Writing Flash: How to Craft and Publish Flash Fiction for a Booming Market

Contemporary flash fiction is a young genre whose brief and sharp nature makes it easier to experiment with than longer and loftier forms—perfect for aspiring writers. Fred White’s Writing Flash is a well-composed manual for precisely that audience. The opening chapters discuss the literary predecessors of flash fiction (parables, fairy tales, and vignettes) to provide context for their composition. Later sections outline common themes in flash fiction, like genre fiction, satire, and formal experimentation and provide related writing prompts for readers to practice on.

While White’s own stories were not really to my taste, he explains his own writing process well—the influences, motivations, and tools he used for each piece. He clearly views writing as the result of craft, not mysterious inspiration, which helps define the practical approach of Writing Flash. White’s exercises and advice should also serve as a good spring board for anyone interested in teaching themselves creative writing or wanting to try out a new genre, although the book is definitely intended for less-experienced writers. The advice on marketing and list of recommended magazines for submission is a nice addition for the book’s audience as well, although White does presuppose that writing is a joy in itself for his readers—more a hobby than a side-hustle.