4.2: Flash Fiction Exercises

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chapter 4: flash fiction exercises

These may or may not be assigned by your instructor, but they are still really cool little exercises!

exercise 1: line exchange.

Give a sentence (line) to a classmate and then “steal” a sentence (line) to use from a classmate for this flash fiction activity. Then compose one flash fiction piece of about 100 words, then another flash fiction story of 150-200 words, and THEN one more flash fiction piece of 250-300 words.

Flash Fiction Examples of Line Exchanges.

Student Example #1\(^{61}\) = The sentence used: “She solemnly waited at the bus stop.”

She checked her phone: 6:52. "six fifty-two, six fifty-two," she chanted under her breath, shifting on the balls of her feet. Stop. She lowered her heels to the ground. She practiced steadying her breathing. In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. Though she kept her eyes fixed on the sidewalk below her, the sound of cars passing was deafening. Her dress cuffs itched. She squeezed her eyes closed and flicked her right hand. Stop; people will see. She wills her hand to still. Opening her eyes once more, she checked her phone: 6:53. Why is it so bad today, she thought with a frown. Because today is going to be different: an office party. Joy. What am I going to talk about? How can I hide my autism? Stop thinking about it. The bus always came at seven, she knew. She knew because she took it every weekday to get to work. She had six minutes until the bus came, and only then could she relax because she hadn’t missed it. From there, she would have twenty minutes to read from her book until the bus stopped at the plaza. From there, she would get her French vanilla coffee and cinnamon bun from the coffee shop across from her work. At the front desk of her work, she would sign in at 7:30 exactly. No one had to know how pivotal this routine was to her, especially her boss. How would he react if he knew about her disability? He would never promote her, that’s for sure. He probably would have never hired her in the first place. Stop thinking about it. She checked her phone again: 6:55. She recalled her mother’s words: Don’t make a scene. She took a deep breath and schooled her features. Relax. She solemnly waited at the bus stop.

Student Example #2\(^{62}\) = Sentence used: "Thoughts, flooding my head like waves on the beach.”

Laying in my room looking at my ceiling. Thoughts, flooding my head like waves on the beach. My mind congested but my body resting. Who knew being a teenager was fun but challenging at the same time? A room to myself is my own freedom. My time to reflect on my day, reflect on my life, reflect on everything that is going on around me. Feelings, crossing me like a busy intersection. How do I feel so many things at once? I wanted to grow up and be an adult, but now I realise being young ain't bad after all.

Laying in my empty room looking up at my blank ceiling. Thoughts, flooding my head like waves on the beach. My mind is congested with so much going on in there, but my body is resting and at peace. Having a room all to myself is my own freedom. It's my time to reflect on my day, reflect on my life, reflect on everything that is going on around me. Feelings, crossing me like a busy intersection. Not just an intersection but an intersection in the busiest city. How do I feel so many things at just one time? My body lays still in bed, but my mind constantly feels like it's on a treadmill that doesn't have an off button. I wanted to grow up and be an adult so badly. In fact, it'd be the only thing I would wish for when blowing out my candles on my birthday. But now I realise being young ain't so bad after all.

After a long, busy day here I lay all by myself in my empty room looking up at my blank ceiling. Thoughts, flooding my head like waves on the beach. Except tonight it feels like a tsunami. My mind is congested and filled with a mix of thoughts and emotions. There is so much going on in there but I can't even figure out what it is. My mind is foggy like clouds on a rainy day. Deep, dark grey clouds with lightning and thunder. All of this going on in my mind, however my body is resting and at peace like a quiet, back street road. Having a room all to myself is my own type of freedom. It feels like I am outer space, living on my own planet or even in another galaxy. That's my time to reflect on my day, reflect on my life, reflect on everything that is going on around me. Feelings, crossing me like a busy intersection. Not just an intersection but an intersection in the busiest city. With car horns going off, many people walking the streets, loud noises from all the buses and trains, the sirens from ambulances. It all gets too much for me. How do I feel so many things at just one time? My body lays as still in bed as ever, but my mind constantly feels like it's on a treadmill that doesn't have an off button. I really wanted to grow up and be an adult so badly. In fact, I couldn't wait to be called an adult one day. It would be the only thing I'd wish for when blowing out my candles on my birthday. But now I realise being young ain't so bad after all.

Student Example #3\(^{63}\) = Sentence stolen: "I woke up to silence and darkness.”

I woke up to silence and darkness. I could feel boards beneath my body. I didn't know where I was or who was there with me. My only way of knowing was that I was taken on the corner of 49 and 6th street. Taken in such a way that nobody realized that I was gone. I was starting to wonder if anyone was ever going to come looking for me. I had no family and was able to make money working on such a corner. I had nothing to live for, but right at that moment, I wanted to live to see another day.

I woke up to silence and darkness. I could feel the creaking unstable boards beneath my trembling corpse. I had no idea where I was or what kind of person was there with me. The only thing that I knew at the moment was that I was taken on the lively corner of 49 and 6th. I was taken in such an unforthcoming way that not one single person detected it. I was getting worried and started to ponder whether or not anyone would come to a reckoning for me. I knew that there was a slim chance of anything adequate coming out of this. I had no family which meant that I had no means of support other than my job working on such a corner. I had nothing to live for, but at that very moment, I desired to live to see another day.

I woke up to utter silence and unimaginable darkness. I could feel the creaking unstable boards beneath my trembling corpse. I peered with my eyes but there was nothing in sight. There was a far off blood-curdling scream in the distance that made my rigid body freeze in motion. I had no idea where I was or what kind of awful person was there with me. The only thing that I knew at the moment was that I was taken on the lively corner of 49th and 6th. It was a tall bony man who looked and smelled as if he hadn't freshened up in months. The smell of a rotting animal corpse that lay lifeless on the side of an occupied highway. It angered me that I wasn't able to capture his ungodly facial features. I was taken in such an unforthcoming way that not one single person detected it. It was as if he was a customer that I had to please anyone else but me. I was getting worried and started to ponder whether or not anyone would come to a reckoning for me. I knew there were a slim chance and a long shot of anything adequate coming out of this. I had no family which meant that I had no means of support other than my job working on such a corner as that was my source of income. I had nothing to live for, but at that very moment, I desired to live to see another day.

exercise 2: 10x10.

Write Ten teeny stories about ten people who live in the same town; each story can’t be longer than 10 sentences.

exercise 3: the word salad.\(^{64}\)

Our subconscious minds combine items in unexpected, sometimes whimsical ways. Set a timer for twenty minutes and use at least three of these words in your draft: a red scarf, windshield wiper, chrome, booger, blowtorch, spatula, CD-ROM, postage stamp, frittering, karma, calamity, heartburn, bandage.

exercise 4: letter to my younger self.

Choose an age to write to (you at 10? 15?). What would you tell your younger self?

exercise 5: advertisement.\(^{65}\)

Write an advertisement putting your 12-foot long crocodile on the market. Then write the story behind why you had to sell your pet crocodile in the first place.

\(^{61}\)Example from S. M. Prince is licensed CC-BY-NC-SA. It was created for NDSCS English 211 in the Spring of 2021.

\(^{62}\)Example by Ambah is licensed CC-BY-NC-SA. It was created for NDSCS English 211 in the Spring of 2021.

\(^{63}\)This example from Brenna is licensed CC-BY-NC-SA. It was created for NDSCS English 211 in the Spring of 2021.

\(^{64}\)https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-exer...he-word-salad/

\(^{65}\)https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-exer...-block/advert/

Dedicated to everyone who wonders if I am writing about them.

I am.