What is flash fiction?

Some of you may read my stories and wonder why they are so short. Well, the answer is simple. Flash fiction is always short! That's what defines it! Flash fiction (also called micro fiction) is a story that is extremely brief, typically only a few hundred words. The shortest flash fiction story ever written was done by Ernest Hemingway. He wrote, "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." It tells a story, although it is mostly implied. There is usually only one main character in flash fiction, with only minimal character development. Basically, the writer tells a story of a moment or a single event, rather than a life story. Most flash fiction is considerably longer than what Hemingway wrote (he did that one based on a bet that he couldn't write a story in less than 10 words) and is very entertaining to read when one does not have time for a long novel. I have also found that it is very fun and challenging to write! The writer must grab the attention of the reader within a sentence or two and something has to happen! Short stories, by comparison, can be up to 10,000 words, although even that is debatable. Basically, they are stories intended to be read in a single sitting, and most publishers have their own guidelines that they expect writers to follow. I hope you enjoy my attempts at this form of writing, and invite your friends to follow my blog. I will primarily be posting fiction, poetry, or other forms of writing. I do not use this blog to go on about whatever is in my head in the moment ;).