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Flash!: The Art of Writing the Very Short Story Paperback – 16 March 2018

by John Dufresne (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 86
Edition: 1st
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The history of fiction has been dominated by the novel and the short story. But now a brave new genre has emerged: very brief fiction. FLASH! identifies the qualities that make for excellent flash fiction, demystifies the writing process and guides writers by exercise and example through the world of the very short story. John Dufresne's characteristic warmth, wit and humour remind writers of the joy in the creative process, making this a perfect guide for any writer interested in trying a new form.

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  1. ISBN-10
    0393352358
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0393352351
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    *Norton agency titles
  5. Publication date
    16 March 2018
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    14.22 x 1.78 x 21.08 cm
  8. Print length
    224 pages
  9. See all details
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[Dufresne] provides many samples of flash fiction, including graphic ones, by a wide array of writers . . . with some sharp critical analysis, prompts, and exercises along the way. . . . [A] good place to learn how to write some really, really short [stories].-- "Kirkus Reviews"

A particularly valuable ingredient of [Dufresne's] advice is the inclusion of detailed, encouraging, and relatively unique writing prompts. . . . For established and aspiring authors alike . . . this book will be illuminating, instructive, and yes, inspiring.-- "Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

John Dufresne, author of Flash! Writing the Very Short Story, teaches at Miami's Florida International University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ *Norton agency titles; 1st edition (16 March 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393352358
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393352351
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14.22 x 1.78 x 21.08 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 86

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John Dufresne

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Dianna
5.0 out of 5 stars For starting writers
Reviewed in Canada on 3 December 2023
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We’re beginning short story or flash fiction writers, this author provides wonderful, straightforward, examples, and different opportunities to try out something he presented in the example.
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Dr.C.J.Singh.Wallia
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Teach-Yourself Book on Writing Short Stories
Reviewed in the United States on 29 November 2019
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FLASH!: Writing the Very Short Story
By John Dufresne
Reviewed by C. J. Singh (Berkeley, CA)

An Excellent Teach-Yourself Book on Writing Short Stories

John Dufresne, a professor of Creative Writing at Florida International University, has published several highly acclaimed novels, screenplays, and coaching books. Introducing his new coaching book, Dufresne writes, "I learned to write novels by writing short stories and learned to write short stories by writing very short stories before they had a snappy name" Flash (page xii).

In the 255-page book, replete with quotations and examples from many accomplished authors, Dufresne lucidly explains Creative-Writing basics, including: Choosing "Points of View" (pp. 80 - 113); Story Structuring in the chapter titled "A Formal Feeling Comes" (pp.115 - 186); Evoking Imagery in the chapter titled "The Art of the Glimpse" (pp. 187- 210). He coaches readers how-to write short stories, prose-poems, and shows graphic examples of illustrating them. Very impressive. I plan to assign this book as the opening text in teaching my creative-writing workshops.

Dufresne's writing that I first read was his coaching book "The Lie That Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction," published in 2003. Studying this excellent book, I wrote my first 1500-word short story that was required for admission to the MFA degree program of my choice. Next, while I was in the MFA program, I read his second coaching book, "Is Life Like This? : A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months." The subtitle's "Six Months" enticed me. I posted my enthusiastic review on amazon.com. The review received 63 positive votes -- many more than the book's other amazon-reviews.

In his third coaching book, FLASH!, published in 2018, I saw Dufresne parenthetic note: "It might take years to write a novel (it does for me), months to write a story, but only weeks, maybe days, if you are lucky, a very short story" (page xii). Now, I know that even Dufresne "takes years to write a novel." Well, given that it took him years to write each of his earlier novels, his long experience probably led, as an act of grace, to create new guidelines for first-timers to write a novel in just six months. I followed his new guidelines, but I couldn't complete writing my 250-page novel in six months. Now I know why my book-review received 63 positive votes: the amazon voters were also enticed by "six months." A more accurate subtitle would be: " A Guide to Writing the First Draft of Your First Novel in Six Months."

I wish Dufresne's new book included a couple of chapters focusing on writing humorous flash-fictions. To learn how-to write humorous flash-fiction, I first studied the anthology SUDDEN FICTION INTERNATIONAL: 60 Short-Short Stories, edited by Robert Shapard and James Thomas, published in 1989. It features stories by eminent writers such as Joyce Carol Oates and R.K. Narayan. Next, I studied books by humorists such as Gene Perret, Woody Allen, Dave Barry, Khushwant Singh, and specially the witty, satirical novels by Ishmael Reed, whose fiction-writing course I took at UC Berkeley.

I enjoyed reading his two earlier coaching books. And FLASH!, his third, even more. Dufresne is accurate in his assertion that a very short story can be written in days. I wrote my first short-short story in one sitting. Encouraged, I wrote several others, each in a couple of days. After a few more days of polishing the drafts, I mailed five of them to a leading literary magazine in San Francisco, "ZYZZYVZA." All five were published in its next issue.

Dufresne's FLASH! is an excellent teach-yourself book on writing short stories.
Five shining stars.
15 people found this helpful
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Geoffrey Philp
5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading for Writing Flash Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on 17 March 2018
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Once again, John Dufresne has written another remarkable book that demystifies the craft of writing. With a blend of exercises and easy to understand prose, Dufresne guides writers—novice, emerging, or accomplished—through the process of creating memorable characters and scenes for short stories that demand brevity and attention to details.
5 people found this helpful
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Anne Simone
5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to write fiction, follow Dufresne, and if you want to learn the tricks of brevity, read his FLASH!
Reviewed in the United States on 18 June 2018
Verified Purchase
And once again, John Dufresne has written a wonderful and instructional text that is easy and fun to read. Dufresne gives examples and lessons of "how to" accomplish the feat of the extremely short, short piece. I followed the teaching suggestions within this slim volume and voila! my FLASH fiction of 75 words was published recently on Paragragh Planet. Thanks, again, John Dufresne! Not only did I buy a copy of this book, but I was also given a copy of FLASH! as a birthday present from a friend who knows I not only admire the author, but I would read and make use of the book, which I did!
7 people found this helpful
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MSL Holdings, LLC
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written
Reviewed in the United States on 30 December 2019
Verified Purchase
Excellent book. Really enjoyed and it and it was very helpful!
One person found this helpful
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