Flash fiction is one of the most underappreciated types of creative writing. Short stories, poetry, and playwriting are much more popular, and while they’re great, there’s a lot to be said about flash fiction. Flash fiction, or a story that is fully developed in 1000 words or less (although the word count restrictions vary—I’ve written flash fiction with a limit of 300 words), embodies the basics of fiction writing. It strips a story down to its essentials. Flash fiction is a unique and sophisticated form of writing in and of itself, but it’s also a great way to develop your writing skills. Here are some reasons why.
It Helps You Practice Character Development
Or rather, it helps you practice showing your characters to your readers through the story rather than descriptions. Don’t get me wrong, I love descriptive writing, but telling your readers about your character’s personality is unnecessary when you can show it through their actions and dialogue.
It Helps You Practice Dialogue
Building off of the previous point, flash fiction helps you practice writing natural-sounding dialogue. A lot of stiffness in dialogue comes from characters saying too much, not too little. In flash fiction, dialogue needs to convey enough to add to the story but not enough to take up too much of the word count. In other types of writing, like short stories, this skill helps cut down on unnecessary and forced exposition.
It Helps You Figure Out What’s Most Important
To be able to create a story that is well-crafted, well-told, and interesting in such a limited number of words is a true talent. And it also helps you figure out what you should focus on in a story. Without the liberty of using detailed descriptions, lengthy exchanges, and intricate storylines, what is left to make a story “good”? Writing your own flash fiction will allow you to discover what you value most in your writing, and that’s what you should focus on in longer works.