Two Top Tips for Writing Flash Fiction

I have had the pleasure of reading some of WOW’s flash fiction contest entries, and I’m continually impressed that so many of you share your stories – a.k.a. bare your souls – to us each contest.

Having now read hundreds of flash fiction stories – from this contest, from my students, from other flash-fiction publications – I have seen what works well in flash fiction, and what does not.

I want to share two tips with you and hope that you will use them to revise your flash fiction and submit it to WOW’s next flash fiction contest (see here for contest deadlines and requirements).

1. Show, Don’t Tell

That’s good advice for all types of creative writing. In flash fiction, however, it’s common to think you have to summarize a lot of information so you can condense the story into the limited word count, which results in telling rather than showing.

For example, writing “I was elated” tells us that the character is excited, but how would you show that?

“I jumped up and down with my fist pumping the air, yelling ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’” shows us that the character is excited and also provides more about the character’s personality.

Showing, rather than telling, strengthens your writing, but it can also increase your word count, which leads me to my second suggestion, which can help reduce the word count:

2. Avoid Adverbs, Clichés, and Other Unnecessary Words

It’s tempting to default to commonly used phrases or to write the way we speak. But writing is a craft, which means we need to chisel out all of the triteness of language from our stories.

Let’s deconstruct this sentence: “I threw all caution to the wind when I took the plunge over the bridge and fell quickly into the bitterly cold and rapidly moving river below.”

Adverbs: quickly, bitterly, rapidly

Adverbs are rarely needed (see, I just used one, so sometimes they’re OK), but when writing fiction, it’s best to use strong nouns and verbs instead.

Clichés: threw all caution to the wind, took the plunge

These words have been used in this order too many times. You’re a creative writer – find new ways to describe your scene and characters! Eliminate all over-used phrases.

Potential revised sentence: “I jumped off the bridge and the river’s icicle fingers carried me past the old hotel before depositing me into the rocks on the other side.”

There are plenty of other ways to revise the sentence, but my revised example provides more images and sensory details, which help a reader to see and maybe even feel the scene.

Notice that I didn’t specifically write about landing in the water, because if someone jumps off a bridge over a river, it’s implied that she’s going to land in the water; therefore, you can eliminate that detail.

I hope these tips help you with story revisions. Good luck and happy writing!

Tips provided by: Anne Greenawalt

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Patricia Tompkins, Second Place Winner in the Winter 2014 Flash Fiction Contest

What I liked about Patricia Tompkins's flash fiction piece, "American Underwear" from the very beginning of the story is the topic, the tone, and the voice. This story starts with a woman in a foreign country at work sewing a large pair of underwear for American women, "The novelty of sewing extra-extra-large cotton panties faded by late morning. Earlier that Tuesday, Sanetha laughed at their size. They must be American underwear. Such fat women in the United States and so many." To read more of this winning story, go here and scroll down to Patricia's name! 

Here's a little more about Patricia:  As a longtime editor, Pat has learned about writing from working on others’ prose, from lifelong reading, and from trial and error. Following the words of the great Dorothy Parker, “Brevity is the soul of lingerie,” Pat is drawn to short forms, including haiku, tanka, and flash fiction; her shortest stories have appeared in Nanoism.

WOW: Congratulations, Patricia, on winning second place with your short story, "American Underwear." Great title! Where did you come up with the idea for this story?

Patricia: I first wrote the story 10 years ago. It’s always been short, varying from 500 to 800 words over several revisions. I don’t remember what was the impetus, but I always thought it was worthwhile, despite 20 rejections. One journal accepted it, held onto it for months, and folded before publishing it.

WOW: It's stood the test of time, and it shows what persistence can do! What are the themes you are exploring in "American Underwear"?

Patricia: Essentially, the power of stories, whether true or fairy tales, what we tell ourselves and what others tell us.

WOW: How long have you been writing and editing, and how did you get started?

Patricia: I’ve been an editor since the late 1970s, starting in nonfiction book publishing. As a longtime avid reader, I tried to write a novel long ago. With no success getting that published, I put the idea of writing aside. Eventually, I tried short stories and finally poems.

