After our successful completion of the Vietnam War creative writing unit, I know you're all itching to write the Great American Novel, but things have been so darn hectic lately. Well, no excuses - because you can create the Great American 101 - Word Short Story in less time than it takes to drink a can of your favorite engergy drink (AKA: Poison).
Write something with plot, characters, dialogue, details (and a title!), then cram it all into just 101 words (or less).
The top 30 entries will be published in the March 31st issue of The Inlander.
At RLA, we'll be writing (at least) one story a day. Once the week is through, you'll select your favorite and submit it to The Inlander for consideration.
GUIDELINES:
Details matter. In general, use specifics instead of abstractions. Beware the story that's filled with abstract nouns. Short time frames work best. Investigate a spot of time, not someone's entire life story.
Show, don't tell. In other words, don't preach at the reader; allow her to figure out your thoughts for herself. Give her the hints so that she'll feel the emotions alongside you and your characters.
Sensational events don't make for good flash fiction. The simple fact that someone was mugged or raped or met his birth mother or sailed around the world is NOT, in itself, a compelling thing to read in 101 words.
Misspellings and misused words do not inspire great confidence.
Avoid aimlessness and anticlimax: Something's gotta happen. There has to be a payoff. (And don't telegraph it too early, so that the "payoff" is something we knew at the outset.)
Clarity matters. If readers' first reaction is "What was THAT all about?," it's not a good sign.
Avoid cliches and on-the-nose situations.
The story should take us somewhere (emotionally, intellectually) that we were not when we first start reading. We're an alt-weekly. We like snark, cynicism, dark comedy, disillusionment and sarcasm. But we also like wonder and hope and surprise.
Play for high stakes. If the conflict is whether or not he'll wake up grumpy in the morning, so what? But ... if he tends to get violent and hurt people when he wakes up grumpy - well, then, that adds some tension.
The lead sentence should be an attention-grabber. It may be absurd or disgusting or puzzling; it may come from an odd point of view or be deceptively mundane. But whatever it is, it should signal that the writer has taken care with his point of attack and that he's likely to have something to say.
Why should we care about these characters? If you don't have a ready reply, prepare to revise.
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