I've missed out on a whole genre of literature called flash fiction. As a former English major, this is embarrassing. According to an interview with David Galef the author of "Brevity (A Flash Fiction Handbook)," these 500-1,000 word stories have been around since 1986 and got a big boost with the internet. This genre of fiction goes back even further with Hemingway's "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Then there's Aesop and the Bible. In the interview Galef says flash fiction should be visceral, a punch in the gut. He writes about people in trouble or wounded or about to be wounded.
The interview was conducted by the website Electric Lit. There's stuff on the site about Flash literature, but if you become a member for $5 per month you can read new flash lit every month and submit four of your own works per year. I think they pay a little. While I mull this offer over I'm working on my 2017 submissions. I'm leaning toward the micro side of flash fiction.
"A footprint the size of a tractor tire slowly filled with water. His dog thought they'd be fine if they could get back to LA.
He knew better."
"She had the drop on him, no doubt about it. Perhaps he could distract her with a walk by the lagoon while the eggs cooked."
"He groaned deep within. He had just learned that people had been picking up gold in the streets for years. Literally.
"'Don't worry,' she smiled. 'I know where there's more.'"
"The little devil asked the boss to open the window.
'Why?' was the answer. 'A little smoke never hurt anyone.'"
3 comments:
Microflash Fiction, the perfect procrastinator prose, and the opportunity for franchise sequels are endless.
Though Irish, though retired, though still married, though rural, though missing a finger, though usually busy elsewhere, he could make a decent pizza and make people smile by simply entering the room. Before long, he'd also amassed a trove of written observations about all those important moments in between.
The dogs looked up at her expectantly. The dried liver pieces long exhausted, she fed them green peas, one at a time. The pine forest surrounded the three of them, and never-ending appetites prevailed over long-term plans for writing the next book. CS
So isn't "flash fiction" another word for "Twitter"/
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