I'm new to short fiction so some of the terms aren't clear to me. One web site I explored made a big deal out of understanding the difference between "flash fiction" and "short story". I would guess that flash fiction is shorter but I'd like to know the word count tolerances for each of the two categories. If anyone could give me some guidelines here, I'd be most appreciative. Thanks.
Flash fiction vs. short story
- Thread starter Umgowa
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Flash fiction lengths accepted vary a bit by magazine. Generally, however, flash fiction is under 1k for word count. Some magazines want flash fiction under 700 or 500 words, or on the nose at 100.
Short stories go anywhere up to around 15-17k (depending on the genre).
Short stories go anywhere up to around 15-17k (depending on the genre).
Every magazine that accepts Flash Fiction submissions will have specific guidelines as to length. The most common FF cutoff is, indeed, 1000 words. However, some magazines will consider stories upward of 1500 words as flash. Others will limit you to 800 or even 500 words.
Typically stories of 200 words or less are in their own category (often referred to as microfiction) and then there are twitter-length stories that have to fit into a tweet (140 characters, including spaces and punctuation).
I've been subbing some of my flash fic pieces and the most prominent guidelines I've come across were 1000 words. However, I saw one at a hundred . . . no joke.
Technically, flash fiction should always be under 1,000 words, simply because anything from one thousand to two thousand words already has a name. It's a short-short.
Flash fiction should be between one hundred and one thousand words. One hundred words and down should be called micro fiction.
As for differences in writing, it's simply a matter of what you can and can't include within the length structure.
Flash fiction should be between one hundred and one thousand words. One hundred words and down should be called micro fiction.
As for differences in writing, it's simply a matter of what you can and can't include within the length structure.
A couple of years ago the horror section had a fun time with 100 word, (title included) Flash stories. It was the first time I had ever done any of them. What a blast. We had about 150 of them. It is really a love of precise wording.
Like others have said....the site will tell you how many words they will accept. Best wishes.
Like others have said....the site will tell you how many words they will accept. Best wishes.
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