I recently sparked a love for flash fiction, drabbles and short fiction in general. Could you share some tips?
It is very flattering to be asked! But as to tips for the actual process of writing, I have it on good authority from fellow writers that "wait until something Possesses you and type fast enough to keep up with it" is not at all helpful.
When it comes to gathering ideas and pondering composition, however, I do have some general advice:
• Don't be afraid to start in media res. The shorter the piece, the more it will be bogged down by setup/introduction. I've found that people - at least my sort of people - are very willing to be intrigued for a sentence or two before finding out what is even going on. And since the piece is short the confusion will never last long.
• Don't be afraid to drop dialogue tags (she said, etc.) if you feel like they get in the way. I still struggle with this.
• The first and the last line are very important, they have to be Just Right. The way my brain works a sparkling first line usually presents itself naturally, but I take a long time with my ending lines. In my flash fiction pieces it feels like the last line either has to convey the entire vibe of the whole piece at once or contain some big reveal that makes all what before it make sense. Almost like it's the punchline of a joke, but for a wider variety of emotions than amusement.
• You can write whatever you want forever and that includes writing about the exact same concept multiple times. Maybe the third drabble on the same subject will be your favourite, so you should never not write something because you've written something like it before. But at the same time, there's no need to dismiss the two drabbles before your favourite, because they're bound to be someone else's favourite.
I hope that is in any way useful! May you always have inspiration, time and energy at the same time <3
