So often, what makes fiction absorbing, engrossing, unputdownable, is the attention to the details of its world and characters. The sharp-toothed mythology and visceral cold in The Bear in the Nightingale, the potent spells and swoosh of a familiar’s wings in The Once and Future Witches, the quirks of the farmers and pet owners in any of the James Herriot stories.
But in flash fiction, and even more in micro-fiction, those details are vital. Word counts vary from source to source, but generally speaking, micro-fiction runs fewer than 300 words, and flash can be up to 1,000 or 1,500. With such a tight space, it’s tempting to cut all description, but hanging onto a few specific details can be pivotal to your reader engaging with the story.
I’ve spent some time experimenting with writing micro-fiction stories of exactly 100 words as a writing challenge. Having to work within a strict framework with a set of rules can sometimes be paradoxically freeing, as you’re forced to approach the story in new ways. Below is one of my favourites to come out of writing practice:
I visit my mother every Sunday to play crib and drink watery tea. Her English is mostly gone, so our conversations are simple, and safe.
“Bonjour Sylvie, ça va?”
“Bien, mais je suis un peu fatigué aujourd’hui.”
“Moi aussi. C’est cette pluie!”
She smiles politely at my accent, her stinger clipped now that I’m a stranger.
She does not touch my hair and sigh at its shortness. She makes no comment on my bare ring finger.
Her eyes have become like the windows of a hotel, pleasant, and bland. The nurses offer unneeded sympathy.
I’m finally free to love her.
I’m excited to announce I’m teaching a new series of Saturday writing workshops through the McTavish Academy of the Arts in North Saanich. Check back here for registration in the next few weeks, but dates are as follows:
August 13 - Flash Fiction: 100-word stories
September 10 - World Building
October 15 - Character Development
November 12 - Working Through Writer’s Block
December 3 - Flash Fiction: 100-word stories
Classes are limited to 10 people each. I’d love to see you there!
Such deep emotions brought to the surface with such a short story!! Well-done!