Below is an essay that was published over at Book Spot Central last October. It pretty much sums up my feelings about flash fiction. Of course, Grim Graffiti and Muzzle Flash are gone now but there are others who have stepped up to take their place like A Twist of Noir and The Flash Fiction Offensive. Flash isn't for everyone but there needs to be a place for every kind of writing in the crime genre. A place for beginners to spread their wings and professionals to hone their skills and try new things so they don't get stale.
Crime Fiction’s Bastard Child
by Sandra Seamans
Mention flash fiction to some crime zine editors and they act like they’ve been force-fed the barrel of a gun. Anthony Neil Smith, editor of the newly revived Plots With Guns, said in a recent interview, “I hate ‘flash fiction’. Ugh. I’d rather have 2000 words that ‘feels’ like 1000.” His attitude reflects the view of many crime fiction editors towards the ever growing flash fiction niche being carved out in the crime genre.
So, what is this “crime flash” that’s rocking the genre’s boat? The flash stories being written and offered up to readers tends to pick at the scabs of society revealing the darkness under all those beautifully arranged tea cozies. They’re dark and dirty, with language that would make a drug dealer blush. And the sex? There’s more prostitutes working flash than walking the streets.
And how did this explosion of crime flash on the internet get started? I’d say it was Tribe’s aptly named site, Flashing in the Gutters. Started on a dare, The Gutters opened for business in January of 2006 and flourished until Tribe shut it down in December of that same year. The Gutters gave crime flash dignity.
Tribe leveled the playing field for writers in the crime genre. The word count topped out at 750 so everyone had to cut and prune to bring their stories down to the bare bones and still contain all the elements of a short story. Tribe had a knack for combining talented novelist like Allen Guthrie and Victor Gishler, with short story writers like Sarah Weinman and Stephen D. Rogers, then spicing it up with new to the genre writers like Sandra Ruttan and Patti Abbott for a great mix of stories and feedback for writers. The place rocked with words and stories and Tribe made everyone welcome, no matter their experience or lack thereof.
When The Gutters closed, the slack was picked up by sites like DZ Allen’s MuzzleFlash and Mystery Dawg’s Powder Burn Flash, with several zines like Grim Graffiti and Spinetingler posting flash fiction onto their virtual pages. Spinetingler even going so far as to offer up a special flash fiction issue in Spring of ‘08. On the print side of crime fiction, only Matt Louis’s Out of the Gutter includes flash.
With few markets and no pay, why are more and more writers jumping on the crime flash bandwagon? Easy. Number one, it gets their name out there in front of readers and the bios that are attached allow readers to follow writers that they enjoy. Second, they can explore characters, grow them into longer stories and possibly a novel. If a writer has enough stories out there, he has a ready made fan base for the day he finally gets a novel published. Third, and probably the most exciting, a writer can explore subjects that don’t lend themselves to mystery markets like Alfred Hitchcock or Ellery Queen. Flash fiction allows a writer to take a risk with their writing, to explore topics that are off limits in conventional crime fiction. With the freedom of flash, even established authors can take a story over the top without fear of reprisals from their base readers.
Is there a big difference between a short story and a flash story besides the brevity? On the surface, no. All crime fiction relies on twists and turns with a surprise at the end. How else does a writer keep the reader involved, willing to go along with the protagonist? The only difference being that there is no finesse with flash, no one to hold the reader’s hand and walk him slowly through the story. The reader is dropped right into the middle of the action and never allowed to catch his breath, rather like an afternoon quickie - fast and furious, then break out the cigarettes.
And perhaps that’s why many readers prefer the short story form. With the traditional short story they’re allowed to stroll down that dark alley exploring all the cracks and crevices, getting to know the players better, taking time to look at the scenery, something flash doesn’t have the time for. Flash is out in the open and in your face, roaring down the street like a drive-by shooting.
Crime flash fiction may never get the respectability that it deserves, but I believe that it’s helping to change the face and tone of the crime genre by opening reader’s and writer’s minds to the possibilities that exist outside of the mystery writing box.
