Use Flash Fiction to Solve a Problem

In April, I attended the Iceland Writer’s Conference. It was in Iceland. I was cold the entire time. I was also a misfit, as I am working on children’s picture books and young adult novels. These are considered bargain basement books amongst those more literary than me. But I did learn a super fun method to write and have since applied it for intuitive problem solving.

It’s called flash fiction. Flash fiction involves writing a one-thousand-word story in a very short amount of time. You can also do micro-fiction, which is under 300 words. The trick is that you must cover a full narrative arc. This means you need a beginning, middle, and an end. Usually, you set a timer for about 20 minutes for the longer essay and ten or so for the mini work.

I’ve fallen in love with this approach and use it to make intuitive decisions as well.

Here is how that works.

Select your word count and then focus on your question, issue, or problem. Create three headings on your paper. (Okay, you got it: beginning, middle, and end.) Then write down your theme, get into a meditative mood, and start.

You’ll be surprised at how quickly your intuitive-self arrives at a rendering of the true nature of the issue in the beginning. The middle is often descriptive of current circumstances, and the end is the “who done it;” the solution.

Try it yourself! And for kicks, here is an example of an award-winning micro-fiction piece.

Example

Regan Puckett

As noted by NYC Midnight, “For millennia, when a star flickered, the old man ascended the stairway toward the sky carrying a suitcase of starbulbs. Eventually, his knees cracked with each step. ‘Let the stars twinkle,’ begged the Moon. ‘You must rest.’ Unpacking a new bulb, he shook his head. He descended with a lighter suitcase and heavier heart. Exhaustion soaked his bones, but his work was never-ending. The Moon called to him, longing. He longed for her, too. For a final time, he journeyed upwards. Now, stars twinkle freely. The stairway rusts. In a crater, the old man on the moon rests, sound asleep.”

As a member of Cyndi’s newsletter community, you qualify to participating in her one-year writing program in a special way. Normally, the Shift Network would have you first buy her initial 16-week writing program. This was led in the spring with a resounding success. However, you don’t need this qualifier if you use the provided link. You’ll get a free one-hour packet to prepare.

One-Year Writing Program

This intensive one-year program will get you start to finish on a book of any type, with 96 hours with Cyndi and once a month support groups with another mentor. Check it out here!

Free Writer’s Workshop

And here is a free workshop Cyndi led for people who were in the original 16-week writer’s class. Click here!