Blog 5: JWE

Flash fiction is literature that is short and straight to the point. In most cases it is less than 1500 words but sometimes it is capped off at 75. It is an short way of story telling to the extreme. In the novel "Fatal Light" by Richard Currey, flash fiction is used to tell us the story of the Vietnam war. Currey, sometimes only using half a page, describes war like it is in real life; quick and blunt. He doesn't focus on extreme detail like other authors but instead uses his style of writing to express the emotion in war.

Currey's style of writing allows the reader to create their own story from the bits he does provide. In doing this he makes the reader think for themselves. The style of writing also forces the author to pick and choose the words he uses. He must be carefully to choose words that relay exactly what he wants to say but in as little words as possible. He doesn't get caught up in endless details because in war time a soldier wouldn't either. They do their job as fast as possible so they have the best chance of survival. That is why flash fiction and war stories mesh so nicely.