Skip to main content

Want some Flash Fiction Writing Tips from an expert? #writetip

By 16/12/2016July 31st, 2017Uncategorized

Here on Daily (w)rite, as part of the guest post series, it is my pleasure today to welcome Mary-Jane Holmes, who offers a smorgasbord of brilliant flash fiction writing tips. If you love reading or writing short fiction, check out her insights in the following interview.

1. What got you started with writing flash fiction?

I came across Yasunari Kawabata’s Palm-of-the-Hand Stories and was hooked. From there, I sought out other flash fiction writers. Many celebrated authors have experimented with short shorts, including Washington Irving, Strindberg, Hemmingway, Carver, Grace Paley… I was impressed with how so little could deliver so much.

2. In your writing universe, what makes a successful piece of flash fiction?

Sam Ruddick, quoted in The Field Guide to Flash Fiction describes this in a nutshell: ‘At their best, these stories will make you pause, tilt your head and say ‘oh’, providing a tiny revelation, a new way of seeing, or a new way of saying something you have seen and been unable to articulate”

3. Other than length, is there a difference between a piece of flash fiction and a short story?

I love what Luisa Valenzuela’s says about the difference between flash and longer genres:
‘I compare the novel to a mammal, be it wild as a tiger or tame as a cow; the short story to a bird or a fish; the micro story to an insect (iridescent in the best cases).

4. Could you name five works of flash fiction you think all writers should read?


Gosh, that’s hard, I want to cheat and list five anthologies however five of my favourites would be:

a. The Dinosaur- Augusto Monterroso b. Yuriko- Yasunari Kawabata  c. Weekend- Amy Hempel d. The Light Eater- Kirsty Logan e. That Colour- Jon McGregor

5. You’ve won prestigious awards for your stories. What pointers would you give a writer submitting to contests?

People judging competitions are reading a lot of work in a relatively short period of time so make sure that the situation and setting are a little out of the ordinary, something they won’t have come across before with any luck which will make them sit up and focus. The first line is crucial – it has to do so much, hook the reader, present conflict and seed the outcome. A compelling title is also important; something that adds to the story and isn’t just a summary.

6. Do you agree with the line of thought that flash fiction is easier to read, given our fast lifestyles? Would you say a collection of flash fiction is easier to read than a novel?

Flash is great for our ‘on the go’ lifestyles but good flash fiction is not for the lazy or the inattentive; like poetry, it demands a strong collaborative bond between reader and text to unpack the story from its condensed kernel. Whether it is easier to read a collection of flash fiction than a novel, I am not sure but I think it definitely offers a different experience – the novel is about investing in characters setting out on a long journey, whereas flash zooms in on the intensity of a moment or an emotion.

7. You teach the Flash Fiction Writing Course with Fish Publishing. Could you tell us more about it?

I designed the Flash Fiction course following demand from writers who wanted to explore the genre further but couldn’t find much guidance either online or through writing groups. At the time it was difficult to find workshops exploring Flash and few creative writing institutions offered anything that focused solely on it. It caused a flurry of excitement when it was launched in 2009 and since then has continued to be a very popular program.

8. Which of your stories would you recommend to a reader who has never read your work?

Settlement’ which won the Dromineer Prize in 2014 can be found here.
For something a little bit more experimental go to this link.

Flash fiction writing tips

9. I loved your piece Trifle, which was published in the Tishman review and was subsequently selected for the Best Small Fictions 2016. Could you tell us more about how you came to write it?

My brother works for Unicef on the program to eradicate polio from our planet and works a great deal in the Middle East. The prompt for the piece came from the presents he brought back for the family one Christmas and the brave work he does out there.

10. What tips would you give to those starting out on flash fiction writing?

• Read as much of it as possible to get an idea of its range and flexibility.
• Zoom in on a single event, image or object, nothing too big.
• Keep it simple: no more than one or two characters and a simple plot.
• Begin in the middle of the action as close to the story’s epicenter as you possibly can.
• Allow the reader to build the story with you as you don’t have much space; purposeful ambiguity and the power of suggestion are useful tools.
• Be a ruthless editor: adjectives and adverbs should be the first to go.

