This week we're looking at a great example of a flash fiction by Emily Devane.
If you missed it, you can find it here: https://bathflashfictionaward.com/2017/02/emily-devane-february-2017-first-prize/
The aim of this reading is to show you what can be done in a story of so few words. We get a sense of background just from the opening line:
That evening, the fish left a strange taste in my mouth.
What can you tell from this line? Our main character often eats fish, maybe they live by the sea or they go fishing. Something has changed in their life, the fish now leaves a strange taste. Maybe it's their relationship with the person who has given them the fish/who they went fishing with, maybe it's the person they're eating with. A well chosen opening line should tell your audience more than you actually say.
Another thing that's really nice about this story is the knowledge about fishing. Maybe Emily herself is a fisher, or grew up in a family that fished. No matter what, your story should always be accurate - even if you initially know nothing about the topic, you have to research it and look up terms so your audience feels fully immersed and convinced about your character and their actions.
Another technique Devane uses to make such a short story seem complete is that the last line echoes the first:
That night, his hand felt different on my head.
What to take away from this week's reading:
1. Your story should open with something attention-grabbing that also works to explain some background as you don't have any words to waste.
2. Your story should be accurate. This can be hard, especially when you write across multiple days. Make sure there are no inconsistencies and that if there is a specific occupation/hobby mentioned that you've done your research thoroughly.
3. Even though this style of story is so brief, you still need a good ending. Tying it into the first line is always a good way of ending, or you could end on a twist, any type of ending would work. Just remember that you don't have as much time for set-up as you would in a novel.
Related exercises:
Try writing a flash fiction like this one in your notebook. The opening and ending lines should relate to each other, and you should research an occupation.
Researching is always good - write down everything you find out in your notebook so you can refer back to it in the future. You never know when a piece of research will come in handy.
Happy writing!
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