Microfiction Experiment - The Shortee
What is Microfiction?
Microfiction, according to Wikipedia  , trustworthiest of all encyclopedias, is classified as being between 250 and 1000 words. Of course, the term is a recently coined one, and therefore doesn't have a definition that is solidly set in stone. Basically, it's fiction that you wouldn't really call a short story, and the word count is entirely up to your own standards. The Micro Fiction mini site has a definition that I'm more comfortable with , stating that it's fiction in under 500 words. What is the Shortee?
The Shortee is nothing special, really. It's just one of many forms of nano/micro/flash fiction that I happened to really like. The idea is to write a story in up to 200 words (excluding the title), and to spend less than 20 minutes on writing it. Where would I start?
Unless you already have a topic or idea you want to work with, such as an emotion or situation, using a random word generator is a good way to 'fake' inspiration. Sometimes a word comes up and you immediately see where it would take you. I use The Random Word Generator , which gives me a good word within 3 tries. So, uhm, what's the point?
Simple. It doesn't have one. Well, okay, that's not true. The reason I started doing Shortees is because sometimes, writing about nothing is exactly what you need to do. To write with a self-imposed limit, with arbitrary rules which aren't usually seen as being very good rules. The idea of the Shortee is to get you writing without having to invest a lot of time in either the writing or the editing. To be fair, within 20 minutes, writing a decent story in 200 words is possible but you won't get much farther than a first draft and then some spell checks. And that's a good thing. And what do you propose I'll get from this?
An easy and fun excercise in writing, where the outcome doesn't matter nearly as much as the effort you put into it. I've found that the more Shortees I write, the more time I've got left to chisel away at the prototype and end up with more of the good stuff. So, now what?
If you're interested, give it a try. It's a fun little excercise that's mostly interesting to yourself. But if you do have a blog you also post on about your writing, you may find that a regularly posted Shortee gives your readers a nice little break from the regular posts. Do it if it speaks to your imagination. If not, keep it in mind. Maybe some day, it will. If you do a Shortee, and you post it online, by all means, email me the link so I can see the fruits of your labours. You can contact me at voh at hostvoh dot net. Write on! Examples of Microfiction
Noise by Robin de Graaf
Sandwiches by Robin de Graaf
The Posey Peep Show by Zachary W. Lewis
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