Playing with Time in Flash Fiction
Backwards, forwards, and staying present
Welcome to my latest craft post. Before we dive in, I just wanted to let you know that I have opened bookings for my brand new Compassionate Storytelling course that starts in November. This 6-week workshop explores how to write fiction, memoir, and present life stories that build bridges rather than walls—creating characters and narratives that help readers see the humanity in everyone that connect us all. Which feels very important in these times. Info here.
Now lets look at time in flash!
Time is a slippery thing in fiction. Stories can compress decades into a few paragraphs or expand moments into several pages.
In flash fiction, this flexibility becomes even more important. When you're working with a strict word limit, the ability to manipulate time is a vital skill. The story you want to tell might span generations, or it might dive deep into a single momentary decision that changes everything.
So how do we work with time effectively in the compressed space of flash fiction? Let's explore some techniques that can help you bend time to your story's advantage.