Flash fiction (up to 1,000 words) is my go-to for practising writing. I find creating several short pieces to be the quickest way to learn various techniques. For example, in a novel of 60,000 words, I might write in third person and, therefore, will only practise writing in third person for its duration. But in a flash fiction piece, I can write from a different narrative point in each 500-1,000 word story, thereby acquiring greater skills in a shorter period of time.
Some might think not much thought goes into producing flash fiction, given how short they are (how much character and environmental description can you really need in a 1,000 word story?) However, despite its brevity, I have found that some research certainly helps in producing a compelling piece.
Freewriting (writing whatever comes into your mind – without censorship – for a few minutes) is a brilliant way to generate ideas and it’s my go-to technique. Although you could use this as a way to write a story outright, I actually use freewriting to help me create ideas; it’s from these ideas that I write the final story.
My process for creating flash-fiction is, therefore, this:
I free write: I don’t set a timer, like some people do, i.e. I don’t write for only ten minutes, then stop. Instead, I ask myself questions and write until nothing more enters my brain. The questions I usually ask are:
- Who am I (as in, who is the character in this story)?
- Where am I?
- What am I doing?
- What is the weather?
I will also decide the narrative point-of-view at this stage. (Always know this before you start writing your fiction piece.)
Write key points: Once I have written answers to the above questions, I generally have a story which has come into my head. I then write the key points within the story (what happens in the beginning, middle and end).
Then, I write: No censorship. No second-guessing. I simply write.
By the end of this process, I would hopefully have a fairly decent flash fiction which has a somewhat developed character and plot (because of the freewriting exercise).
If I really want to make certain I have written the best version of the story I possibly can, I will rewrite it in a different narrative voice. For instance, if I wrote the story in third person, I might now write in first person. Usually, though, I don’t do this unless something feels off with my first draft.
So that’s it. That’s how I write my short stories and flash. And if you struggle with coming up with ideas, freewriting might just be the answer for you too. I highly recommend giving it a go – at least once. What’s the worst that could happen?
Shahema Tafader
Shahema holds three legal degrees and was called to the bar of England and Wales in 2012. She has been published by several literary magazines and her short story was the Barking and Dagenham winner for the City of Stories Home competition 2022.
I do things differently: I start with observation and build from there. I try and encapsulate an object or a conversation in detail. What are the smells, sounds, colours and emotions? I often come up with a few decent paragraphs of description and the thread of a story might emerge from that.
I find it hard to come up with plot first.
That’s why the first rule of writing is, ‘There are no rules.’
It’s awesome to hear about the different approaches taken to write stories. Every person is unique, and what works for one, may not work for another … Thank you for sharing your approach!