microfiction
Stories under 1000 words
Microfiction 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-short stories overlap with microfiction, though microfiction usually implies the briefest end of the spectrum.
She wrote microfiction during her lunch breaks.
Hundred-word story form
- flashBrief burst of light
- vignetteBrief evocative description
- snippetSmall cut portion
- sketchHasty informal drawing
fragment · prose-poem · nanofiction · capsule · miniature · slice
Nature, symbol, or role
- momentBrief period of time
- sceneDramatic unit or locale
- conflictOpposition between parties
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
voice · tone · perspective · setting · dialogue · arc · revelation · glimpse
Briefly and clearly stated
- compactTightly packed together
- compressedReduced by pressure
- succinctExpressed with minimal words
- pithyConcise and forceful
economical · terse · laconic · tight · spare · minimalist · truncated · distilled
Indirect suggestion or consequence
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
- endingFinal portion of something
- twistRotating motion or surprise
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
compression · restraint · omission · precision · economy · suggestion · resonance · punch
Tending to summon memories
- hauntingDisturbingly unforgettable
- poignantEvoking keen emotion
- atmosphericOf the air above
- resonantDeeply vibrating with sound
lingering · suggestive · powerful · surprising · unsettling · bittersweet · thought-provoking · impactful
Of written works
- experimentalTesting new methods
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
- romanceLove and its excitement
noir · surreal · absurdist · speculative · dystopian · fabulist · weird · slipstream
Collected literary works volume
- collectionGathered set of items
- journalRecord of daily events
- magazineBound periodical with articles
- contestOrganized competitive event
submission · prompt · online · zine
drabble
Hundred-word story form
sketch · fragment · prose-poem · nanofiction · capsule · miniature · slice
character
Nature, symbol, or role
resolution · voice · tone · perspective · setting · dialogue · arc · revelation · glimpse · snapshot
concise
Briefly and clearly stated
- compactTightly packed together
- compressedReduced by pressure
- succinctExpressed with minimal words
pithy · economical · terse · laconic · tight · spare · minimalist · truncated · distilled · condensed
implication
Indirect suggestion or consequence
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
- endingFinal portion of something
- twistRotating motion or surprise
ambiguity · compression · restraint · omission · precision · economy · suggestion · resonance · punch · payoff
evocative
Tending to summon memories
- hauntingDisturbingly unforgettable
- poignantEvoking keen emotion
- atmosphericOf the air above
resonant · lingering · suggestive · powerful · surprising · unsettling · bittersweet · thought-provoking · impactful · memorable
literary
Of written works
- experimentalTesting new methods
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
romance · noir · surreal · absurdist · speculative · dystopian · fabulist · weird · slipstream · cyberpunk
anthology
Collected literary works volume
- collectionGathered set of items
- journalRecord of daily events
- magazineBound periodical with articles
contest · submission · prompt · online · zine
- talestale, funny stories, tall tales, short story, yarns
- writingsessay, essays, article, articles, stories
- short fictionshort stories, tales, fables, short story, drabble
- written contentblog, memoirs, tweet, autobiographies, text message
- short writingsnote, memo, letter, email, text message
- amateur writingfanfic, creative writing, blog posts, blogging, blogs
microfictionepic
Impressively grand in scope
saga · space opera · epic fantasy · historical epic · The Lord of the Rings
fiction, fictional, micro, microbe, nonfiction, microcosm, microfilm