A 100 - word flash fiction story could be 'The Meeting'. Two old friends who had a falling out years ago accidentally meet at a coffee shop. At first, there's an awkward silence. But then, they start to talk about old times. Slowly, the bitterness fades away, and by the end of their short encounter, they've rekindled their friendship. Another might be 'The Mysterious Note'. A man finds a note in his pocket with a strange address. He goes there and discovers a long - lost family heirloom.
One example: 'She found the old letter. Memories flooded. But it was time to let go. She burned it, watched ashes dance in the wind.'
Sure. 'She found a letter. It was from her old love. Memories flooded back. But she tore it up. Some things are best left in the past.'
Here's a different one: 'The Strange Light. In the forest, there was a strange light. A hiker saw it. He was curious. As he got closer, the light seemed to dance. It was a group of fireflies. But they were so bright and in such a strange formation that it felt like magic. He watched them for a while, then continued his hike, the memory of the light in his heart.
One great example is 'For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn' by Ernest Hemingway. It's a very short yet powerful piece that implies a whole tragic story. Another is 'A Haunted House' by Virginia Woolf, which creates an eerie atmosphere in just a few paragraphs.
One example could be a story that's only a few hundred words long, like 'The Last Leaf' which tells a poignant tale in a short space.
One example could be 'The Last Leaf' by O. Henry. It's a short, impactful story that packs a punch in just a few pages.
One example could be 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. It's a short, intense story that packs a punch in just a few pages.
Well, consider a tale of a lost key and the frantic search for it, all wrapped up in under 500 words. Or a snapshot of a moment of realization at a sunset, described vividly in a short space. These are typical examples of flash fiction.
One good example is 'The Necklace' by Guy de Maupassant. It starts as a simple story of a woman borrowing a necklace for a party but unfolds into a mystery when she loses it. Another is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. The narrator's insistence on his sanity while describing a murder is mysterious. Also, 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl. A woman kills her husband and then serves the murder weapon to the police officers investigating the case, which is a very mysterious plot.
First, have a clear concept. Decide on a single, strong idea quickly. For example, it could be a unique emotion like sudden regret. Second, create vivid characters with just a few strokes. Maybe describe a character's nervous habit, like constantly tapping a finger. Third, make every word count. Cut out unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Don't say 'the big, red, shiny apple' but 'the shiny apple' if the color and size don't matter to the story.