A novel invites the reader to explore an entire house, down to snooping in the closets; a short story requires that the reader stand outside of an open window to observe what’s going on in a single room; and a short short requires the reader to kneel outside of a locked room and peer in through the keyhole.

Bruce Holland Rogers
(2013-02-25). The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction

Let’s take Bruce at his word.

The Prompt

Imagine you’re looking through a big, old-fashioned keyhole, into a room. Write a story of fewer than 1000 words, about what you can see

Tips

• Think of this as a way of reducing the events of whatever is going on in the room to the moment.
• Use powerful imagery and strong verbs to narrate the story and make it ‘flash’.
• In a story this short you probably only have room for one or two characters.
• A story this short can only focus on one moment/event.
• Use dialogue to convey information. Hint at backstory with tone and word choice.
• When you have finished your first draft (and therefore know what the story is about) go back and work on your opening lines

Leave a comment below, letting us know how you got on with this prompt, or what ideas it sparked for you.