WOW: Another example of your determination. I think this has to be giving people inspiration. Your bio says you like short pieces. What draws you to this form?

Patricia: I read like an editor, so I appreciate writing that isn’t sloppy or wordy. Short is more difficult, and I like the challenge; it also helps me edit myself. Beginning writers often think shorter is easier. That has led to lots of bad haiku, among other things.

WOW: (laughs) I think you have a good point there. You seem like you have a very humorous side! Do a lot of your pieces incorporate humor? Could you give us a couple tips how you include humor in your work?

Patricia: I like to use humor, but it’s tricky, especially with poetry. The term “light verse” almost dismisses humor. Because humor stems from outlook, I doubt that I can offer any tips, aside from read such masters as Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and Carl Hiaasen.

WOW: What's next for you in your writing life?

Patricia: I hope to keep improving and write longer stories. It’s certainly encouraging to win a prize for my work, and I thank WOW for sponsoring contests that are not winner takes all.

WOW: We are thankful that talented writers like you are entering! Congratulations, Patricia. Keep us posted on your writing life.

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1 comment 2014 winter flash fiction contest, editing flash fiction

Nichol Hines, Flash Fiction Runner Up for Twisted

"Twisted" is an awesome flash fiction piece that will have you smiling and thinking how clever our Fall 2013 Flash Fiction runner-up, Nichol Hines, is! If you haven't checked out Twisted yet, click here now to check it out. 

Nichol has three goals in life:

Become a published author.
Learn to speak conversational Mandarin.
Learn to play the cello.

Surprisingly, opening herself up to rejection has been the easiest to achieve. Up to now, she has worked on a variety of stories in various forms and was very proud to have let a story go out into the world--and out of her control.

She is currently focusing on writing her very own fractured fairytale; so if you like her writing, or just want to say “Hi,” you can message her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @DarlingNichol

WOW: Congratulations on placing as runner-up in the WOW! contest with your piece, "Twisted." It's so funny and clever! Where did you get the idea for this piece?

Nichol: It came out of a writing exorcise, the kind you get when you have writers' block. The suggestion was to tell a story that personifies something, and to come up with a story told from that perspective. They suggested things like houseflies, or dogs, etc., but I took it a step further, and thought a story from the perspective of a sports bra would be funny. Then I had to figure out just what kind of story a sports bra would have to tell, and it flowed out really quickly from there.

WOW: I love that! Do you find it hard to write humor? (Your bio is humorous, too!) Do you have a couple tips for people trying to write humor?

Nichol: I like wit and humor in the things I read and watch, and I like to think of myself as a fairly witty and humorous person (probably more so than other people see me, but so be it); so in some ways, writing humor is easy because my mind always looks for the joke or the witty remark.

The hard part about writing humor is making sure it fits into the story you are writing. It's just like in real life. Just because you have the perfect joke, zinger, or comment, it might not be the appropriate time or place to share your moment of brilliance, and you have to let it go and move on. It can be hard because sometimes you are just that funny, but it is inevitably the right way to go.

WOW: One of your goals is to be a published author. This story is now published! What other goals for your writing do you have?

Nichol: Sending out a story was one of the hardest things I've ever done because it meant it was no longer my baby, and it was out of my control. No more polishing, no more tweaking, it had to fly or fall on its own merits. So with that first roadblock managed, I'm going to send out some longer stories that I've been sweating blood and tears over.

WOW: Good luck! We'd love to hear from you on Twitter if you get another published! You are also active on social media (Twitter and Facebook). Do you use these as a writer? (Follow any writers/editors/agents, etc?)

Nichol: Social media has its pros and cons. On the upside, in face to face situations, I find it very hard to initiate conversations. Once I get going I'm fine, but Twitter and Facebook allow one a bit of space, and the ability to stay in your comfort zone. Also you avoid actually seeing someone reject you, and double upside, you do not have to control your own face (crying in public is usually frowned upon).

