Flash fiction is a style of writing in which the story is no longer than 1,000 words. It is fiction that it is very short and to the point. Just like other types of fiction novels, there are still main characters, a plot, themes and symbols present. There are not very many descriptive words used in flash fiction, rather it is more blunt and shows raw emotion. Each story is focused on one minute detail rather than many details that form a bigger picture, like we see in Tim O’Brien’s novel.
In Richard Currey’s novel, “Fatal Light” it is very clear that he uses flash fiction. Most of the stories are less than two pages and each one really focuses on a point he is trying to make. He doesn’t use many adjectives to try and sugar coat the stories, he tells them how they are. War is full of emotions, horror and gore and this is how he tells it. Everything is very short and direct.
We learn early on in the introduction that this is a work of fiction but some aspects of it are based off of Currey’s personal experience. Currey breaks each section up into different parts of his life. He talks about the summers that he spent with his Grandfather, he talks about his girlfriend from home Mary, saying good bye to his parents, and the time he spent in Vietnam. Although the stories are quit short, there are enough details given to allow the reader to feel connected with the stories.
One example of the effectiveness of flash fiction is in the section “In- Country” and it’s chapter 8, his first letter to Mary. This letter is less than a page long, but the reader can really see how he feels as a soldier. He feels stuck and his tone of voice is dull and almost lethargic. He feels the need to explain why he’s acting the way he is and explain why he looks the way he does in the picture he sends to her. From this letter it is obvious how miserable and unhappy he is.
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Flash Fiction is fiction that it is very short and to the point. It is between 200 and 1,000 words. Just like other types of fiction novels, there are still main characters, a plot, themes and symbols present. There are not very many descriptive words used in flash fiction, rather it is more blunt and shows raw emotion. Each story is focused on one minute detail rather than many details that form a bigger picture, like we see in Tim O’Brien’s novel.
ReplyDeleteIn Richard Currey’s novel, “Fatal Light” it is very clear that he uses flash fiction. Most of the stories are less than two pages and each one really focuses on a point he is trying to make. He doesn’t use many adjectives to try and sugar coat the stories, he tells them how they are. War is full of emotions, horror and gore and this is how he tells it. Everything is very short and direct.
We learn early on in the introduction that this is a work of fiction but some aspects of it are based off of Currey’s personal experience. Currey breaks each section up into different parts of his life. He talks about the summers that he spent with his Grandfather, he talks about his girlfriend from home Mary, saying good bye to his parents, and the time he spent in Vietnam. Although the stories are quit short, there are enough details given to allow the reader to feel connected with the stories.
One example of the effectiveness of flash fiction is in the section “In- Country” and it’s chapter 8, his first letter to Mary. This letter is less than a page long, but the reader can really see how he feels as a soldier. He feels stuck and his tone of voice is dull and almost lethargic. He feels the need to explain why he’s acting the way he is and explain why he looks the way he does in the picture he sends to her. From this letter it is obvious how miserable and unhappy he is. Another example from this section is when Curry talks about the man he killed “He was blown off his feet by the blast and his body was in the distinctive scarecrow disarray that instant death brings” (62). He doesn’t go into graphic detail like we’ve seen in other books we’ve read. He tells the reader just enough to get his point across and emphasize the impact this event had on his life.
Flash Fiction requires the author to pick and chose his words carefully. He must use words that are meaningful and powerful that get his point across. Because of this technique, the reader is hanging on to every word, wanting more.