FLASH WRITING
And They're Off
by Michael L. Wilson

flashquake, Spring 2006, Vol. 5, Iss. 3

Flash fiction must explode from the gate like a thoroughbred chased by a starving cougar. It must erupt from the earth with considerable noise and destruction in order to grab the reader by the throat and hold him there, gasping, until the story is finished.

Flash fiction does not have the luxury of excessive back story, flashbacks, or scene setting. It must slash right into the heart of the action and tell the tale, providing only the essential information to complete this task.

Let's face it. You have stiff competition. Your story is competing with thousands of other flash fiction stories submitted to hundreds of markets all over the world. Not only are you competing with other flash fiction stories, but with other literature such as short story collections, novels, essays, poetry, cereal box copy and graffiti on bathroom stalls. You are also competing with programming on hundreds of cable channels (Dukes of Hazzard re-runs, anyone?), on-demand movies, the Internet, video games, fun time with family and friends, and thousands of other activities.

A writer has to answer this question for the reader within the first line of your story: "Why should I spend my valuable leisure time reading this story?" Answer it decisively by giving the reader no choice but to read on.

So how do you create beginnings that grab the attention of your reader?

Begin in the middle of the action

Don't set up the scene or story. Thrust the reader into the story by embroiling him in an interesting conversation, an argument, or a meeting where a character is getting fired. Figure out what the key action is in your story and insert the reader right in the middle of it, as it is happening in real time. Allow the reader to experience the story as the narrator does.

Examples — Begin in the middle of a...

Begin with an intriguing question

Questions must be answered and the more provocative the question, the more interest the reader has in the answer to it.

For example:

Establish an exciting scene

Create a snapshot that suggests action, tension, or imminent change. The scene should be tantalizing, suggestive, or conflict- heavy to keep the reader enthralled.

Exciting scenes may include one or more of the following elements:

These elements have been scientifically proven to grab our attention, and are used in everything from cinematic blockbusters to ad campaigns for soft drinks. And who can argue with science?

Here's an example, from Harlan Ellison's story "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs".

On the night after the day she had stained the louvered window shutters of her new apartment on East 52nd Street, Beth saw a woman slowly and hideously knifed to death in the courtyard of her building. She was one of twenty-six witnesses to the ghoulish scene, and, like them, she did nothing to stop it.

Shock the reader

Use controversy, baseless generalizations, bizarre statements, or outrageous claims that need to be proven (or disproved) to draw the reader into the story. The reader wants to make sense of these statements based on the story you create — or the character within it.

Make the reader ask herself one or more of the following questions: