up to our eyeballs and no clue whether the feverish word dump we just spewed was pure genius or pure bollocks.
No writer is a lone wolf. We might like the wolfy-island metaphor, but let’s be honest. We’re all as insecure and in need of friendly faces and like-minded pals as each other.
The blog world is filled with heroes like Charli who devote inordinate amounts of time to creating a safe space for writers to join in with writing prompts and be a part of something bigger than their own blogish or bookish world. I’ve made a number of friends through Charli’s 99-word challenge, some of whom, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting at the Annual Bloggers Bash in London.
The other benefit of joining a community is the feedback you get. There is nothing that develops your writing faster than feedback on the bits you’ve done well and the bits that need sharpening. Whether it be a sentence that evoked an emotion, or a piece of flash that’s got legs to build a longer story. When we lock ourselves away, half the battle is getting enough objectivity to know what we’ve done well and what needs development.
Flash fiction communities can be your go-to source for growing and building on your writing skills.
Besides, wolves live in packs.
Just saying.
REASON THREE – BREVITY
Sometimes the most powerful stories are those told in just a sentence. A tagline that punches you in the gut and makes you buy a book. The love story that ends with a full stop. The snippet you catch of an anecdote that makes you know you’ve felt that pain.
Brevity doesn’t mean poor quality. In fact, it means just the opposite.
Einstein once said that ‘if you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, then you don’t really understand it yourself.’ It’s the same with writing. You don’t need long, flowery prose to tug on your reader’s heartstrings, just a few little words will do the job nicely. Check out some of the six words stories highlighted on the HuffPost.
I even ran a writespiration challenge some time ago using the same principle, and I’m sure Ali and Sarah won’t mind me reposting their entries:
‘Aliens dissect humans. Discover no heart.’ By Sarah Brentyn
‘In my dreams, I am alive.’ by Ali Isaac
Brevity, which is the point of flash fiction, forces you to be creative with words, to think outside the box and to push your little grey scratchers outside their comfort zones, and that’s where the fun really begins.
REASON FOUR – BETTER SENTENCES
If you only have 99 words or so to play with, then being creative with words isn’t the only benefit you’ll see. You’re forced to remove any toe-fluff and self-indulgent ramblings, and that gives you cleaner, bolder sentences.
Many of the lessons I learned from my writing coach article Getting Jiggy with the Nitty Gritty – Improving Your Sentences, come from the tricks I’ve picked up forcing myself into smaller and smaller word count boxes.
Instead of writing things like:
But then, as I reached out for the glass of wine, my head pounded as if warning of the hangover the morning might bring.
You’re forced to condense and write clean like this:
I reached for the glass of wine, my head pounding – a warning of the hangover to come.
It says the same thing, but better. That’s what flash fiction does, and when you go back to writing full-length novels, the effect is cumulative. All your sentences are that much cleaner, bolder, packed with tit-punching power words.
REASON FIVE – SHOW DON’T TELL
Show don’t tell is like the old granny Ethel of writing rules: stubborn, rigid and brutally correct. With flash, that skill is even harder to achieve because showing can involve more words, more senses, and more description of actions. But that’s exactly why ‘showing’ in flash is even more important to practice. And practice makes perfect my pretties.
When you only have 99 words, there’s no space to ‘filter’ as a writer. Which means you have to remove pesky words like ‘I thought’, ‘ I felt’, ‘I saw’.
They’re unnecessary, they tell instead of showing, and they’re a waste of words.
Flash taught me to change my sentences from this:
Somewhere in the darkness behind me, I thought I heard twigs crunch underfoot.
to this:
Somewhere in the darkness behind me, twigs crunched underfoot.
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What lessons have you learned from flash fiction? Let me know in the comments below.
Oh, and don’t forget, you can grab your copy of the brand new anthology here:
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Thirty writers began with 99 words and forged literary feats. Vol. 1 explores the literary art of flash fiction, beginning with the earliest compilations at Carrot Ranch and later pieces based on a new flash fiction prompt. This is not your typical anthology. It continues with longer stories extended from the original 99-word format and essays on how flash fiction supports memoir writing. Based on the experiences at Carrot Ranch, the concluding section of Vol. 1 offers tips to other groups interested in using the flash fiction format to build a literary community.
