5 Top Flash Fiction Tips for Writers – Hysteria Writing Competition

FLASH FICTION goes by many names: micro fiction, sudden fiction, short short stories, skinny stories (no fat allowed) and postcard fiction. I gather in China it translates to a palm-sized smoke because it should only last as long as a cigarette (thanks Wikipedia for that information). I’m writer in residence for the Hysterectomy Association and they are running the Hysteria writing competition – closing date end of August. It covers short story, poetry and flash fiction – maximum word count 200 word and that means you need to write tight.
Over on the competition blog I’ve given my five tips for writing flash fiction. But those tips are only useful if you have an idea to write about so I’ve included an exercise from Back to Creative Writing School which also involves using Wikipedia in a way you’ve never used it before. Go and have a look, it’s one of my favourite exercises because it is (almost) 100% copper-bottomed sure way of getting an original story idea.