Flash Fiction is a writing initiative now sweeping the globe. Our Library Aide Sharon learned of it two years ago while traveling with a writer-friend from Australia. On the tour, she spent almost every evening glued to her laptop, completely absorbed in her current Flash Fiction assignment entitled LABYRINTH.  As a retired English teacher, of course she was intrigued and became completely captivated by the concept once she came to understand how it worked.
Since 2015, she have continued to follow her writing group as it produces weekly Flash Fiction stories and every once in a while, Micro Fiction stories. For those who have never encountered this art form, let us explain; essentially writers in a Flash Fiction group are given a one word “jumping-off” point each week and they have until the following week to write a complete story (a beginning, middle, and end) within 500 words.  (A Micro Fiction story allows ONLY 50 words.)
Sharon believes the challenge of Flash Fiction echoes the challenge of writing Haiku, just 17 syllables to capture an entire event! By the way, every single word counts, even the articles, A, AN, THE. Because it allows such a limited word-count, Flash Fiction encourages a level of precision and economy of language that is unparalleled.
As the group leader, it is her hope to  foster the growth of individual writing skills while encouraging participants to explore their talents and share their efforts with others during our weekly sessions.  Once stories are edited and polished, willing participants will be encouraged to publish them on the Little Falls Public Library Website and Facebook Page. And yes, participants will be allowed to publish under a pen name if they so wish. So start thinking up a good one!