Creative Writing

The nuts and bolts of writing flash fiction

Hemmingway’s six very telling words have spawned a number of competitions, a recent one being in The Irish Independent. ‘Unwanted child grew into Wanted Man,’ sticks in the mind.

Eileen Casey explains ‘Flash Fiction’, a fun yet challenging way to begin writing again after a drought. Writing flash gives such an advantage to writers, especially when the thought occurs: ‘There’s a story in there if only I could figure out a way to tell it’.

Baby Shoes for Sale, Never Worn.

Hemmingway’s six word short story says it all and in such a short space. Focus on the pathos of the shoes having never been worn carries huge emotional weight, together with an implicit back story.

Every word, written in the format of an advertisement, carries pathos, the wordage may be small, but the freight is large. William Trevor, master storyteller, has said that he really learnt his trade as a young schoolboy. His English teacher used set exercises which were focused on economy. Stories were written to six line length, possibly Trevor’s own first encounter with flash fiction. Trevor, who also worked as a sculptor for several years, believed in ‘chipping away.’ Less is definitely more. However, to return to Hemmingway. His six very telling words have spawned a number of competitions, a recent one being in The Irish Independent. ‘Unwanted child grew into Wanted Man,’ sticks in the mind, for sure. It travels an enormous distance in such a short space. Wordage for flash fiction varies from 100 words to 1,000 settling for somewhere in between. Flash fiction is very close to how a flash of lightning hits, electrifies and is gone. Flash fiction is an encounter for the reader, a brief encounter but one that stays in the mind, depending on the skill of the writer.

Short story writer Katherine Mansfield (1888 – 1923) is always worth a read. Her stories focus on moments of disruption. Greatly interested in people and the dynamics between them, her stories are often simply snapshots of relationships.

Jean Rhys made Rochester’s wife her narrator in Wide Sargasso Sea. A character or an event from myth or legend (place yourself in the legend)

Because it’s such a short length, editing is crucial, every word really does count. Flash Fiction, like longer length work, also operates on the three Unities, Time/Action/Place. If these three elements are there, then chances are, the story is viable. Stories need to be simply told and with emphasis on the unfolding of the story. Short story writer Katherine Mansfield (1888 – 1923) is always worth a read. Her stories focus on moments of disruption. Greatly interested in people and the dynamics between them, her stories are often simply snapshots of relationships. For example, characters meet after a distance of some years and while one may have stayed the same, it’s clear that the other has moved on. Mansfield is quoted as saying:

‘Would you not like to try all sorts of lives – one is so very small – but that is the satisfaction of writing – one can impersonate so many people.’ This impersonation, this getting under the skin means abandoning the ego, the author’s voice. Recording character profiles on a regular basis creates a strong empathy with characters outside your own life experience. Even the smallest spark of interest/intrigue in the life of someone else, can yield the material for flash fiction.

The best way to begin writing a flash fiction type work is to write the story to around 2,000 words and then make the entry point much later than allowed for in the first writing. Most of draft work is throat clearing to a certain extent. It’s always good to start the action in a moment of crisis or, as stated above, of disruption. It’s NOT a good idea to enter a story by reeling out an amount of exposition. If a character is driving home through the night, focus is immediately on the white hands clenched around the wheel, the rain on the windscreen, the sound of the wipers, the urgency of the journey. No reader wants to be brought back to the point where the character is leaving the hospital building, paying for parking, wondering if it will rain etc. etc. All that matters to this particular story is the inside of that car and all the details provided by this setting. I’m in total agreement with Oates. Readers of poetry will know that economy of language is key, together with other ‘poetic’ devices. Being able to use figurative language, metaphor and symbol means that language is yielding itself up over a number of layers. The flash fiction writer does not have the space afforded the novelist. If the novel inhabits a whole house, then the flash fiction writer has to operate in one small room, with one small window. Below is an example of flash fiction where all the elements are working together.

