As you go about your daily business, you’ll occasionally see something that catches your eye. A stray glove, an odd sign, some broken glass, an abandoned bicycle. Don’t you often stop for a moment and wonder: who lost the glove, when did they put up that sign, how did the glass break, why was this bike left like that? Me too.
In most cases, we’ll never find out what the real story was. But that needn’t stop us from coming up with at least one version of what might have happened. That’s where “snap fiction” stories come in.
What Is Snap Fiction?
As far as the scribblings on this website go, Snap Fiction refers to short works of fiction that were triggered by a snapshot I took.
Here’s the process. Whenever I see something that tickles my narrative curiosity, I’ll take a picture of it. Then I’ll write a very short short story—“flash fiction” of 500 words or less, although I cheat sometimes—that is somehow inspired by that photo. You should be able to read the Snap Fiction stories in just a few minutes.
It might be the story that leads up to the captured scene; it might be the story of what happened next. Maybe the photo shows a key moment in the tale; maybe it’s only tangentially related to it. I’m not aiming for any particular style or genre—anything goes, from gritty realism to fairy tales. The stories will mostly be impromptus, hoping to capture the first, unpolished ideas that come to mind.
Happy Reading
What are you waiting for? Hit the link in this sentence and make your way to the Snap Fiction section. (And don’t forget to let me know what you thought.) Enjoy!
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