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I have recently cracked the key to starting flash fiction and short stories. It's all in the first few lines.
Oh, my gosh, I can already hear some of you booing. Yes, I know it's frustrating to place so much emphasis on opening lines, but they are important—particularly in short fiction.
So if you're struggling to start a piece of short fiction, try this:
Within the first few sentences—the opening paragraph—convey the following information: Who, Where, and Genre.
AND
Include an item.
AND
Throw in sensory details.
It really works! Check out this opening:
The stale air of the Interplanetary Dynamics office reflected the mood of its desk jockeys. Ash, stewing in their stiff-collared uniform, barely glanced at the form in front of them before stamping approval for a three-cycle visit from the mildly dangerous K’noth planet. Number 998.
Who? Ash, a desk jockey
Where? Interplanetary Dynamics office
Genre? Sci-fi
Item included? Form, stamp
Sensory detail? Stale air
Bingpot! We have the beginning of a story. What are these forms he's stamping? Why is he barely looking at them? Why is he counting them?
Let's look at another:
Detective Diego Martinez stumbled into the interrogation room, holotablet in one hand, burnt coffee sloshing from the two mugs he held in the other. Aw, a bot will clean up the mess.
Who? Detective Diego Martinez
Where? Interrogation room
Genre? Sci-fi/Mystery
Item included? Mugs of coffee, holotablet
Sensory detail? Burnt coffee
This doesn't tell you what the mystery will be, but when you have a detective in an interrogation room with another person, it's a pretty good bet that a mystery will be involved.
I pumped out both of those openings in a couple of minutes, and the rest of the stories flowed easily after. I really think this works. With this simple trick, your readers are immediately grounded in the story.
Did I come up with this? Hell, no! I stole it from this great video on writing short stories: Short Stories — With Special Guest Instructor Mary Robinette Kowal. Go watch it! There's plenty more to learn.
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