Flash-Fiction
£5.95
Why do this project?
I would suggest that any aspiring writer begin with short stories. These days, I meet far too many young writers who try to start off with a novel right off, or a trilogy, or even a nine-book series. That’s like starting in at rock climbing by tackling Mt. Everest. Short stories help you learn your craft – George R.R. Martin
Sometimes called ‘micro-fiction’ or ‘sudden fiction’, flash fiction isn’t just a very short story, it’s a flash moment – part of a much larger untold story, where much is left unexplained.
It is typically no longer than 1000 words, but can be as short as 100 words (when it’s called a ‘drabble’) or even 20–50 words (a ‘dribble’). Flash fiction challenges children to move forward in their narrative writing from Years 3-5 where they are asked to write short stories, to become more discerning with words and to infuse their pieces with aspects of poetry. Indeed, flash fiction can be seen as an extension of free-verse poetry.
Children tend to enjoy writing flash fiction, as it encourages them to come away from the habit of writing at length and to think more carefully about how they can say the things they wish to say. Flash fiction shows children that their narrative writing in the past may have sometimes ‘lost its way’ by becoming rambling and disorganised.
The hope with this writing project is that it has a lasting positive effect on their future story writing. Writers have to be disciplined at the revision stage, deleting rather than adding, and being honest with themselves as to whether that particular adjective or adverb is really vital to the piece. Flash-fiction will become a genre enjoyed by the children in your class and is a pleasure to hear read aloud.
This class writing project provides you with:
+ Comprehensive teacher notes:
- Suggestions for both year group and whole school writing progression.
- Advice for teachers on how to write great mentor texts.
- Over 50 writing study and functional grammar mini-lessons.
- Suggested book list for your classroom library.
+ Our popular and photocopiable child-facing Genre Booklet which includes:
- Year 6 purpose and audience writing wheel
- Publishing and performance menu
- 11 exemplar texts
- Idea generation techniques
- Dabbling and drafting advice
- Revision checklist
- Editing checklist
+ Our quick guide to teaching writing