BW: 22 September 2015 The following is an example of flash fiction: “The Scarlatti Tilt” - Richard Brautigan "It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a man who's learning to play the violin." That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver. 1.Come up with 5 questions! Level 1, 2 or 3.

Flash Fiction

Objective & Purpose Create a piece of flash fiction.

What is Flash Fiction? (Define—Circle Map) -Style of fictional literature or fiction of extreme brevity. There is no widely accepted definition of the length of the category, but most are under 1,000 words. -Many markets want stories that are 750, 500, or 100 words long. Some contests, such the annual 55 Fiction contest, require even fewer words. With the surging popularity of Twitter, some writers have now exchanged word counts for 140 characters. -Other names for flash fiction include sudden fiction, microfiction, micro-story, short short, postcard fiction, and short short story.

Elements in Flash Fiction (Cornell Notes) Setting is where the action takes place. This can be told in a sentence: She watched him go to bed. Usually, there is not room for more than two characters--three at most. But realize "characters" don't always have to be human. In fact, they don't even have to be animate. Can you create a story about a pebble and a blade of grass trying to inhabit the same spot? Conflict is just a difference of opinion--tension to keep the reader reading. It can be verbal, physical or mental. It doesn't always have to be villain/hero.

Elements of Flash Fiction (Cornell Notes) Resolution is the conclusion of the conflict. "Small" works best in flash fiction; don't go for miraculous resolution, in which the protagonist is saved by some miracle not of his/her making. Most writers use surprise endings, partly because flash fiction lends itself to such, but mostly because it makes it more fun both to read and to write. But they are not necessary. Even with a twist, don't surprise your readers too much. Make them think, "Ah--of course!" Don't make them think, "Boy, am I stupid!"

Famous Flash Fiction Pieces “For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.” - Ernest Hemingway BRAINSTORM! Setting, Conflict, Resolution

“The Dinosaur” by Augusto Monterroso “When he woke up, the dinosaur was still there.” BRAINSTORM! Setting, Conflict, Resolution

Richard Powers “Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses.” BRAINSTORM! Setting, Conflict, Resolution

Innocent Victims and Lost Soldiers: The Endless War Against Life and Time The sniper takes aim. A child in the grey street holding hands with his mother. Is everything going to be ok? Everything will be just fine. The shot. Missed. Down they fall. Lost in the dust.

Writing Flash Fiction Now that you have read several examples of Flash Fiction, it’s your turn to create your own. You may choose one of two options: Select one of the stories you’ve read and expand on it: create a part 2 or a prequel Write your own unique flash fiction story about whatever pops into your head Your story needs to be at least a paragraph and no more than a page

Flash Fiction Writing Ideas Write as fast as you can. Don't worry about grammar - yet. Fill about half a page, count the words, fix the grammar, then read it aloud to yourself. Does it have setting, implied or otherwise? Conflict? Resolution? Edit yourself-ruthlessly. Write your story, then go back and erase all phrases, clauses and coordinating conjunctions that are not absolutely vital to the story. Delete any unnecessary adjectives. You'll be left with tight, active sentences. Let dialogue do it. Write an all-dialogue story using as few tags as possible. Let the dialogue describe the characters and create conflict.

BW: 23 September What is the following story about? Describe the setting, conflict, and resolution. “Houston, We Have a Problem,” by J. Matthew Zoss. I’m sorry, but there’s not enough air in here for everyone. I’ll tell them you were a hero.

Flash Fiction Packet