Flash Fiction

According to Wikipedia, Flash fiction is fiction characterized by its extreme brevity . . . and most flash-fiction pieces are between 250 and 1,000 words long (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_fiction). Flash fiction has a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like most stories. But it's not the easiest thing to write. It's also not the hardest.

Flash fiction has come back into fashion. It used to be referred to as short fiction, and was popular back when radio mysteries and the Saturday Evening Post were common and loved. Perhaps its revived popularity is due to today's fast paced, little-time-to-spare world. Or maybe it's because there are so many baby boomers finding more and more time on their hands as they retire that today's flash fiction reminds them of their simpler days.

For me, flash fiction is a little bit of all of these. While I don't yet have a lot of time on my hands, I've always loved the old radio shows, and my favorite art ever was published in the Saturday Evening Post.

As author, Terry Burns says, "So, writing short fiction is great for our writing technique. A substantial market for it exists. It can be a quick way to build a good writing resume. It can be a nice, steady income, but one last thing, it is very time effective."

If you love to write or you enjoy reading, but have little time, or even if you'd just like to earn a few extra dollars, flash fiction could be the way to go. Below is a list of links where you'll find more information about flash fiction, both about writing it and some for you to read. Enjoy!

• Vestal Review is an online magazine that accepts flash fiction. (http://www.vestalreview.net/)
• Jason Gurley writes about flash fiction at Writingworld.com. (http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/flash.shtml)
• Flashquake is an online journal dedicated to flash fiction. It pays for submissions. You can read its posted stories as well as get submission guidelines at its Website. (http://www.flashquake.org/editorial/about.html)
• This Website contains several flash fiction stories by the owner, Debi Orton, of the Website. (http://www.consideration.org/flash/)
• Pamelyn Casto has an interesting article on flash fiction, and a list of resources, some of which you might be interested in taking a look at. (http://www.heelstone.com/meridian/meansarticle1.html)
• According to her article titled, "Flashing Your Setting," "S. Joan Popek is an award winning author and past editor for several magazines." Take a look at her article, and you won't be surprised by her bio. (http://www.sjoanpopek.com/writeflash.html)
• David B. Dale posts short fiction of 299 words maximum because, "Anything more is a waste." (http://davidbdale.wordpress.com/)