If you’re a writer of flash fiction, if you blog about the very short story, if you care about the precision of words then there are certain writing parameters that you should seriously consider as you prepare your micro-fiction for submission. Submission is the test. Acceptance is the reward.
Has every single unnecessary word been cut. Usually, adjectives and adverbs are unnecessary words.
Is there at least one round character in your story. A round character has internal conflict or self-doubt.
Do you get your characters into action as soon as possible. Long intros may be good for the blues and jazz but they tend to suck the air out of flash fiction stories.
Is the ending believable within “the context” of the story. A supernatural ending is believable if it happens within the context of the story.
As an editor, I can’t emphasize this last one enough. Did you read and follow the submission guidelines of the publication you are going to send your submission to. You would be surprised at how many writers don’t.
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