I personally love writing shorties. My former writing instructor (here in the newly blossoming Pine Tree State)--Jean Ann Pollard, awesome author with five non-fiction books and hundreds of magazine articles to her name--told me once that shorties were the hardest for writers to write. Beginning, ploting, subploting, developing, and wrapping up the story with a nice even ending is very hard under the limit of 500 words. I've done a few under 700 and then 1,000. But I found it helped me cut down my--what's that--WORDINESS! Anyone else feel my pain with that?
Hungry to try it yet? You don't have to post it all; just a couple opening sentences, or come back and post whenever you've finished. It makes you get into *what's really important* about what you have to say.
Good Luck,
S~
Wordiness?? Ah, yes! I could definitely learn to pare down my sentences some (while adding to my detail). Is that even possible? Ha ha ha.
ReplyDeleteHi Sheri, I saw your comment on my blog and had to stop by to follow yours. Don't forget to follow mine if you want to get updates in your dashboard. Also check out my guest post on Justine Dell's blog tomorrow:
ReplyDeletehttp://justine-dell.blogspot.com/
Anyway as to your post I don't write much short or flash fiction my self, or at least I haven't since school. I should probably give it a try but with work, blogging, networking my blog, and editing my MS I don't have much time.
I know, excuses excuses, just write.
Hi Sheri! I am here visiting from Lisa and Laura's blog!!! I love yours!!!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried writing a short story or flash fiction, my thought has always been around novels and with my YA WIP it's been so much fun, however I've written some chick lit beginnings before and maybe I should try them out for size in short story format! Something to think about!!!
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ReplyDeleteShannon, I've heard it's possible.... Hee....
ReplyDeleteHey Matt. I hear you on the no time thing. Just the four kids alone wipe me out...Phew. I'll hop over to yours and follow. ";-)
Jen, so glad you like it. Shorties are awesome at honing your skills. Give yourself ten minutes and see what you get. I bet you'll be surprised. Until we chat again,
Sher~
(Had to repost. Blah...)
Oh, dude, I'm so wordy it's not even funny. The thing is, I know it, and I still can't fix it. I think I'm just going to have to be one of those people who is constantly deleting to get the word count back down. And shorts? Forget it.
ReplyDeleteJeesh, I wish I could say the same about liking shorties. I find it unbelievably difficult and it might possibly have something to do with my wordiness *groans*.
ReplyDeleteWhoa. Cool contest! I've never written flash fiction, though. I'm way too WORDY. But this makes me want to try....
ReplyDeleteElana, look at it this way. Take your overage and plug it together. Who knows? With a little tweaking, you may just end up with one heck of a shortie. ";-)
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