Flash Fiction Dissection for THBs 1

Dissection of five flash fiction pieces today. For potential thumbnail sketches structure to steal.

Where Are You?

By Joyce Carol Oates
Word Count: 523
Link: https://www.newyorker.com/books/flash-fiction/where-are-you

  1. POV1 has to deal with an annoying/strange ritual/game
  2. POV2 explains via MECH why this ritual/game is happening
  3. POV1 refuses to play the ritual/game, but it goes horribly wrong

MECH: Husband hates wearing hearing aid and calls for wife to show up until she does
CDA: There are hidden costs to breaking established ritual/games even if they’re annoying and dumb

War of the Clowns

By Mia Couto
Word Count: 571
Link: https://www.massreview.org/sites/default/files/Couto,%20Mia.pdf

  1. A seemingly harmless but interesting spectacle is happening. The audience watches in amusement. THe spectacle increases in danger.
  2. As the danger increases, some of the audience begins to wonder if they should be worried. They are told it’s nothing… until something really bad happens (gets hurt, death)
  3. It escalates to open violence. It reaches a destructive end. The seemingly harmless thing is the only survivor, gets up, and leaves.

MECH: Two clowns are arguing/fighting/killing each other, collateral damage incites escalating violence
CDA: Underestimating small acts of violence will lead to greater acts until everything is destroyed

Unnecessary Things

By Tatyana Tolstaya
Word Count: 677
Link: https://www.newyorker.com/books/flash-fiction/unnecessary-things

  1. POV is visiting a place from the past, rummaging around and finds something really meaningful
  2. POV takes the meaningful item/relic/memory back home (a new place)
  3. THe meaningful item/relic/memory doesn’t fit or work in their new life. It vanishes (magical realism), or it’s throw away/gotten rid of

MECH: A teddy bear that was anti-pragmatic/commercial/useful taken home, but reminds POV of how holding on to past is bad
CDA: Sometimes our past doesn’t serve us well

This Is How You Fail to Ghost Him

By Victoria McCurdy
Word Count: 959
Link: http://monkeybicycle.net/this-is-how-you-fail-to-ghost-him/

  1. POV sets up a meeting with a stranger - wary, figuring them out
  2. The meeting is generic/routine. POV starts lying/trolling/pranking.
  3. Back home, sadness/loneliness but it’s revealed stranger knew they were lying/trolling/pranking and still wants to connect again. Hope.

MECH: A date where you’re bored and you start lying/doing the unusual, but they see through you
CDA: We are worthy of connection even when we’ve given up

The Visitor

By Lydia Davis
Word Count: 342
Link: https://mastersreview.com/featured-fiction/the-visitor-by-lydia-davis/

  1. A strange ritual/situation/visitor is about to happen. Don’t know who/what, but know details.
  2. Interesting example one / Interesting example two
  3. Wrap up with more details of this ritual/situation/visitor. Add surprising perspective.

MECH: Father with Alzheimer’s moving in?
CDA: We take care of family even if they’ve become complete dependent strangers