Yesterday I wrote about “Hint Fiction”, a book of stories told in fewer than 25 words.
The Prompt
Write A Story In No More Than 25 Words
Tips
- Remember that, in short fiction, you are collaborating with the reader. Make them supply a lot of the detail by leaving spaces for their imaginations to fill.
- Feel free to write a longer story first and cut it down
- Don’t expect this to be easy or quick: 25 words is almost nothing!
- Read this review of the book Hint Fiction to see some examples of how this can be done well.
- Choose a moment that has some ambiguity in it.
- Make the title count.
Here’s mine:
The Moment That Altered The Course Of Her Life
Her arm, casually draped across his chest, felt a sudden, pounding footrace: his brain vainly chasing the escaping heart-words. Her pause, a lifetime. Then: yes.
Go!
Your Secret is Out
He beamed at himself in front of a mirror. Face dabbed in his mother’s make up; his sister’s dress. Until his mom enters the room.
Here’s a few that I did:
He said she lied
She said he lied
The blind man sat and thought
He crossed his fingers,
and opened his eyes
The snow fell from the radioactive sky,
And no one was there to see it.
The river ran again
giving life back to the earth.
Its waters ran red,
from the dry crumbling dirt.
But the drought did not break
David ran, fell, scrabbled up the rock-face, and clung desperately to the edge. Slipping repeatedly, he hauled himself over the lip and fell gasping. Safe!
This was breathless! I was breathless! I loved the use of ‘fell gasping’ at the end, because it tripped me up. I wasn’t sure which way he was falling until I saw the last word. Well done!
“Staci must have known we would have so much in common.” I smiled, inwardly thanking my friend and all the blind date gods.
“Who’s Staci?”
Ha! Now, that set me thinking!
The Opening of the Labyrinth
“I’m sure that the minotaur is dead now.” Ariadne swung the brazen door open.
To the princess’s surprise, as her eyes adjusted, she saw…
Nice! Pride goeth…and all that 🙂
Special girl, he said. His eyes held mine while his hands touched me.
I let him. I didn’t run, didn’t hide. Pain came. Too late.
Oh, you have put so much character into so few words: the guilt and self-blame. Really powerful.
Oh wow . . . that grabbed me.
My nemesis taunts me, dark and seductive. The temptation is a lie, but in a moment of weakness, I’m ensnared. Defeated by cake again.
🙂 I was sure you were going with ‘chocolate’, but maybe that’s just me. Nicely done!
I know the feeling. Excellent!
Haha, I like the epic escalation of the mundane.
It was just a cardboard box filled with dusty novels by an author almost forgotten. But, they were his books, turning the contents into gold.
I love how two words make this so powerful: the “just” and “his” made this a really sweet story. Powerful.
Spring
Winds whip over abandoned Indiana cornfields.
Seawaters warm in Hawai‘i.
Seattle’s gray becomes blue, and in rural New York, baby chicks chirp new life.
Amen to that! Nice job catching all the variations of spring over such a wide area.
She added tears to the river below; was there life beyond her despair? A sunbeam snuck through as she walked away, her daughter’s smile shining.
Wow. I love how powerful these tiny stories become. Well done!
I like the image of a sunbeam sneaking through.
Lovely!
“She looked up, nothing but sky all around her, the air shifting her hair furously. Joy in her heart. Freedom.
Then, she hit the ground.”
Oh! That was too effective! I was caught up with her and then…
Well done!
I completely agree! That’s amazing!
Haha, thanks guys!
OK, here’s another
Hard-Packed Hope
Bare branches. Bare ground. Barely-there sun. A watery sky. But follow a skinny squirrel and squint. Pale chartreuse noses through dirt, bearing spring’s promise.
I feel like I am in a tree waving in the breeze . . . will I jump to the next branch?
Intriguing. Why do I get the impression this is followed by a door slamming? 😉
Sadly, not so . . . *grin* . . .
It Comes Full Circle
“There’s a world of difference between courting and dancing in the sheets. Don’t confuse the two with anyone else you reel in, okay?”