writing fiction

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Use flash fiction to move your writing forward

Posted by george on April 23, 2009
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , . 20 comments

cloudsI’ve long been a fan and subscriber to Writer’s Digest.  I mean, as a writer you pretty much are obligated to do so, right?  Well, a month or so back I received a mailing from The Writer magazine.  It looked interesting so I subscribed.  I  received my first issue the other day and I am just blown away.  I think that in a lot of ways it spanks WD.  One of the articles in this issue is about Flash Fiction.

No trenchcoats here

What is flash fiction? That’s an excellent question, and you would think that the answer would be straightforward.  You would think.  Sorry, it’s not that easy.  Wikipedia (not that I ever trust anything from that site) says one thing, The Writer article says another, and associated web sites say something different.

It boils down to something like this:

Flash Fiction is a complete story, generally in narrative format in 1000 words or less.

Okay, that works for me.

Flash fiction also includes things like micro fiction.  The most famous probably being from Hemingway:  “For sale, baby shoes – never worn”  Spend any time searching the web and you will find all kinds of micro fiction sites with stories from 6 words to 140 characters.

Make your writing flashy

I think that there are some very good reasons to explore this genre:

  • Writing a story in 1000 words or less forces you to cut out every single word, scene and nuance that does not serve to move the story forward.
  • Some folks don’t write because they think that they have to write a thousand page novel to be a writer and they’re just too intimidated to get started.  Flash fiction makes the elephant easier to eat.
  • Flash fiction forces you to do a better job of showing instead of telling.

Okay George, where do I go from here?

Here are some Flash Fiction sites if you’d like to explore this a little further:

I lke this idea a lot.  it’s a great way for a new writer to get past the intimidation factor, and I like what it can do for seasoned writers.

Do you flash fiction?  What are your experiences?  What do folks think of this concept?

Using fiction to better your other writing

Posted by george on March 23, 2009
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , . 24 comments

One of the best ways to improve your writing (any writing) is to spend a little time writing fiction.  I’m not talking about tax returns either.  I mean real fiction.  If you are a writer who only writes fiction, then this post may not apply and could bore you to tears.  For you folks, head on over and have a look at the Top 10 Top 10 Lists for Writers, a Tumblemoose classic.  For the rest of you that write everything from web content to ad copy, let’s look at using fiction to better your writing.

Dull, boring rut

I wish I could say that I spend a majority of my time writing fiction.  It would be nice to just show up and do a few thousand words each day on a novel or two while resting on the laurels of my last best seller.  As it turns out, the folks at VISA discovered I’m yet to be a published novelist so they’d like a little moo-la each month.  All of this means that I need to find clients and write predominately non-fiction web content.  Whooppee!

Trust me, I am not griping about having the work.  But I do find that when I have to write 20 300 word articles that all have a variant of the keyword “halitosis”, I’m kind of a mess when it’s all said and done.  What creativity I have is shot and I feel like a bit of a dullard.

Cleanse your palate

When trying different cologne or perfume, most upscale stores will have a snifter of coffee beans so that you may cleanse your palate between brands.  You will find the same type of thing at wine tastings and such.  It’s a pretty good plan.  Start fresh, minimal influence of what you tasted previously.  Hey, it must work, right?

What I’m suggesting is that you use fiction to cleanse your writing palate.  This technique is especially useful if you’ve not delved into any fiction writing before.  There is a certain liberation in having the ultimate control over scenes, characters and dialogue.  If you have absolutely no intention of trying to get what you write published, then it is even more liberating.  Grammar? Pshaw.  Plot? Dialogue? Bullwash!  Think about it.  How awesome is that?!  You can just make up a story and tap the keys to your heart’s content with nary a single care about red or green squiggly lines.

I’ve found recently that I’m feeling fictiony.  I’ve been ignoring the writing for me while writing stuff that will pay the bills.  What I have learned is that taking a break and doing even a small amount of fiction writing brings me back to my work writing with a greater sense of purpose and creativity.  I am cleansed.  I am healed.

Does anyone else use this technique?  I wonder if the opposite is true for someone who writes mainly fiction.  I’m interested in how folks break the reins of rutdom.