The challenge: write a complete story in 250 words or less. Win $500. Sounds easy, right? Wrong.
This year I've decided to enter the Writer's Union of Canada annual Postcard Story Competition. The task seems simple: write a story in 250 words or less. As a mom who often writes during naptimes, I thought I could dash this off quickly and have it ready by the February 14th, 2008 deadline, no problem.
I approached this writing task the way I approach most – with limitless enthusiasm and faith in my creative abilities. Twenty minutes later, with three false starts and a page of crossed out ideas, I was feeling a little less enthused. My mini-characters felt flat, my mini-plots felt plotless. How can one make a reader care in so few words?
Ernest Hemingway did. In what is perhaps the most famous example of flash fiction, Hemingway created an entire story in six words. The story reads, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” If you think that looks easy, I urge you to try it.
The thing about postcard stories is that every word matters. There is no room for meandering. You need to know exactly what you're trying to say, and say it as succinctly as possible. Perhaps the trick is to write big, expand the backstory, and then cut it down to the bare minimum.
After a week's worth of drafts, and stories that keep getting longer and longer, I'm still trying to figure out what the trick is. If you can help me, let me know.
In the meantime, for some examples of quality postcard fiction, check out the winners of Geist magazine's annual Postcard Fiction Contest, which closes each December. Maybe my postcard story will be ready in time for that one.
