As the deadline for Swinburne’s Sudden Writing comp approaches (5 Sep), the swine team has put together our favourite micro-fiction pieces for inspo.
Read on to spark your imagination for your very own flash fiction piece.
What is the Sudden Writing Comp?
The comp is open to all current Swinburne students, and entries can be any topic or theme. The only rule – prose must be under 400 words and poetry under 40 lines. The winner will receive a cash prize and be published in swine. Ready to enter? Read our guidelines here, then email your work to print@ssu.org.au
Girl by Jamaica Kincaid – Zara’s (editor) pick
Ok, so I’m kind of cheating here. This one is over 400 words but it still very much embraces the fundamentals of micro fiction. It’s short, snappy and packs a punch. One of my favourite pieces on girlhood and mother-daughter relationships.
Read it here https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1978/06/26/girl
Give it up by Franz Kafka – Edward’s (sub-editor) pick
This is a great example of the room for ambiguity and hidden meanings that flash fiction creates.
Read it here https://genius.com/Franz-kafka-give-it-up-annotated
A Widow’s Story by Joyce Carol Oates – Zara’s pick
“I kept myself alive.“
This piece is a beautiful illustration of the emotion that can be held in just four words, and the importance of a powerful title.
War of the clowns by Mia Couto – Edward’s pick
This is a great example of the way suspense can be built in a short piece.
Read it here https://www.massreview.org/sites/default/files/Couto%2C%20Mia.pdf
Ernest Hemingway’s six word story – Zara’s pick
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn“
One of the most famous examples of flash fiction, Hemingway managed to tell an entire story in just six words.
Taylor Swift by Hugh Behm-Steinberg- Edward’s pick
A strange tale involving love, hate, and many, many clones of Taylor Swift.
Read it here https://gulfcoastmag.org/journal/28.2/2015-barthelme-prize-winner-taylor-swift/