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When I came back from Vietnam and told my father I wanted to be a writer he said to me, “That’s a hobby for rich white boys.”
A few decades later as I worked on my MFA in fiction writing, after winning a fellowship that paid for everything, I realized that the writing program was not so much about teaching me how to write but was really about teaching me how to teach; so that I could make money at a real job.
To actually make money writing short stories or novels, you not only have to be talented but also very lucky. And if you are not making money at writing, few people take you being a writer seriously.
That’s just the way it is. In other words, you better go into writing just for the sheer pleasure of writing. If you actually make money at it, that’s just icing on the cake.
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What’s The Most Important Part Of A Flash Fiction Story?
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What is the most important part of a flash fiction story? I’ve been writing flash fiction for at least 15 years. Flash fiction won a fellowship for me that paid for my MFA in fiction writing. Flash fiction is what this blog is all about. I’m pretty invested in flash fiction. And this is what the Old Soldier has found out about writing it.
The most important part of flash fiction is a good flash fiction idea.
Some story ideas will make for a good regular-length short story or for something longer like a novel.
But a good flash fiction idea allows the writer to tell a complete story in a few hundred words. Without a story idea that can be completely contained within a few hundred words, the writer is stuck. The story cannot be written.
The idea behind the story is the most important part of a flash fiction story.
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The Submissions tab for flash fiction is at the top of the page. Send me something. Aspiring writers are especially encouraged to submit their work. You will find me a supportive editor and publisher.
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