Opinions and submission guidelines differ on word counts for micro fiction – some state up to 300 – but the focus of this article is on stories of up to 100 words, otherwise known as drabbles. The 100-word story is gaining popularity and there are several competitions and journals to submit to. Also popular are 50-word stories (dribbles); six-worders, like the famous story attributed to Ernest Hemingway, For sale: baby shoes never worn; and anything in between.
Before we get into the nitty gritty of writing micro fiction, there is one element you must bear in mind, probably the most important of all: your reader. Who reads micro fiction, and why? In her craft book, Going Short, Nancy Stohlman writes: The reader must jump the gaps, fill in the blanks, follow the breadcrumbs, and inhabit the purposeful spaces left by the writer. Which means that [micro] fiction is cultivating a new symbiosis between writer and In other words: you need to trust your reader to be able, and willing, to do these things.