Charli Mills, Series Editor, Publisher & Lead Buckaroo
Sarah Brentyn, Editor & Contributor
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Back Cover
Witness great feats of literary art from daring writers around the world: stories crafted in 99 words.
Flash fiction is a literary prompt, form, and tool that unites writers in word play. This creative craft hones a writer’s skills to write tight stories and explore longer works. It’s literary art in thoughtful bites, and the collective stories in this anthology provide an entertaining read for busy modern readers.
Writers approach the prompts for their 99-word flash with creative diversity. Each of the twelve chapters in Part One features quick, thought-provoking flash fiction. Later sections include responses to a new flash fiction prompt, extended stories from the original 99-word format, and essays from memoir writers working in flash fiction. A final section includes tips on how to use flash fiction in classrooms, book clubs, and writers groups.
CarrotRanch.com is an online literary community where writers can practice craft the way musicians jam. Vol. 1 includes the earliest writings by these global literary artists at Carrot Ranch. Just as Buffalo Bill Cody once showcased the world’s most daring riding, this anthology highlights the best literary feats from The Congress of Rough Writers.
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Charli Mills, a born buckaroo, is the award-winning goat-tying champion of a forgotten 1970s rodeo. Now she wrangles words with the Rough Writers & Friends at CarrotRanch.com.
Married to a former US Army Ranger, Charli Mills is “true grit” but no John Wayne. She writes about the veteran spouse experience and gives voice to women and others marginalized in history, especially on frontiers. Her novel, Miracle of Ducks, explores the courage of military spouses and their interdependency upon community when their soldiers deploy. It publishes in 2018.
In 2014 Charli founded an imaginary place called Carrot Ranch where real literary artists could gather. As lead buckaroo, she’s crafted and compiled enough flash fiction to understand its value. She developed the Congress of the Rough Writers to collaborate with flash fiction writers from around the world.
Charli hosts a literary community at Carrot Ranch with weekly Flash Fiction Challenges open to all writers. 99 words, no more, no less. The community hosts an annual Flash Fiction Rodeo in October and awards eight cash prizes in different categories. Her mission as a literary artist is to make literary art more accessible, one flash fiction at a time.
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The Congress of the Rough Writers (contributors):
Anthony Amore, Rhode Island, USA; Georgia Bell, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Sacha Black, England, UK; Sarah Brentyn, USA; Norah Colvin, Brisbane, Qld, AU; Pete Fanning, Virginia, USA; C. Jai Ferry, Midwest, USA; Rebecca Glaessner, Melbourne, Vic, AU; Anne Goodwin, England, UK; Luccia Gray, Spain; Urszula Humienik, Poland; Ruchira Khanna, California, USA; Larry LaForge, Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Geoff Le Pard, Dulwich South London, UK; Jeanne Belisle Lombardo, Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Sherri Matthews, Somerset, UK; Allison Mills, Houghton, Michigan, USA; Charli Mills, Hancock, Michigan, USA; Paula Moyer, Lauderdale, Minnesota, USA; JulesPaige, Pennsylvania, USA; Amber Prince, North Texas, USA; Lisa Reiter, UK; Ann Edall-Robson, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada; Christina Rose, Oregon, USA; Roger Shipp, Virginia, USA; Kate Spencer, British Columbia, Canada; Sarah Unsicker, St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Irene Waters, Noosaville, Qld, AU; Sarrah J. Woods, Charleston, West Virginia, USA; Susan Zutautas, Orillia, Ontario, Canada.
Flash definitely taught me to be more concise!!
100% it really helps flex the mind into cleaner sentences
Definitely!
Great post!
Thank you
Hi Sacha. A great post. Flash fiction has completely changed my way of writing, and thinking ! I’m so much more precise and to the point now than I ever was before. I get my weekly dose at the Ranch too. Hats off to Lead Buckaroo, Charli Mills. 🙂
HI Juliet I totally agree flash has such a good impact on our skills it makes a massive difference and I absolutely love what Charli has done for our community 💖
You are bang on with the reasons people should be writing flash fiction. The Ranch and Charli’s vision is a great stepping stone for those aspiring to write more words in the form of short stories or novels. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you 🙂 and yes definitely, she certainly played a significant role in helping me embed the practice of writing, not just flash either. Her flash community has paved the way for thousands if not millions of words! It’s awe-inspiring.
