I've heard on numerous occasions that when writing flash fiction you still need to maintain the elements of a well-rounded story. But. Wait. Stop right there. WHY? Why restrict yourself with all these rules if you've got something inside of you dying to be written that doesn't have a beginning middle and end? What if what you want to write is like a vignette, that begins and ends randomly in time without motives or goals driving it forward? What if what you want to express is more of a feeling, an experience, a significant moment in time, as the talented Nicole Ducleroir says. And what if how you want to write it is quite poetic, but cannot really be classed as a prose poem, because it's too long, and cannot really be classed as flash fiction, because it sounds like a prose poem? Huh. In a bit of a tight spot then, aren't we?
I suppose my biggest question here, is: Why isn't there a market for this type of thing? I mean, we can all write whatever we want to write, of course, but then when we want get it published, there isn't anywhere to submit it. Thankfully, I've finally found an anthology publisher who does. Static Movement. But it is certainly the only one I've come across that has accepted such work. I really do wonder why because my vignettes are as much a piece of art as the pieces of art that play by the rules.
What do you think? Do you think there should be more markets out there that publish vignettes? Don't you think we should be given a chance to bend the rules once in a while?
I'm not the right person to ask. I don't like flash fiction and barely even read short stories. I love novels!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the win!! :) I like to bend the rules. Since I'm new at the whole thing, I'm afraid it will hurt me if I do. I don't know much about flash fiction. I may try it one day. I'm just trying to get through my novel first.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
I'll be honest; I really didn't know there was such a name for it, although I do write like that. So cool to discovers there's actually a market for it. Thanks, Jess.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love to bend rules. Rules are meant to be bent. And I'm going to have to check out that link. THANKS!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Ted. I only like novels. I hated it in HS when we had to read short stories. But then again, maybe that wasn't a bad thing. They were all boring, and I couldn't wait finish them.
ReplyDeleteWoohoo on the winning such a fabulous award Jess! Well deserved I'm sure!!
ReplyDeleteI think it's always fun to bend the rules. I don't know much about short stories, anthologies or vignettes so unfortunately I'm not the one to ask, but if you think a lot of people are a fan of them then we should certainly have a wider market!
I'm a huge rule bender, it's my super power...or super weakness, you decide. I try to compare my short works to old Twilight Zone episodes and most of the time it works out. Most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI write flash fiction all the time and and I pretty much never give them a normal plot arc, there just isn't room.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see more little stories like that get published. I'll have to check out your link!
Emily Dickinson broke the rules of poetry because she was a genius, staying true to her vision.
ReplyDeleteSadly, only three or four of her poems were published in her lifetime, and they were heavily edited to fit into the vision of the times.
Flash fictions and their third cousins, snippets, are fun to write. But publishing is a business. It sells what people will buy.
And a majority of readers are like Ted and Stina --
if they are going to invest time and mental absorbtion with a cast of characters, they don't want to just be getting into the groove,
only to have the train stop and have to get off at another station (short story) to start all over again.
But then, I'm still unpublished, how much can I know? Have a great new week. Today I'm off to the surgeon to see just how bad my next six weeks are going to be! Take care.
I'm all for their being more of it, if there is a market for such things. I don't usually latch on to short stories unless it's anthology with a favorite writer (or favorite blogger turned published writer *wink wink*).
ReplyDeleteMy guess is though, that flash fiction and vignette's are a sub-category that is loved by writers, but not necessarily by the reader public in general. Otherwise, the publishing industry would be all over it.
Seems like a fairly fresh market, in time it will grow and become more popular. I think there could be a large percent of readers, especially those with e-readers, iPads, etc that will want exciting, fresh, short fiction. So it definitely has potential. If done well, by people such as yourself, it will become mainstream. At least . . . I think!
ReplyDeleteI love flash fiction and there are several small press publishers that are putting together anthologies. It's worth checking out Duotrope for names.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the award!
Congrats on the win! I don't know much about flash fiction, but it's already bending the rules by its length, so why not bend more rules?
ReplyDeleteAs always, there's one publisher out there who will take one chance on you at some point. It would be nice if there were more risk-takers out there, but the bottom line can stand in the way of that, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI bet you could get something like that in an anthology, yes? I think those kinds of stories are fantastic b/c you get to imagine what happens next... :o)
ReplyDeleteNot being an author I am not in a position to answer, but your post interested me.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Hi Jess,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the win! =)
I haven't read a lot of flash fiction, but the pieces I have been exposed to seem to take a lot of liberty with the "rules."
In my opinion, if the story is compelling and writing is powerful (as yours is), I think you can bend away. Part of the fun in knowing the rules is breaking them. :p
Congrats, Jessica!
ReplyDeleteI agree - rules are made for breaking! Go for it!
Congratulations on the award! And I think we should write the thing we need to write. Hopefully, we'll find places for them, too.
ReplyDeleteI"m all for bending/breaking the rules. This caught my eye because I'm going to be teaching some 3rd-6th graders about flash fiction this week and, you guessed it, I'm teaching them about beginning, middle and end! But they have to start somewhere. For the adults - I'm all for freedom. But we also have to have readers, right? I think the audience for vignettes would lean very literary - which magazines sell all the time, right?
ReplyDeleteSince so many write it, I think so! Drabbles, too.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the award!
ReplyDeleteI think the markets should be broader for things like that because we're closing too many doors to potentially amazing reads. I'm all for breaking the rules.
Bending the rules can be oh-so-fun at times. Congrats on your poem award!! :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome - both on breaking rules and winning the Award. You know how many people enter those contests? So glad you beat the odds.
ReplyDeleteOn vignettes: I think they do have a beginning, middle, and end. It does not encompass a well built character or world, but even a feeling, emotion, a specific desire has all those elements.
I always has to start and end somewhere - just like any other scene.
But I like the idea of not having to look too hard for those elements. Just read, and enjoy, for whatever response it generates in the reader.
I'm with you for breaking rules Jessica.
........dhole
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ReplyDeleteI agree. So many things don't fall into the pre-described categories. I love to see a "catch all the other junk" category.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your award!
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of vignettes. Sometimes that peek into a specific and brief slice of a story can be more compelling than a beginning, middle, and end. Good for Static Movement for accepting such pieces!
I agree with Tracy. As a writer, I love to indulge in flash vignettes. But as a reader, I'm often left frustrated and unsatisfied at only getting a glimpse of part of a bigger story I suspect is hiding in just out of reach. But I also agree with you: there should be an outlet for all forms of written art. Period.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for the shout-out!!