National Flash Fiction Day!

I have to admit something: I’m one of those poetry-writing folks.

I’ve never written a novel, and I’m certain it would kill me if I tried. Flash fiction, however, has a special place in my little writerly heart. It’s like walking into a bar and ordering a shot of fiction, straight up—or on the rocks, if you’re so inclined.

Luckily enough, it’s National Flash Fiction Day!

What’s considered flash fiction? A story under 1000 words? 500? Word count is a factor, but more importantly, flash fiction is the art of precision. Conciseness. My favourite flash fiction throws the reader into a world in which the story is over before they even know where they are, or who they’re reading about. Sometimes an entire history can be explained in a single detail. Remember Hemmingway’s six word prose?

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

The shortest of stories with the contents of a novel tucked into the details.

To celebrate the day properly, check out some awesome flash fiction by Sarah Stanton! Sarah is an Australian writer, translator, and editor. living in China. She likes singing in public, the smell of woodsmoke on a cold winter’s day, and ducks. Read her recently published flash fiction piece, “To Grind an Iron Rod into a Needle”.

Sarah’s blog, as well as her other work, can be found on her website, http://www.theduckopera.com.

If you’re in the UK, there are plenty of events to check out (better late than never…)! There are also a few international and online events.

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