Figural Letter, Capital A from a Story of Louis XIV of France

Writing tiny stories with no forethought…

So, I’ve been writing a newsletter for about 2 1/2 years now, and in each issue, I’ve included a piece of microfiction. It’s gotten less micro over time, but it’s always flash fiction. I sit down with no real idea of what I’ll write, let my mind wander, and then when it arrives on an idea I start writing.

I don’t always know where the very-short story will go when I start writing, but I usually end up somewhere that makes sense in my head, landing on a spot where I feel the story has concluded. Or at least one that allows the reader to fill in the rest with their own imagination.

I struggle to write long form right now, as my life is not currently set up for the deep, uninterrupted contemplation that I would need to create and keep up a story thread in my mind. So, inspired by a couple of people I follow on Instagram (especially @picturecardstories), I started writing microfiction. I enjoy it, and it reminds me that I can come up with something out of nothing on the spot, if pressed. Which is a nice feeling.

If you’re interested in subscribing to my newsletter, complete with microfiction, it’s free and currently available at Substack (because TinyLetter shut down).


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