The Flash

Microfiction. Flash fiction. It seems to be a trend in the past few years, but you may have heard the most famous example of microfiction, from sixty-odd years ago.

For sale.

Baby shoes.

Never worn.

An entire story, heartbreaking in its simplicity, in only six words. Ernest Hemingway wrote it as a bet, winning $20, according to the legend. With those six words, we can see a mother's tears causing the ink to run as she writes the notice to be placed in a local paper, feel the isolation as she and her husband grieve, each in their own way, backs turned as their minds instinctively turn inward to protect the broken pieces, wonder if the story will end with hope.

He says it so much better with only six words to my myriads.

Brevity is not my strength. I say along with Twain, "I'm sorry for the length of this letter. I don't have time to be brief."

If you've ever wanted to try your hand at flash fiction, or microfiction, there is a growing online community of writers. You can find prompts, contests, and support for your efforts.

If you have written a story of 1000 words or less, carefully crafted like a handmade chest, with dovetailed corners and beautiful woodgrain, if you've sanded it down, stained it to enhance its beauty, and decorated it with polished hardware, if you're ready to share it with the world, you can post it on a blog or venue such as Medium. I've tried Medium, and it doesn't fit my style, but there are many options out there. Check out Turndog's list of the top 14.

If that polished chest is worthy of a blue ribbon at the state fair, you may want to submit to a contest. Be careful if you search for contests on your favorite engine, though; many will charge a fee. If I'm guaranteed to win, maybe $25 isn't so bad, but let's face it, there's never a guarantee, no matter how much I like my story. Check out free writing contests, instead. Here's a list compiled by Jerry Jenkins for 2019.

But maybe you're not ready for that yet. Maybe you've never tried your hand at flash fiction. Look for prompts to get you started. Here's a collection from John Fox.

Take your time to craft the perfect piece. That beautiful chest can carry your ideas, thoughts, and talent to the world.