Being at a bit of a loose end tonight, I decided to have a
go at something I’ve never tried before: flash fiction. I’ve encountered the
term frequently, and knew there was no accepted definition regarding word
count. I did a bit of research and discovered that the form is very old, and
word counts can vary from fifty five to as many as a thousand. The one I’ve
come across most often is the hundred word form, not including the title, so
that was what I settled on.
Needless to say, telling even a simple story in such an
abbreviated form requires a little imagination on the part of the reader, since
some aspects of the ‘plot’ have to be suggested rather than explicitly stated.
It wasn’t as easy as you might suppose – getting it right in
exactly one hundred words. It took me over an hour. This is what I came up
with:
A Cosmic Connection.
All noise and movement
in the bar stopped. The room darkened and the air turned cold. The customers,
including Liam’s prospective new girlfriend, Aisling, sat motionless. He watched
as a shimmering wraith drifted close. The beautiful young Chinese woman in blood
red cheongsam smiled and said:
‘She can’t have you,
Liam. You’re mine; you’ve always been mine and you always will be. It’s
written. Why do you think all your pretended relationships failed? There is only
me, you, and us. You have to be patient, my love. It won’t be long now.’
The bustle returned,
and Liam declined Aisling’s offer.
8 comments:
Nice.
Nice?
Cool. That was my first time (reading flash fiction). :)
It's a lot easier to read than write, Helen. I gather Aesop's Fables are regarded as an early form of flash fiction. I never really saw the point myself, but I thought I'd have a go at discipline for once.
I'm sure it is. :)
I think I see the point. It is a good creative writing exercise, like haiku.
I only discovered haiku recently. The lovely Shayna (http://needlewovendesign.blogspot.com/) wrote one recently that fitted the criteria perfectly:
There are days and days
And nights that belong to them
Seamless, like lovers.
Haunting, beautiful - and impressive. I've tried but can't do it yet.
You got me started now. I wrote one overnight about my Ogham studies:
a world of meaning
in the memory of trees
unlocks the green door
Well done. I'll try again when I'm in the mood.
Trees... Mm... I think I'm only just discovering them. They remind me that the search for meaning is continually frustrating - but compulsive. Oh, for simple certainties.
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