Woman As Art
I like the way that sounds: “Flash Fiction As Cinema.” It’s as good as “Show Don’t Tell.” And in the mind of the Old Soldier, they both mean the same thing.
Since we flash fiction writers have to depend so much on the imagination of the reader to complete our stories, we have to do everything we can to help the reader to see (and to hear) what is going on in our stories. Thus, the best flash fiction is cinematic; the best flash fiction is show don’t tell writing.
But exactly how can a writer actually help the reader to see or hear his or her short story?
Short Story Writing Workshop (Photo credit: MadLabUK)
Well, first of all, the writer should concentrate on what the characters do and say. That will go a long way in helping the reader to see and hear the story. Add to this a healthy dose of concrete sense perceptions of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch (all when appropriate) through a viewpoint character and you as the author have gone a long ways toward show don’t tell writing.
This is what the Old Soldier means when he puts up a post with the title of “Flash Fiction As Cinema.”
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Writing Flash Fiction From The Inside Out
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The Old Soldier is always preaching the gospel of show don’t tell. Show don’t tell allows the reader to live in a flash fiction story because the writer uses sense details, words about taste, sight, smell, touch and hearing.
Let me try this way of explaining show don’t tell: less summation and more action.
Or how about this. Figure out what motivates each one of your characters and figure out each character’s agenda and then don’t tell the reader. Just let your characters act out the story.
I hope that helps. If you want some examples of show don’t tell flash fiction, go to the top of the page and click on the Sexy Stories tag. There you will find the best show don’t tell erotica on the Internet.
Guy Hogan On Triond
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