Flash fiction writing tipsMary-Jane Holmes is chief editor of Fish Publishing Ireland where she teaches the longest running online course dedicated solely to Flash fiction. She is also consulting editor at The Well Review, a new international poetry journal.
Her work has been anthologized and published in a variety places including The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, Prole, JMWW, The Tishman Review, Firewords, The Lonely Crowd and the Incubator. In 2014 she won the Dromineer Flash Fiction Prize and was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize in 2014 and 2016.  Mary-Jane is currently studying creative writing at post graduate level at Kellogg College, Oxford.


Are you a flash fiction writer? Have questions for Mary-Jane? Do you agree with her flash fiction writing tips? Finished a flash piece or published it? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Please join Daily (w)rite on its Facebook Page in case you’d like to be heard by this community. If you liked this post, you can have biweekly posts delivered to your inbox: click the SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL button.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

24 Comments

  • Sinchita says:

    Very informative and helpful .

  • I really like the comparison between novel, short story and flash fiction. It’s so vivid I will remember it easily.

  • Great interview. Thanks for the share.

  • Some great advice and tips, Mary-Jane. These types of posts really inspire me to try writing some flash fiction of my own.

  • Really interesting and helpful!

  • mirymom says:

    Good advice for those trying out flash fiction. I enjoy reading it and am starting to enjoy writing it, too. I’ll definitely check out those anthologies.

  • shanayatales says:

    I have never attempted fiction, but have considered doing flash fiction, just was never sure where to start. These are some wonderful tips. Especially the summary in #10. Thank you for sharing. 🙂

  • I have read some flash fiction on blogs. Sharing these tips. It can be a jewel of a writing form when practiced correctly.

  • Excellent tips! I do write at times. That pause and ‘oh’ is the theory I follow. Thank you for putting this up.. 🙂

  • DJ Cockburn says:

    Thanks to you and Mary-Jane. Now I’m going to read the stories she recommended!

  • Awesome interview and a huge, wonderful service to writers, Damyanti! My feeling is that even long-form writers can benefit from writing (or at least reading) flash fiction and microfiction. I’ve been doing flash regularly for only probably 3 years or so and already in this time, I feel that I’ve greatly improved in distilling a story to its essential core of emotion and plot. Mary-Jane’s answer to #5 is golden, as are the tips for new flash writers. I’ve definitely got lots of questions, but which to choose? I should probably take a class with her! 🙂
    My own humble tip is to read (and engage) outside your genre and form. So, even though I write mostly speculative fiction short stories with the occasional literary fiction piece thrown in the mix, I read flash and microfiction, journalism, essays, poetry, plays, romance, you name it!

  • rationalraj2000 says:

    Thank you Damayanti for this wonderful, informative and revealing interview!

  • hilarymb says:

    Thanks Damyanti – what a great interview with Mary-Jane – really interesting … especially as I don’t write this way – but tips for all writers here too … fascinating and a post to remember – thank you – Happy Christmas and New Year to you both – Hilary

  • For me fiction is always flash fiction. I can never plan a storyline for more than few minutes and I need to write it down immediately- otherwise, believe me I never end up writing it at all.

  • Maliny Mohan says:

    I love writing flash fiction myself. It gives me an adrenaline rush to craft them intricately. I get the same feeling when I read one too. The tips would be useful for me as I intend to delve in it more.

  • What I love most is the definition about flash fiction. A superbly woven questions and answers. Learned a lot through this interview.

  • This isn’t a genre I know much about. Thanks for the tips.

  • Great interview and information regarding flash fiction. I love writing short pieces and this helped understand the whys and hows. Thanks!

  • I did want this advice. Thanks for pulling it together.

  • Thank you for this post. I’ve been trying to polish my flash fiction writing skills and this sure helps.

  • Scott Nagele says:

    I’ve just begun dabbling in flash fiction, occasionally posting a piece on my blog. Even when it doesn’t result in a great story, it’s a great exercise in cutting all the unimportant details.

  • Flash fiction has to do so much in so little time. Not everyone can do it well.
    Really like the Ruddick quote.
    Thanks for all the tips, Mary-Jane.