There are certain elements of every good flash fiction story. First, writers look for the smaller detail in the big picture. To discuss a boy's trip to see his long-lost brother, you'd need a short story, novella or novel. However, a flash fiction writer might write about the boy packing for the trip, or the exact moment when he meets his brother. Second, there is little room to write about character history in a flash fiction story. A good flash fiction tale will usually have its preamble in the first paragraph. Third, most good flash fiction stories will focus on one strong image. It could be anything from a horrible disaster to a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as long as it makes the audience's eyes open wide. Fourth, flash fiction stories have some sense of mystery to them. A great flash story will keep the audience in the dark until the end, where all will come to light. Fifth, as mentioned before, the successful flash fiction story will include such poetic devices such as metaphor, alliteration and novel devices such as plot twists, etc. Though by definition flash fiction is extremely short, it is not a genre that embraces incomplete storytelling. An instructor once told me that a complete story is simply one with a beginning, a middle, and an end. The goal of flash fiction is to tell a complete story. However, like poetry, every word in a flash fiction story is absolutely essential. Once a flash fiction story is finished being written, the audience is given a piece of compact literature that really packs a punch.
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