The downside is that anything that has ANY entertainment value can also become a time-suck; and when you are a hardened procrastinator like myself, the wonders of the Internet, as a whole, are dangerous, unless I have a deadline.

WOW: What are you currently working on in your writing life?

Nichol: I'm submitting some serious work to a few literary magazines, and I'm working on a YA novel about a fairy who wants to be a fairy godmother, but is no good at magic. And I'm always coming up with new ideas. The hard part is just focusing on one story at a time.

WOW: Yes, I think that happens to many writers! Too many stories, not enough time. What's your writing routine like?

Nichol: I don't have a regular writing routine, per say. It's not just a matter of procrastination, although I'll admit to that being a factor; but in reality, I thrive under the pressure of a deadline. So my most productive writing and reviewing is when I have an external deadline.

For example with short stories, I look to where I want to submit and use their submission dates as hard deadlines. This leaves me no wiggle room to charm my way into an extension, and it's do or die, with the responsibility falling on my shoulders. I also take classes, or join specific writing workshops, because then I am accountable to others, AND I get priceless feedback from a variety of sources.

WOW: Those are all great ideas for keeping yourself on track and productive. Thanks for sharing! Best of luck to you.

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1 comment editing flash fiction, Fall 2013 Flash Fiction Contest, short story writing

Kira Plummer, Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up

Congratulations to 2011 Fall Flash Fiction Contest runner up, Kira Plummer, and her winning story, "Metamorphosis." You can read her award-winning story right here. 

Kira is the author of many things, most of which have never seen the light of day. She has managed to publish a few articles in newspapers and trade journals, and she’s overjoyed to have finally had some success in fiction. She slogged her way through a bachelor’s degree in English, had tons of fun getting her master’s degree in the same subject, and now works in corporate communications for a defense contractor. She lives in northern Virginia and doesn’t know what she’d do without her journal, Starbucks, HBO, books by Kazuo Ishiguro, long runs, and most especially, her wonderful husband, amazing son, and network of supportive family and friends.

WOW: Welcome, Kira, and thank you for taking a break from writing, HBO, and Starbucks to talk to us about your winning flash fiction story. So, where did you get the idea for "Metamorphosis"?

Kira: Thank you! I’m very honored to be included in WOW’s community. You know, I got the idea for this particular piece while thinking about how I needed to stand up for myself more often. I thought, “What if I could learn to do that in stages?” That’s when it occurred to me to write a story about a character doing just that.

WOW: We are glad you decided to stand up for yourself and to write this piece. Your story is super short--how many words is this flash piece? How were you able to convey so much emotion in such a short amount of words?

Kira: It’s 288 words, and I as I started to write it, I knew that I wanted to keep it very short. That’s because I wanted it to be much like a poem, and pack a powerful emotional punch in a short structure. In this way I took inspiration from Edwin Arlington Robinson’s “Richard Cory,” although that poem has a twist at the end (while my piece develops as you might expect it to).

WOW: Why did you decide to compare the girl with the abusive dad to the stages of a butterfly? Such a beautiful and interesting way to tell this story!

Kira: Thank you again! And it goes back to that first grain of an idea--to write about a character learning to stand up for herself in stages. Initially, I didn’t envision a dark story – I saw a character giving a lout in a bar a piece of her mind, maybe a well-deserved slap or even a punch. I thought about how she’d do it, step-by-step: “First, I get up. Second, I walk over to him…” Then I realized that the character would be changing as she did this life-altering thing, that she’d be metaphorphasizing, and that’s when I decided to use that metaphor. The parallel appealed to me, partially because I tend to do things in a methodical way, and partially because I discovered that the character wasn’t a sunny sort who would turn into a butterfly but into something else (so in that way, the piece does have a twist).

WOW: Thank you for taking the time to explain your thought process for the story to us. So, from your bio, we can tell you've published some nonfiction, but this is your first big success with fiction. Is that correct? What are your writing goals--for fiction, nonfiction, or both?

