micro-fiction
Very short stories
Micro-fiction is extremely short fiction, typically under 1,000 words and often much shorter—some definitions cap it at 300 words or fewer.
The form demands compression: every word must earn its place.
Flash fiction, sudden fiction, and short shorts are near-synonyms, though micro-fiction usually implies the briefest end of the spectrum.
She writes micro-fiction for online literary magazines.
Hundred-word story form
- nanofictionUltra-short prose narrative
- constraintLimiting condition or rule
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- economySystem of trade and production
distillation · miniature · compact · concise · succinct · pithy · terse · laconic
Brief evocative description
- sketchHasty informal drawing
- anecdoteBrief account of incident
- momentBrief period of time
- glimpseFleeting view
scene · snapshot · slice-of-life · impression · episode · fragment · frame · tableau
Moral tale with animals
Indirect suggestion or consequence
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
- ellipsisMark indicating omitted words
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
- compressionForcing into smaller space
suggestion · ambiguity · punchline · pivot · reveal · withholding · restraint · precision
Collected literary works volume
- collectionGathered set of items
- contestOrganized competitive event
- promptIncite to action
- challengeTest of ability
community · workshop · zine · submission · publication
drabble
Hundred-word story form
- nanofictionUltra-short prose narrative
- constraintLimiting condition or rule
- compressionForcing into smaller space
economy · distillation · miniature · compact · concise · succinct · pithy · terse · laconic · bite-sized
vignette
Brief evocative description
glimpse · scene · snapshot · slice-of-life · impression · episode · fragment · frame · tableau · portrait
fable
Moral tale with animals
epigram · tale · legend · folktale · myth · allegory · sketch
implication
Indirect suggestion or consequence
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
- ellipsisMark indicating omitted words
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
compression · suggestion · ambiguity · punchline · pivot · reveal · withholding · restraint · precision · selectivity
anthology
Collected literary works volume
- collectionGathered set of items
- contestOrganized competitive event
- promptIncite to action
challenge · community · workshop · zine · submission · publication
micro, fiction, microbe, microbiology, microchip, microcosm, microscope, microscopic, microwave