“Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction” by Nancy Stohlman

Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction (Master Class Series)

Nancy Stohlman
Ad Hoc Fiction (2020)
ISBN: 9781912095797
Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (01/2021)

“Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction (Master Class Series)” by Nancy Stohlman, is an energetic, comprehensive guide that teaches writers how to write flash fiction.

Some readers like long, luxurious stories, while others like them short and sweet. Writers are no different. Some enjoy writing the long novel, while others enjoy the shorthand style of flash fiction. Some, of course, prefer to do both. If you’re a writer who’s never dabbled in flash fiction but wants to, or one who has but would like to take a deeper dive into the process and take your writing to the next level, then this book is all you really need. Stohlman takes you through the basics–what flash fiction is, what it isn’t, and what it could be when done well. Anyone can write a super short story. But does it still make an impact? Is it as entertaining and moving as if you’d written it long? This book will help you explore that and will give you hands-on instruction on how to make your flash fiction the best it can be.

We writers have all heard the advice “write tight” or “write lean.” But flash fiction is more than just being concise. It’s creating a meaningful story in a short amount of space–still satisfying. Still moving. It has nothing to do with short attention spans or a lack of time. It means you enjoy really short fiction, for its own sake.

This book covers all the angles, from myth-busting, to avoiding mistakes, to the nuts-and-bolt of writing a flash fiction story. Besides all this, there are valuable tips on how and where to get published, how to handle rejection (it’s good for you!), and the art of self-promotion. It isn’t a long book but is packed with diamond chips you can turn to again and again–just like flash fiction. I love the sound, real-world advice, the samples, and the breezy yet informative tone. If you like the short form, as reader or writer, make sure “Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction (Master Class Series)” by Nancy Stohlman, is part of your must-read library.