14 comments:
I'll still say it, I can't write it anymore. I don't dislike it, I'm not going to put down the folks who do. But these days whenever I sit down with the intention to write flash, the story always boils over and I see the characters moving beyond the confines of the story. Even the last two I had up at Powderburn (the word from the last Flash fiction challenge, and pervert #16) all I wanted to do was grow out the characters, expand the story lines. (Which I'm doing with the Word and I'm thinking doing it with the characters from Pervert #16)I'm not going to derail the genre, but I'll be the first one to admit it's getting wicked hard for me to stay in the word count of flash. Great essay, though, Sandra
Your last 3 posts have been quite interesting, Sandra, ending with this fascinating to me one--because I've noticed a phenomenon in two biggie digests: Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen. ALL the stories seem to be getting longer and longer and sometimes for my taste a little TOO long. Of course, I'm fond of crime flash, the short, sharp bites are delicious to me.
I think it may be a function of what Keith mentioned--that many stories are character and not plot driven these days and it's awfully hard to have flash with well-fleshed-out characters. Takes more words.
Smashing essay sandra. I think keith's non- flash stories are the best stuff he's done but i also like the flash stories for what they are. the same for you,patti,cormac, al tucher and others. you can a get more filling snack out of most short stories but you can also miss the space dust fizz of the best flash. ... i've got a long way to go in this writing game but i doubt I'll ever be ctiticised for being too long winded. in a story,that is ;-)
oh, i've decided to keep this pot boiling a little by adding a post to crimSpace. pop over and join in!
I have the same problem, Keith. What I've been doing is writing a flash story, then fleshing it out and expanding it.
With the flash I know exactly what the story is about, I don't get lost in characters that don't need to be in the story or sidetrips to nowhere. With the flash, the plot and point of the story are set down. Rather like an outline that I can expand on without getting bored with the story before I start writing, which happens with outlines.
I know exactly what you mean, Conda. I find myself wanting to cut the stories down so they get to the point.
And you're right that flash doesn't lend itself to rounding out a character unless there's only one chacter in the story.
Thank you, Paul. And you'll get to the long winded part of writing, it just comes naturally the more you write. I think it's the explorer part of human nature that boils over into the writing.
I'm looking forward to reading the responses at CrimeSpace. Should be an interesting discussion.
The problem with flash is that you're too tempted to give a story an O'Henry type ending: ironic or surprising. So the whole story ends up hinging on what you come up with as an ending. I almost think we've gone the wrong way with flash entirely and flash should very abstract, poetic. Something like that anyway.
I've never even heard of flash! I've got a fair idea now though, cheers.
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Patti, if you check out some of the literary flash markets you'll find the type of flash you're talking about. Literary Bitch, Flash Me, and Flash Quake have many stories that don't revolve around the infamous twist.
I think crime flash depends on it so heavily because of the genre. There are not many crime novels or shorts that don't end with a twist of some type, ususally when we find out who the murderer is or why they did it. And as readers of the genre, don't we want to be surprised to some extent? I mean, if you know how its going to end, why keep reading?
What I've been trying to do with my flash is plant small clues that point to the ending so it isn't such a surprise twist. If the reader is paying attention he'll pick up on those clues and the twist will be a satisfying conclusion instead of a surprise.
Welcome to The Corner, Andrew. If you click on the links to the left under Flash Markets you'll find some good examples of flash fiction.
Well it's lovely to get a personal welcome, thank you!
Crappy siggy;
My Zine Distro...
Badges are kinda my thing...
I try to welcome everyone who stops by, Andrew. For me, this blog is an extension of my home and hopfully visitors will feel comfortable enough to grab a cup of coffee and sit down for a chat about writing.
and that would be hopefully not hopfully. Jeez, you'd think a writer would learn how to spell.
Very astute essay, Sandra. Here I've written novel length manuscripts and found by writing flash fiction it helps to tighten the former writing.
I think every form of writing you attempt helps your writing. Poetry helps you pick up a rhythm, flash helps you write tight, short stories teach you to add descriptions and stroll through a story. Every word we put down is an education in some way.
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