I’ve been tooting this same horn ever since I started participating in flash fiction challenges. The practice I get every week, taking a first draft of a tiny story and then cutting half the words out of it, is absolutely invaluable.
Too right! It really is invaluable and I have had full blown novel ideas come from it too!
Good point — I have gotten some wonderful world-building and story ideas from writing flash fiction.
Now I’ve read a few, I plan to write flash fiction headers for a couple of scenes in the WIP to see if it shakes something loose! xx Great post, Sacha.
oooh yes, that’s a great idea. I’ve sometimes written flash and snippets to get a scene kick started too 🙂
Congratulations on the release, Sacha. I’m a huge fan of these collaborations of talent. Bravo to you all.
Awesome post, as well. This is what I love about writing poetry. Every word is a deliberate choice. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Have an awesome week!
Thanks, Natalie, although I can’t really claim the credit. It was Charli’s vision and Sarah’s editing that made it come to fruition, of course with all the contributions. But Charli spearheaded this one 😀 Totally agree about poetry! I love it as much as I love the lyrical nature of song lines.
I agree with all your points, Sacha. I love writing and reading flash, especially when there are prompts. I like seeing all the different ways that people respond. It’s fascinating. And Charli has been an awesome job building a community as well as educating and sharing. Congrats on the inclusion of your work in the anthology. 🙂
Thanks Diana, I totally agree – that’s my only problem with flash – when there isn’t a prompt. I have to have one to write flash. I totally agree about Charli, she’s a force to be reckoned with and one that’s had a huge impact on so many of our writing lives 🙂 an inspiration.
I have at least three book ideas from flash prompts, which will see the light of day sometime… soon?
Sounds like you need a writing retreat…
Now wouldn’t that be just dandy…
Guess you just found your weekend goal!
Spot on, Sacha! Thank you for acknowledging the community building element of flash fiction, too. I love your point that if we are “lone wolf” writers, we need to remember we are part of a pack. That’s where we can express our best selves. Thank you for hosting the tour at your place this week!
You’re so welcome, and I thought you might appreciate that bit. It’s so true. Everyone dances on the wolf metaphor and I’m like… wait one… wolves live in packs! hehe. You are a true inspiration, community builder, teacher and amazing writer. I have everything crossed for you and I look forward to getting my copy in the post (when Amazon decides to dispatch it!)
Ah, Amazon… It did no good in the end to purchase a robust distribution package because Amazon will list books from other printers, but not hold them in stock. We get better royalties from our book store but as I’ve been going out in the community I’m learning that people I meet have a strong preference for purchasing on Amazon. Interesting, eh? Thank you for being such a model for indie authorship. You do it well!
I starting participating in Charli’s weekly flash prompt a few weeks ago, and I love it. I have worked on conciseness in my writing, but this takes it to a new level. And to get a story across in 99 words is a great challenge. Love reading how you’ve benefited from the exercises, Sacha.
Thank you so much, I really have and it’s lovely to hear that you’ve benefitted too 😀 Charli is an amazing buckeroo and teacher and supporter of us in this community
Enjoyed the article.
Thank you
Brilliant post Sach. You got it covered! Even I dabbled in a few of Charli’s challenges before this crazy year began. I think I’ll hop on a few while on vacay to keep in practice and hone a few skills <3
Yes I really need to do more too – it’s been a long time since I did any and I miss it terribly.
I hear you! <3
So agree about practising flash improving our editing skills. A great contribution to the tour.
Thanks, Anne, congratulations on your recent launch too. And thank you 😀
All true.
Hey Jane, thank you. Nice to hear from you. How are you? Long time no speak x
I can’t leave comments on your blog. It always says comments are closed. I’m surviving. You seem to be going from strength to strength!
That’s weird. I closed comments on the writespirations. But all other posts are open for comments – sometimes people have to add their email address and stuff though which is a bore. What are you working on writing-wise now? Ha. Not sure about strength to strength, but bumbling on in a general upwards trajectory give or take some epic roadblocks!
