Flash fiction has been variously described as a fully contained story; one with a beginning, middle, and end, and one told in less than a thousand words. Some would trim that down to seven hundred fifty words and, truth be told, the shorter stories within this class of story-telling are usually better—more thoughtfully edited and thus more engaging.
There are serialized stories within this class of story telling, but each installment should be able to stand alone—with its own beginning, middle, and end. If it can’t pass this simple test, then it is likely a short story that is out of its element.
The reader, having set themselves up to read a particularly short piece of fiction, wants to read something that at least feels short and flows from the page to their cranial wadding as easy as the ingredients list for bananas.
These ideas told in a flash are a way to see Donald’s writing style in all its permutations. It is an idea he was invited to by Jon Strother who started tweeting #fridayflash as its patriarch. All the stories posted on FlashTold are original works written by Donald (or occasionally by his alter ego Noddla Nocdar—usually when everyone dies).
Feedback is the price he asks of his readers; honesty is the currency of choice.
