5 Reasons to Teach Flash Fiction

What is flash fiction? This term refers to a super short story that usually has fewer than 1,000 words (although some definitions extend that word count to 1,500). Although the term was coined in 1992, flash fiction has been around since pre-history. Perhaps the most famous example of flash fiction is Hemingway’s six-word story: For sale, baby shoes, never worn. Here are five reasons I love teaching flash fiction in my ELA classes:

1.       Can teach whole lesson in a class period.

My class periods are one hour long, so my students and I can read (and re-read) the story, review the literary devices used, and work through discussion questions in the class time. This means that I’m not relying on students to read the text for homework and then testing their comprehension with a reading quiz. I especially like to use these self-contained lessons on the day before vacation weeks when “heavier” content like Jane Eyre or James Baldwin won’t land with my students. Some years I save flash fiction for the final week of school so that I don’t have to assign homework when students have already lapsed into summer vacation mode.

2.       Can easily be read aloud.

Sometimes I read the story aloud to the class, or a student will volunteer to read. I also like to use audio recordings of the story—especially if it is in a male voice (I’m female) or uses dialect that is awkward for me to read (think: Hurston’s “John Redding Goes to Sea”). I use this opportunity to remind students that story telling is an oral tradition. For my reluctant readers, having the story read to them is less intimidating than having to read it themselves. After listening to the story, sometimes students comment about how it reminds them of having a story read to them in elementary school (bonus points for nostalgic feels).

3.       Not intimidating.

Flash fiction is great for my fiction-phobic students who are reluctant readers. I can appreciate how intimidating a novel, or even a longer length short story, is to these students. Seeing that the story is only a couple of paragraphs long allows them to feel that this is a piece of literature they can engage with. Despite flash fiction’s short length, the stories contain the same literary devices as longer pieces—story arc, dialogue, epiphany, etc.—so these reluctant readers get a literary lesson in a bite sized story. Over my career I have occasionally taught English as a Second Language (ESL) (a.k.a. Multi-language Learners), and flash fiction is great option for these students for the same reasons that it is successful with reluctant readers.

4.       Short enough to read twice.

If I had a nickel for every time I have admonished my students for only reading a poem, short story, or chapter from a novel once, I’d be able to retire early! My students offer the excuses you’d expect (and that I offered in high school as well, tbh): I ran out of time, it was boring the first time, yadda, yadda, yadda. These excuses simply don’t fly with flash fiction. There is no reason students can’t read a two-paragraph story twice—or even thrice! In fact, we will read it twice in class and students will see how the second reading reveals much more than the first. And maybe—just maybe—because of that they’ll be inclined to re-read the next poem they encounter or chapter from a textbook.

5. They pack a punch.

   
   

If you stayed up too late last night and need to wake up quickly after only a few hours of sleep, would you prefer a 12 oz. cup of Joe or a double shot of espresso? You choose the espresso, right? Flash fiction can pack that same punch in a small bite. Ray Carver and Tobias Wolff portray complex relationship dynamics in a single scene in their flash fiction stories “Popular Mechanics” and “Say Yes,” respectively. Hugh Behm-Steinberg’s “Taylor Swift” crafts a weird and unsettling alternate reality populated by clones of the pop star in about 500 words. Students are satisfied by the drama that is created in such a short story.

Here are eight of the flash fiction stories that are successful in my classes:

Hugh Behm-Steinberg’s “Taylor Swift”

This short story explores themes of celebrity, obsession, and the search for authentic human connection through the lens of a narrator deeply invested in Taylor Swift clones.

Raymond Carver’s “Popular Mechanics”

This story depicts a tense and ultimately violent struggle between a separating couple over their baby. The story, characterized by its stark realism and lack of explicit detail, focuses on the escalating conflict as the husband packs to leave, and the wife resists his attempts to take their child. The story culminates in a physical tug-of-war over the baby, leaving the outcome ambiguous but suggesting lasting harm.

Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Bridge”

In this story an elderly man is forced to flee his home due to the Spanish Civil War. The narrative focuses on a conversation between the man and a Republican soldier as they both stand near a bridge. The old man, exhausted and displaced, expresses his worries about the animals he left behind. Despite the soldier's urging to move to safety, the old man remains fixated on the fate of his pets, highlighting the profound impact of war on ordinary individuals.

Franz Kafka’s “Give It Up”

In "Give It Up" a protagonist who is hurrying to work loses his way and seeks help from a policeman. Instead of assistance, he's met with aggression and the command, "Give It Up!" 

Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”

This short story is written as a single, long sentence, essentially a stream of consciousness representing a mother's relentless instructions and warnings to her daughter about how to behave and conduct herself as a respectable woman in their society.

George Sauders’ “Sticks”

"Sticks," by George Saunders, tells the story of a family grappling with their emotionally distant father and his unusual hobby of decorating a pole in their yard. The pole, initially a source of glee for the children during holidays, becomes increasingly elaborate and strange as the children grow up and leave home. The father's actions, initially seen as a quirky indulgence, evolve into a desperate attempt to connect with his children and express his feelings, especially after his wife's death. Ultimately, his attempts, expressed through the pole and associated decorations, are left unresolved, and the house is sold, with the pole discarded.

Tobias Wolff’s “Powder” and “Say Yes”

“Powder” is a story about a father-son adventure on a weekend that is going to affect the son in the future. The father and son have very different personalities, which makes for an interesting juxtapositon.

"Say Yes" is a short story that centers on a white, married couple whose seemingly ordinary evening of doing dishes escalates into a tense debate about interracial marriage, revealing underlying cracks in their relationship. 

Have you taught flash fiction in your ELA classes? If so, what stories were most engaging for your students? Share in the comments.