My Snow Globe World ( By kind permission of Doreen Duffy)

My hands shook while my mind raced with thoughts. I tried so hard to slow down to give myself time to take just one thought and follow it through, it seemed almost impossible. My mother had offered to stay over but I said no. I didn’t want anyone else telling me that I had to let go, release this grief. How unhealthy it would be for me, for Jamie, if I kept holding onto it so tightly. Nobody understood that this ball of grief is all I had left of them, if I let it go I would have nothing. The little clock chimed five am. I had to go to the hospital to collect Jamie today, to bring him back to this house. This hollow shell of a house, too quiet with just my voice trying to fill the rooms. It was the last thing I felt like doing but I though if I put up the Christmas decorations somehow the house might feel like home again, at least to him. My eyes burned and my throat twisted and tightened painfully yesterday when he said, “I’m going to write to Santa again Mum, there’s still time, I’m going to tell him I don’t need the removed controlled jeep or the surprise. Instead, just bring Daddy and Laura back home to us.”

smoothed that tape to close over the lid and protect all our precious Christmas baubles for one more year. I took another decoration out but this time the tremor in my hands was too much. I watched as my snow globe world rolled from my grasp onto the floor, across the boards, the snow fluttering wildly now. The hands on the miniature clock tower inside spun backwards, back through time, unwound the memories of other Christmas’s in this house. The tiny group of singers, their gently sculpted faces all red lips and bobble hats, twirled uncontrollably across the floor, buried in the deluge of snow until it crashed hard against the marble fireplace and shattered into tiny pieces. Did they hear the sound of glass breaking? Had he turned his head to look back and see her body hanging limply in the baby seat? Did he hear Jamie scream, did he see his eyes opened wide with fear? Had he taken that drink when I asked him not to, when I phoned him? Had he driven too fast because I annoyed him by ringing and asking him not to have a drink especially with the kids in the car? I fell to my knees and picked through the shards of glass. I lifted the tiny figures, held them to my lips, held them in my hands. The tiny figures lay perfectly still across my white bleeding palms. (first published in The Irish Times)

Here we have a story that is incrementally conveyed to the reader. Anne Enright once said that the telling of a story should be like how the headlights of a car operate only revealing what’s immediately up ahead. My Snow Globe World is a story that is slowly building from the general to the particular, working around the image of a snow globe, which is at once protective but also deadly when it crashes, breaking into shards. The duplication of the husband/sons by the tiny figures in the snow globe is a master stroke of showing and telling. The resulting scene of glass breaking, the uncontrollably twirling and being buried in ‘the deluge of snow’ is no less horrifying than if the real scene were unfolding. This is where using symbol and figurative language has paid off with interest.

William Trevor, master storyteller, has said that he really learnt his trade as a young schoolboy. His English teacher used set exercises which were focused on economy. Stories were written to six line length, possibly Trevor’s own first encounter with flash fiction.

land. Their function is to support writers at various stages in their careers, offering financial support as well as guidance with regard to publishers etc. I was lucky enough to have read about this event and so, I went along and had a truly wonderful day out. For me, going to Words Ireland was like a gardener going along to Bloom in the Phoenix Park. I met loads of writers I knew, enjoyed many of the various presentations (ably delivered by some of the most prolific writers working in Ireland today) and came away with loads of literature (what else!) from the various stands and stalls. The Arts Council, Poetry Ireland, Publishing Ireland Ltd., The Irish Writers Centre, The Stinging Fly, among others ensured that writers were well aware of all that’s available. Definitely one to watch out for next year.

As well as keeping snippets of intrigue from newspapers/magazines, it’s also useful to visit existing fiction and see if you can amplify or even redefine a familiar character. Parody works also. Jean Rhys made Rochester’s wife her narrator in Wide Sargasso Sea. A character or an event from myth or legend (place yourself in the legend). A place-name (unusual for some reason) can be a good starting out point. Children’s stories are particularly good vehicles. You can parody an unmistakable style, Katherine Mansfield say or a favourite writer of your own.

Questions to ask on completion of a flash fiction work: Is there a plot? (does something actually happen), is there a point to the plot? (does the plot drive home a point?), is every word absolutely necessary? If the flash fiction focuses on a character profile, ask yourself at the outset what your intention is, what do you wish to highlight about this character for the reader. Choose one option from the following choices. Maximum wordage is 1,000.

Idea One: Take your character on a ‘lightning’ journey through the night. Write a piece of flash fiction which begins with a car journey, a character and a source of conflict. Use every detail/element at your disposal to hold the reader right to the very end. Or Idea Two: Find your own newspaper/magazine item and use it as the source material for flash fiction.

You can help create a brighter future for Ireland’s sickest children.

By leaving a gift in your will to CMRF Crumlin.

By leaving a legacy in your will to CMRF Crumlin you can help ensure sick children receive the best care, and access to the latest treatments and potential cures.

You will be supporting Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin and the National Children’s Research Centre. But more importantly you will be helping to save and improve the lives of children for generations to come. When writing your will, your family and loved ones come first. But perhaps you would also consider leaving a lasting legacy to CMRF Crumlin that will provide life-saving treatment to children in the future.

For further information call Siobhan on 01 709 1700 or email hello@cmrf.org