Kira: That’s correct! And truly, I’m thrilled, as publishing some fiction is something I’ve wanted for a very long time. I’d love to build on this by writing and submitting longer short stories and to tackle a full-length work in due time. I also hope to keep publishing in trade journals and to branch out into providing online content. I also have a longer, human-interest article based on the work I did for my master’s thesis that I’d like to find a home for someday as well.

WOW: Good luck with all of your goals. We also notice that you love journaling and Starbucks. Do these fit into your writing routine?

Kira: They do! I journal regularly, and I find that it really fills my inspiration well. It’s a good way to get in touch with myself, to talk to myself, and having that on-going internal monologue feeds my writing. Other times I use it as a warm-up before I work on a piece, and then Starbucks comes in later when I need to take a break or reward myself a little.

WOW: Journaling can often help with writer's block, too, as many of our regular readers have found out with journaling guru, Mari L. McCarthy. And what's a writer without coffee? Too tired to create! (smiles) Anything else you'd like to add?

Kira: My sincere thanks to WOW for giving me this opportunity to present my work. I’m flattered to be featured here, especially alongside so many other talented writers. I look forward to WOW’s future publications and to being part of its community of writers.

WOW: Thank you, Kira, for those kind words. Congratulations again, and we wish you the most success in the future.

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1 comment editing flash fiction, Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest, Margo L. Dill

AutoCrit: A Helpful Tool for Editing Flash Fiction

I stumbled across the AutoCrit site today and found it to be a helpful tool for editing your flash fiction stories. The free version allows you to paste a story of under 800 words into a text box, where you have the option of selecting reports on three categories: Overused Words, Repeated Phrases, and Sentence Length Variations. These categories are crucial to analyze when crafting a flash piece.

So, I dug out an old story and pasted it into text box here: http://www.autocrit.com/autocrit/wizardformpage.php


I clicked the "Overused Words" button and clicked "Analyze." The next screen shows a list of typically overused words with red check marks pertaining to your story, as well as suggestions for how many words to remove.

I definitely used "that" too many times--which is a common mistake *that* (delete!) I see a lot in flash fiction, and a bad habit of mine. In most cases, you can safely remove "that"--it doesn't add anything to the sentence--and will help trim your word count.

The AutoCrit said my use of "ly adverbs" was "Excellent," as was my use of "could," "it/there," and "maybe." Other interesting areas are the use of generic descriptions (I got a "Nice one" response), the use of feel/feeling/felt (I got a "Yay"), initial conjunction ("Well done"), and initial ing ("Nice work"). The comments are encouraging and are all wonderful helpers to fix passive voice problems.


Beneath the checklist is your highlighted text with culprits displayed in blue. Drag your cursor over the text and copy-paste it into your MS Word program--you'll notice the blue text copies as well. At least it did with mine.

You can only select one option at a time but you can hit the back button after you've read the results and your text will still be there. Then you can select one of the other options, such as "Repeated Phrases" and "Sentence Length."

Repeated Phrases: This page shows all phrases which repeat within 100 words in highlighted blue text. If you are using a repeated phrase for emphasis it can be very powerful, but remember it should contribute something to the story, so use them carefully. When in doubt, leave it out--especially in flash. It will only eat your word count.

Sentence Length: This page gives you a list of the beginning of each sentence and how many words it contains. It's important to vary your sentence length because similar-length sentences can be dull to read.

The AutoCrit site offers further services to those that subscribe for a fee. I haven't tried their paid services, so I can't offer a review. Their "Members Only" reports include other editing tools such as: Dialogue Tags, First Words, Names and Pronouns, Cliche Finder, Redundancy Finder, Homonym Highlighter, Readability Suite, and Pacing Monitor.

But I found their free online tool to be quite helpful in trimming unnecessary words and a good reminder to really check your story for any issues you might have missed. So if you're preparing to enter the WOW! Women On Writing Flash Fiction Contest, you may want to test your story with this helpful little tool before you hit the send button.

Happy writing!

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10 comments AutoCrit, editing flash fiction, free critique tool for flash fiction, overused words, repeated phrases, sentence length