Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette

How many times have you heard the old saw, show don’t tell?  The Old Soldier gets a flash fiction story in by email every day from an online magazine; and I occasionally get a submission at the Gazette.  I see a common mistake in these stories, some written by writers who should know better.

Because flash fiction is so short, writers have a tendency to summarize.  Summary speeds up time.  Well written flash fiction should slow down time.  How do you slow down time?  You write in scenes.  Now since flash fiction is so short, usually one scene will do.

Give your story a quick setup and then get into the action.  The action should make up the majority of the story even if it’s only 300 words long.

You don’t believe it can be done?  Just go to the sidebar on the right and scroll down to Great American Flash Fiction Stories To Read. 

You’ll find dozens of very short stories that are excellent examples of writing in scene, of show don’t tell.

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