I don’t get notifications often. WP seems to be very hit or miss. I’ve been writing a lot of short fiction for magazines while I’m waiting to see if I can shift my epic saga that I love so much. To be honest, I have so many finished novels that I can’t shift, I’ve put the brakes on writing anything new.
Blimey, are you touting to publishers? Would you not consider self-publishing?
Nope. You know how much work you need to put in once you’ve written the book, edited it, got your cover, done your paperback version, published and promoted the launch. That’s just the beginning. It never stops and it’s expensive. I have a whole series that I took down from Amazon and now have to decide what to do with it. I haven’t the heart to start self-publishing it all over again but no publisher or agent would look at it. I’m just procrastinating at the moment, putting off the evil hour.
What a great post Sacha!
Thanks so much Susan 😀
I come from writing small verse. Elfje, Septolets and haiku (and more) – when you are counting words and syllables in small verse writing 99 words seems a luxury.
I enjoy flash fiction and hope to eventually publish my own collections (of poetry too). But I’m not in a rush. Being a part of the Buckaroo Nation is a wonderful ‘Pack’ to belong to.
Continued success and thanks for your part in this world tour! 🙂 ~Jules
Ha! well there you go – I’m rather fond of the 6 word stories too – there really is NO room for stray words there! Thank you for stopping in 😀
Flash fiction was totally new to me a year ago. It has taught me to stretch my mind and pen the story in an interesting event or circumstance.
Well it sounds like its been a year well worth spending 😀 glad you found flash 😀
As stated above, flash certainly conspires to improve one’s writing, but the other trick is that it tricks one into starting in the first place. Who couldn’t manage 99 words? So we try it, what harm? But who will write the expose on the addictive properties of flash? We justify it, but can we stop flashing?And for you to suggest that it leads to higher word counts is truly alarming. What is Charli Mills dealing?
Yes yes yes!!!! That’s exactly it. It really does trick you into starting – because, I mean, it’s only 99 words… riiiiight? Everyone can spare that!
Thanks Sasha. It took me a few years of writing to learn the value of succinctness. – such a vital lesson!. I ran a 50 word story competition on LinkedIn, which ran for a while. Some of the entries were brilliant! Six/ten/fifty/one hundred word stories are all invaluable to writers. Great stuff! Cheers. x
Thanks Joy – I love reading the entries too – I do miss the Writespiration comps I used to do, but I guess all things come to an end eventually. Thank you for dropping in 😀
I love the way you write Sacha – ‘tit-punching power words’ lol! Seriously, I was nodding furiously reading your post, you’ve nailed it. I’m STILL working on my memior rewrites, but that’s because I’m rewriting the whole thing thanks to flash fiction! Charli has created an amazing community, so proud to be a part of it all, exciting! Looking forward to seeing you at the Bash 🙂 xxx
Haha thank you Sherri! I do love playing with words! That’s amazing that you’re re writing based on flash that’s such an amazing development. I really can’t advocate flash enough. Especially what Charli does 🙂
Yes, I can tell, love it! Thanks Sacha…flash is amazing and I am so glad for the day I first galloped over to the Ranch and met Charli 🙂
Great post, Sacha. I agree with all five reasons for engaging with flash to improve your writing. Your post is tight and to the point. What a great community we belong to – The Carrot Ranch Rough Writers.
Thanks Norah, I totally agree. It’s an amazing community 😀
Flash does wonderful spell, which no other writing can.
Totally agree 😀
Thanks Sacha, very interesting reading … I must think about getting into flash writing … I can see how it would hone one’s writing skills …
It really does, and I hope you get around to it 😀
Flash fiction has helped me generate ideas and to get them down using minail words. BUt I’ve not been great at the micro fiction, I think that takes some thought and skill.
It’s all practice 😀
Of course 😀
Of course! 😀
Well… You *know* I agree with these points.
It was awesome working with you on the book-only prompt. You did an awesome job with it.
Sorry so late to the party but…life. Glad I’m here now. 💖 Hope you’re doing well.
More to the point, I hope you’re well… sending love x