flash fiction
Stories under thousand
Flash fiction is a very short story, typically under 1,000 words and sometimes as brief as a few sentences.
The form emphasizes compression—every word must earn its place, and the story often relies on implication and what's left unsaid.
Flash fiction goes by other names including microfiction, sudden fiction, and short shorts.
She writes flash fiction during her lunch break, crafting entire worlds in 500 words or less.
Very short stories
- drabbleHundred-word story form
- vignetteBrief evocative description
- prose poemPoetic text without verses
- sketchHasty informal drawing
Shortness of expression
- concisionVerbal economy, pared down
- economySystem of trade and production
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- twist endingUnexpected narrative conclusion
implication · suggestion · white space · punchline · restraint · precision · distillation · word count
Brief personality description
- momentBrief period of time
- epiphanySudden profound insight
- vignetteBrief evocative description
- anecdoteBrief account of incident
slice of life · mood piece · atmosphere · voice · image · gesture · turning point · frozen moment
microfiction
Very short stories
- drabbleHundred-word story form
- vignetteBrief evocative description
- prose poemPoetic text without verses
sketch · fragment · snapshot · six-word story · one-pager
brevity
Shortness of expression
- concisionVerbal economy, pared down
- economySystem of trade and production
- compressionForcing into smaller space
twist ending · implication · suggestion · white space · punchline · restraint · precision · distillation · word count · constraint
character sketch
Brief personality description
anecdote · slice of life · mood piece · atmosphere · voice · image · gesture · turning point · frozen moment · glimpse
- digital storiese-literature, digital storytelling, webnovels, hypertext, cybertext
- booksnovel, textbooks, study guides, book, paperback
- fictionnovel, novels, novella, novellas, short story
- genresaction, comedy, fantasy, horror, documentary
- writingwriting, drafting, authors, author, books
- talestale, funny stories, tall tales, short story, yarns
flash fictionWar and Peace
Opposing states of nations
Infinite Jest · Les Misérables · epic storytelling · The Lord of the Rings · David Foster Wallace