Rebooting fiction prompts

Written by

c: 260222.1002

Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash

The last few prompts that have intrigued me enough to write about have a wee bit of a problem when it comes to the stated goals of including more prose fiction to this site.

As I work on the barebones outlines and start making headway into the actual writing of the stories based on the prompts, I discover that they are regularly exceeding the length of what folks normally consider to be flash fiction (<1000-1500 words by most standards; my personal limit being <2000 words).

With only the beginning scene for the occult noir story the prompt handed me last week, I am already at 1000 words, which makes it hard to have a middle and end in the next 1000 words. To complicate matters I only have the vaguest notion of where the story might end up, so it could easily be quite a bit longer by the time I’m finished.

But I’m enjoying this world that’s coming into shape and I don’t want to rush the story just to fit in with an arbitrary limit that no one but myself is imposing on me.

So, first-off, I will stop calling those prompts “flash-fiction prompts” and just call them “fiction prompts”.

Secondly, due to the added length, I’m going to post fiction offerings longer than flash-fiction lengths in episodic format to keep the posts within the average attention span. Plus, this particular story will benefit from the technique of employing mild cliff-hangers. I probably won’t post an episode daily when I do this, but I will try not to let it go longer than a week between episodes (I’m also taking additional editing steps that are not common to my posted fiction).

I also have a rough outline of a story that I may pursue for Jolene’s prompts, and that will likely also exceed my original limits (if I share it at all, it depends on if my take on the humorous tale feels right when it is done).

Just letting everyone know where my head it at and explaining my thought processes. The first episode from the files of Vivian Locke will post later today. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

share:

4 responses to “Rebooting fiction prompts”

Tansy Gunnar
22 Feb 26 | 10:49 CST
Sounds like a solid plan for moving forward. I’ll keep an eye out for your stories.
Loading…
Reply
1. michael raven
  22 Feb 26 | 14:26 CST
  We’ll see if they continue to emerge. You never know around me. Thanks!
  Loading…
  Reply
  1. Tansy Gunnar
    22 Feb 26 | 14:36 CST
    Short stories are not my personal strength. You at least have an imagination that likes to work creatively. I have a difficult time coming up with ideas that are interesting. Also, I find cutting away everything that isn’t needed difficult. The only way I can make a story within its word count limit, is to do a trick that one of my professor’s taught me… turn it into a poem after the first draft. What doesn’t make the cut, can automatically be removed. It helped with my grade, but not with my lack of imagination. Some of my stories read like trying to guzzle a mug full of molasses. (My words gag/choke the reader at the first sip). 😁😉
    Loading…
    Reply
    1. michael raven
      22 Feb 26 | 14:47 CST
      It’s a skill that I’ve far from perfected and I’m out of practice to boot.
      Part of the reason I’m enjoying these prompts is that they give me a quick framework to develop my story around, usually with unexpected elements outside my normal thoughts and I am forced to dance a bit to make it work.
      I doubt your stories are that bad, but most of it is about practice and critically evaluating (not just reading) the writers you admire. Some folks are better than others, but I’ve always heard that someone who practices is almost always better than someone who does not.
      Loading…
      Reply

Rebooting fiction prompts

Like this:

4 responses to “Rebooting fiction prompts”