Names, descriptions, and dialogue

AGKirk

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Flash fiction is an exercise in getting as much content out of as few words as possible. I'm curious as to how you all deal with staples of longer fiction, which may prove problematic or distracting in flash.

Names, for instance. You might only have two characters, so naming them is hardly necessary to differentiate them, in fact it could be a useless and distracting addition. That said a name can be used to tell the reader something about the character (someone named Joe is probably an "average guy.") Or, it could provide a glimpse of a larger story-"He always thought of his mother by her first name, Mary."

Descriptions obviously go a long way towards providing a setting and atmosphere, but flash often relies on the reader to provide such details for themselves, rather than wasting precious words.

Dialogue seems like an economic decision. It's often a better option than exposition for providing information, but it is also takes longer. It usually come down to a calculation of the pros and cons for me.

So how do you cope with these? I sometimes struggle with the decision making in my own flash. You want to name everyone, and provide a great setting, and use dialogue to show the story, but the more you use them, the less actual action and progress you can fit in under 100 words.
 

LonnieG

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First off, welcome. Flash Fiction is great fun, and can be much more challenging to write than longer fiction, where you can "waste words". You stated that FF is held to under 100 words. The scope of FF is any where from one sentence to a thousand words or more. I have seen 1500 words stated by some markets. The length is dictated by the market, not a set number of words. Here on this forum, 1000 words is the limit. One of my favorite FF sites, the word limit is 600.

As for names in FF, it is always good to give your characters a name. Sometimes the story is not a character story, and it is unimportant to know the characters name.

The points you made are the challenge of FF, as with any story, I think.

If you have not visited any online FF sites I would suggest that you do. Some of them have great articles describing what FF is and what it is not. Above all else, FF is a complete story. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. What it is not is a description of a scene, or a part of a longer work. Not that a FF piece could not be developed into a longer piece.

There are many great stories here. Also take a look at the posting of FF markets and read some of the stories found on those sites.

Have fun.
 
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Linda Adams

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Names: They're relatively easy. If it's third person, the POV character will get named in the exposition as a matter of course. In a story I just submitted, I had a librarian, and she was named via her name plate on her desk. The first person POV introduced herself by her first name. Lots of ways to do it. But introducing characters also works best if there aren't a lot. I can have up to four characters in mine, but two are almost never named, or identified in a way that makes sense in the story (i.e., Mama).

Descriptions: I still get descriptions in, because if I didn't, I would leave out too much (I'm terrible with details). I do quick research on a location and use details unique to that area, and time, if in the past. Everything gets double duty, so smog looks like cigarette smoke, which was also a commentary on the state of the family. A specific like a station wagon or a ceramic ashtray on the table speaks about the time.

Dialogue: I think your description of it -- "providing information" is where you're having trouble. It's not providing information; it's moving the story and characters forward. But you have to start with what the story is about and follow that path.

Flash is usually defined as being up to 1,000, not under 100 words.
 

FoidPoosening

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First off, welcome. Flash Fiction is great fun, and can be much more challenging to write than longer fiction, where you can "waste words". You stated that FF is held to under 100 words. The scope of FF is any where from one sentence to a thousand words or more. I have seen 1500 words stated by some markets. The length is dictated by the market, not a set number of words. Here on this forum, 1000 words is the limit. One of my favorite FF sites, the word limit is 600.

As for names in FF, it is always good to give your characters a name. Sometimes the story is not a character story, and it is unimportant to know the characters name.

The points you made are the challenge of FF, as with any story, I think.

If you have not visited any online FF sites I would suggest that you do. Some of them have great articles describing what FF is and what it is not. Above all else, FF is a complete story. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. What it is not is a description of a scene, or a part of a longer work. Not that a FF piece could not be developed into a longer piece.

There are many great stories here. Also take a long at the posting of FF markets and read some of the stories found on those sites.

Have fun.

Which FF site is that for 600 words? I want to check it out.

As for names/characters/setting, it depends on the story itself in my opinion. I believe there is a minimum amount of setting and character description needed in the majority of FF pieces but how much further you go with it depends on what's important to your overall delivery.

That's very general information, but there really is not specific formula for it.

If you find yourself struggling with it, write three versions of the same story with different levels of description (bare-bones, average, high) as separate copies and get feedback from someone else about which one is most effective.

Best,

Dan aka FP.
 

M.Luminos

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I like to leave out names and description as it usually has little to do with the story, if names are needed for symbolism I'll include them.

Try to convey who the character is indirectly.

In my last piece the character is never described, however the character talks about how their father called them "Sweetpea" and "darling" leading the reader to believe the speaker in the FF is a female.