A microfiction is a very short story, typically 300 words or fewer. It can be a standalone story or part of a larger work, such as a collection of short stories.
Here are some tips on how to write a microfiction:
Choose a strong central idea. What is the one thing you want your reader to take away from your story? Once you have a clear idea, you can start to build your story around it.
Use simple language. Microfiction is all about brevity, so it’s important to use simple language that gets to the point quickly.
Show, don’t tell. One of the best ways to make your microfiction come alive is to show your readers what’s happening instead of telling them. Use vivid language and sensory details to create a scene in your reader’s mind.
End with a twist. A microfiction is often a surprise, so it’s important to end with a twist that will leave your reader thinking.
An example of a microfiction is this six-word story.
For sale: baby shoes, never worn
It is possibly the most well known example of a microfiction, popularly attributed to Ernest Hemingway, although this attribution has been questioned.
A microfiction can be an interesting and challenging way to tell a story. My own experience of writing microfiction has improved my longer form writing because a microfiction forces you to consider the relevance of every single word. It helps train a writer’s mind to consider what is necessary, and what can be left to the reader to infer.
NYC Midnight run a variety of writing competitions, many of which I have entered over the years. You pay an entry fee and you are allocated prompts and a genre and given a set time frame in which to write. It is a great way to hone your writing skills, plus you get feedback from a variety of judges. Look out for their 100 & 250-word microfiction competitions.
Why not give writing microfiction a try and see what you can come up with?
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