Franklin Carmichael, 'Mirror Lake' 1929
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
ABOUT FLASH FICTION
Flash Fiction is a short story that runs from about 100 words to 1000, topping out at 1500 word count max. All flash fiction is expected to have a 'fully' developed story arc (a beginning, middle, and an end), character, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution (on some level), regardless of the length of the story, and to be written well. Many flash pieces are infused with literary prose, poetry, imagery, and surprising twists, and crafted to be finely nuanced. The good flash pieces are expected to be memorable, if not compelling - Hence the challenge.
Flash fiction attracts writers and readers for its unique attributes – with authors intentional about every word choice. What Flash Fiction is not, is stream of consciousness writing, a vignette, or told without some kind of yearning, change or realization (internal or external) that happens for the principal character. Often,the reader is invited to use their imagination to fill in the gaps in the story, and to reconcile unresolved endings and ambiguity. In Flash, there is always more implied than stated.
Sometimes known as Commuter Stories, or Sudden Fiction, flash fiction is short enough to be read in full during a morning or evening train/subway ride to or from work, taking no more than five minutes to devour; yet much longer to savour. Flash fiction pieces are meant to delight and resonate. They offer the reader brief though satisfying moments immersed in atmosphere, mood, or purpose, and provide a window into the motivations of compelling characters, all in a couple of hundred words.
Above all these condensed stories are crafted to satisfy reason, challenge belief, evoke emotion, and transport the reader... for a brief moment in time!
The Flash Fiction pieces written for ‘Group of Seven Reimagined’ are all between 250 – 500 words.
Flash fiction attracts writers and readers for its unique attributes – with authors intentional about every word choice. What Flash Fiction is not, is stream of consciousness writing, a vignette, or told without some kind of yearning, change or realization (internal or external) that happens for the principal character. Often,the reader is invited to use their imagination to fill in the gaps in the story, and to reconcile unresolved endings and ambiguity. In Flash, there is always more implied than stated.
Sometimes known as Commuter Stories, or Sudden Fiction, flash fiction is short enough to be read in full during a morning or evening train/subway ride to or from work, taking no more than five minutes to devour; yet much longer to savour. Flash fiction pieces are meant to delight and resonate. They offer the reader brief though satisfying moments immersed in atmosphere, mood, or purpose, and provide a window into the motivations of compelling characters, all in a couple of hundred words.
Above all these condensed stories are crafted to satisfy reason, challenge belief, evoke emotion, and transport the reader... for a brief moment in time!
The Flash Fiction pieces written for ‘Group of Seven Reimagined’ are all between 250 – 500 words.