What drives a writer to write flash fiction? Why not write a poem or a play? Why not write a novel?
Why would a writer impose a limit of, oh let’s say 700 words, on the length of his or her short story? Doesn’t this word limit also limit what the writer can write about? Doesn’t this word limit prevent the writer from bringing his or her characters fully to life?
The Old Soldier has been writing fiction for over 40 years and he has been writing flash fiction for over 10 years. This is what I have found out about writing flash fiction.
The flash fiction story does not limit a writer in any way.
Writer Wordart (Photo credit: MarkGregory007)
The flash fiction story at its best exemplifies some of the most attractive elements of the poem (concise language), the play (the effective portrayal of character) and the novel (narrative movement).
Flash fiction has it all.
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Filed under: Writing Flash Fiction | Tagged: characters, concise language, flash fiction, joy of writing, life, narrative movement, novel, poem or play, writing fiction | 11 Comments »
Write A Novel One Flash Fiction Story At A Time
Woman As Art
The Old Soldier has done it. Other writers have done it. You can do it, too. It may take a couple of years or so but you can do it.
If you write a series of flash fiction stories that follow one or more characters and put the stories together in a book, you just might have yourself a novel.
You have to make sure that there is over all narrative movement, that something or someone has changed. The change does not have to be a great change, but it does have to be a definite change.
Keep reading and keep writing that flash fiction.
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Winesburgh, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941) was the first book of short stories that read like a novel that I ever read.
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English: First edition title page (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
How’s everyone doing?
The Old Soldier is on the sofa on his back with two pillows under his weary head as he sips on cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and he thinks about karaoke this Saturday at Nico’s Recovery Room, the #1 karaoke bar/restaurant in the city. I’ll be sure to report back to you about what happens.
This is the Old Soldier blogging in Pittsburgh.
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Filed under: Commentaries | Tagged: blogging, book, characters, flash fiction story, good ideas, Heather Jensen, Sherwood Anderson, Winesburgh Ohio, write a novel | 2 Comments »