This is my first attempt to write a 100-word story fiction. If you have suggestions about my writing, feel free to hit the comment section. Photo courtesy of Madison Woods.
2002 — One day, our grandmother left our house without us noticing. We have troubles in taking care of her because of Alzheimer’s. Her body is still strong but her mind isn’t. We celebrated December holidays without her. We just learned that her body was found in a morgue. A vehicle hit her and the driver just left.
2008 — Our grandfather died of old age. Of course there is a specific diagnosis but we didn’t bother to know. After six years, it’s time to reunite my grandparents. Our grandmother’s remains will now be buried together with our grandfather.
Br. Allen 
i don’t understand this kind of writing, flash fiction, postcard fiction, whatever anyone wants to call it. to me, this is just laziness. it’s a way for people to come up with an idea but not make the effort to write out the whole story. This could be a beautiful short story, 10 or so pages, or even a novella. but too many people just don’t want to make the effort. i’m not criticizing you because you are trying to write in a specific way for that kind of flash fiction thing. i’m really criticizing whoever started the whole concept.
Your criticism of ‘whoever started the whole conbcept’ is pointless. Do you apply that same sort of reasoning to Haiku? They could just as easily be worked into sonnets with a little more ‘effort’, Or novellas to novels?
The essence of flash fiction of whatever length is that it is short. Within these constraints are a multitude of reasons to embrace to form, not the least of which is practicing a minimalist viewpoint that will be carried over into longer pieces. Conception, focus, editing skill; all these attributes any writer should strive to exercise well are strengthened by the work that goes into specific pieces. Another point you may be missing is that Flash fiction promotes a writer to a wider audience for a short duration and often leads to the reader delving deeper into longer works by the author. Followers on blogs tend to increase as a result of the growing audience that is nurtured by being able to read many stories in a short period of time.
Are some of the stories dreck? Of course. Aren’t some of yours? If novellas or short stories are more to your taste, by all means, seek them out. Many, many short stories have come from flash fiction. So many, I dare say, that you would be amazed. Flash fiction has been a boon to my writing
WordPress does not like long winded replies, I’m thinking. All the more reason to practice Flash Fiction. Just wanted to say that flash fiction has its place and is a tremendous exercise in concise writing if nothing else..
Aloha,
Doug
Hello Doug. I approved your comment. Hope your comment would just lead into a healthy and constructive argument.
I’ve never written a short story before and I hope Friday Fiction would inspire me to write more. By the way, I’ve read your entry using the same photo prompt and it gave me the creeps. It’s like I’ve seen a mouse-resembling creature. Thanks for dropping by and sharing your honest thoughts.
if you have a moment, give me a link to a very good example of flash fiction.
as for haiku becoming sonnet, that’s an unfair comparison because writing poetry is very different from writing fiction.
if “many many short stories have come from flash fiction,” then let me ask this: was the short story from the same writer of the flash fiction? did he/she turn his/her own flash into a short story?
Good points, Doug. I think a lot of people don’t understand the point to flash. I didn’t at first either, and I still don’t make the effort to try to fit an entire story into 100 words. But it serves my purpose, and it seems to serve a lot of other people’s.
rmv, that’s the main reason I write flash. It captures a mood, a feeling, a scene so that I can come back to it later and use it for a longer story if I want. It also teaches me to use strong verbs, weed out unnecessary wordage to get my point down effectively so that I can remember exactly the mood, feeling, scene I’d wanted to save to begin with. They’ve very effective as ‘writing exercises’ when used in that way.
Hello Madison,
thanks for your insights. Of course the goal is to write a story in less than 100 words but I’m really tempted to write more. I have even spent more time editing than writing.
I’m hoping rmv’s comment would just help us clarify Friday Fiction’s purposes.
It’s fine with me. I get your point. This is my first time to write a story in 100 words and it’s like a photo essay. As I understand it, the challenge here is to make a story using hundred words but if you decided to exceed, it’s fine. I agree that making short stories or novella requires more effort than writing this. I think the real challenge is making a broader and comprehensive story out of it. 100 words story is already a good writing pitch. So you gave me a brilliant idea. I haven’t written a short story or novella yet. Why not make this story into a short story or novella?
yes, it’s a very flexible thing and it’s okay if you write more or less, although if it’s a lot more, like more than 200 words, you’ll need to make a mention of it in your comments so those with limited time can allocate time for it. I often come back later and make entire short stories or even novel synopsis from my 100-words 🙂 That is one of the really good things about doing this, for me.
It’s a novel idea. Do go on. I’m interested.
Thanks! I’ll try.
Allen, I liked what you came up with after viewing the photo prompt… yes, maybe the start of a future story. Maybe not, but Flash Fiction is an interesting exercise in writing, as much as any other form… will any of these ever be published… probably not, but that’s not the point. But, who knows, maybe there is a future novel lurking in one of Madison’s Friday Fictioneer’s pens.
Yes, I agree. It’s a good exercise. It works when you have written first a rough draft and then edit it using just 100 words. This is my first and hopefully not my last Friday Fiction participation. Thanks for dropping by Ted. I’m glad you liked it.
Hi Allen, your story was a little different than I’m used to, but it was interesting.
Also, one of the most useful features of flash this short is that there is never the excuse of ‘writer’s block’. Many times I can’t think of what to write about for the photo prompt (and I’m the one choosing!). But I can always think of one word. Then I build on that one word. It doesn’t take long to get more than 100 words then and begin weeding out and whittling down.
Took me long enough to get over here and make a comment. Ha. Then it took me long enough to get down to yours to even leave the comment because I got sidetracked up there with the other comments.
Dear Allen,
I wasn’t trying to start a ‘flame war’ with my response to RMV’s reply. Just thought his comments were entirely too dismissive of what is, at the very least, a wonderful exercise in writing. Thanks for approving my comment.
Aloha,
Doug