Could someone give me a definition of flash fiction? I'm assuming it means short short, but what are the parameters? Any guidelines?

Best place to ask this is actually in the flash groups - Prospero gave me a brilliant answer to the same question, a brilliant answer that, regrettably, made no long-term impact so that I cannot remember it.

However, he did quote Hemingway's astonishing flash in six words:

"For sale, baby shoes, never worn."

The gist is that it is a complete story with characters, beginning, middle and end. The airy-fairy bit is the implication that it should be bigger than the sum of its words (eg: the Hemingway suggests so many levels of human emotion and traits to the character writing that it punches far above its wordcount).

That said, it is essentially wrting to a wordcount. Typical limit is are less than 1000 words... but a story of 1001 words is still a flash to me! The thing is, the effort of constraining a full storyline to fit the space usually results in tighter, better, more expressive writing.

Other interesting sub-definitions:

A Dribble (a flash of exactly 50 words)
A Drabble (a flash of exactly 100 words - from the game in Monty Python's Bok [sic] that decided 100 words was the shortest possible length to contain a novel)

The best way to learn is to actually have a go...

For example, I am running very low on entries for this week's challenge in Flash II: http://www.writewords.org.uk/groups/103_337718.asp

It's only 136 words so shouldn't take you long.

Cheers,
Gaius

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PS: It's also a good way to get feedback from a wider reading public so as to escape the hideous black-box of rejections from agents etc. If you get a story on somewhere like http://www.everydayfiction.com not only do you get the excellent input from their excellent readers and editors, regardless of whether or not they accept you, but you also get an insight into how your writing actually comes across from the comments and, of course, the satisfaction of seeing your work out there. Recommended.

As Gaius says, post the question in the Flash Group and they'll be able to help you.


- NaomiM

Thanks a lot to you both. The advice at the top of the newcomers section says to post any queries there so that's what I did.
Never mind, I'll get the hang of it yet!

Hi Barry, and welcome!

There's no problem posting questions here - it's just that you're likely to get a more detailed reply in specific forums.

Gaius has given you the gist of it, though. FF is a difficult nut to crack, but it's an excellent way to refine your writing skills. Good luck with it.

Dee

As I always understood it, flas fiction is a story in as few words as possible.

Gaius, I've heard a version of that Hemingway flash too - For sale, wedding dress, never worn.

I love little stories like this because they convey so much with so few words.

Welcome to the site Barry by the way

Kat

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or even FLASH fiction!

Hi Somebloke (love the name!).

The Bridport Prize this year defines flash fiction as follows:

Flash Fiction is fiction of extreme brevity. The number of words can vary widely - for our competition it will be a maximum of 250. Other names for flash fiction include sudden fiction, microfiction, micro-story, postcard fiction, prosetry and short short story. Flash fiction work contains the classic story elements: protagonist, conflict, obstacles or complications and resolution. However unlike the case with a traditional short story, the word length often forces some of these elements to remain unwritten: hinted at or implied in the written storyline.

Frances

Thank you everyone, I think I get it now!