A Return to Fiction: Hint Fiction Exercises

With the popular and frequent use of Twitter (read about tweeting here)...writers have turned to a specialized type of short, short, short story called: HINT FICTION
 
What is it? 

Hint fiction is defined as a story of 25 words or fewer that suggests a larger, more complex story.

Where does it come from & What are some examples?

Click here and read the article & handout. Work in pairs to read the material, if you'd like. Spend the first part of class today doing so.

See? Short, short stories in 25 words or less. The perfect byte size fiction for tweeting.

• A famous example from Ernest Hemingway: hint fiction: "For Sale: Baby shoes--never worn." 
• From science fiction writer Damon Knight: "The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door."
• And even poetry: from Margaret Atwood: "You fit into me like a hook into an eye. A fish-hook. An open eye."

Read about the history of the form here... (read the article please) then let's try some during today's class.

How do I start?

Step by Step Instructions:

• 1. Read through the examples of hint fiction. It's always good to have a model. As you read, consider how you might write your own story. What might your story be about? How would it differ from the examples you are reading? Do you detect patterns forming in the work you're reading?
• 2. Brainstorm (perhaps in your journal) a story. Include a beginning, middle, end. For example: write a three sentence story where each sentence is either the beginning, middle, or end of a story. Do a series of these, then pick your favorite ones. Since they're short, try a few. Keep writing!
• 3. Just like a poem, create a creative title to clarify or make a point about theme or tone or character.
• 4. Trim your story to the most essential parts. Remove all unnecessary words. This is tricky. Your story should be complete, but also hint at the larger story that does not need to be told. Be as specific with your diction as possible.

Robert Swartwood is the writer behind hint fiction. Take a look at his blog. Read some of his samples of hint fiction.

LAB ASSIGNMENT DUE TODAY: Use your time in the lab today to Write 5-10 hint fiction stories. Type them up and print them out by the end of class today.

If you finish early, you may either continue to write more hint fiction, or try the 100 word short story. The trick to this is to make a story that is EXACTLY 100 words in length. As always, having a good title and a beginning, middle, and end to your story is important!

HOMEWORK: Please begin reading The Martian Chronicles. Bring your books to next class so we can work with Bradbury.