Flash Fiction Helps You Write Better
“Remove all that is extraneous until all that remains is absolutely necessary – and beautiful.”
Writing flash fiction can improve your overall writing. For me, it’s spotlighted the importance of each word in a story.
The quote above is a variation of the writing advice about killing one’s darlings. When you write, if you’re trying too hard to push a metaphor, tease out a theme or some other tactic … OR if you love something you write oh so very much, you might want to cross through it, or cut and paste it and save it for another piece. Murdering your own creations: it sounds horrifying, and it is. Yet, it must be done.
The best writing is clear and doesn’t contain superfluous or awkward words that pull the reader away. So, take time to seek out words that flow, that pop when needed, that have the desired effect on the reader—that’s what good writing is about. Each word matters.
Even if you normally write longer forms of fiction, the challenge of making yourself stick to a limit can have surprising effect on the way you write and the way you see your own words. Trying to tell a story in 100 words, or 100 characters, makes you re-examine what a story really is. Trust me.
Has writing flash fiction helped you write better?
Want more? …
- Find out about writing contests for flash fiction.
- Read how hint fiction which can help you write better flash fiction.
Photo Credit: JD Hancock
Word Zeal is a place for poets and word lovers. It exists to celebrate words and writing and to help writers survive the difficulty of the writing life. We focus on poetry, short fiction and experimental writing forms.
The email e-letter is launching soon (and it will be even more awesome if you join). Lindsay Oberst is the writer and word zealot who created and runs this blog.
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