A short, self-contained account of a specific incident, usually told to illustrate a point, reveal character, or entertain.
An anecdote is a brief narrative about a real or fictional event, usually involving specific people and a clear point. Unlike a full story, an anecdote doesn't need elaborate setup or complex structure - it gets in, makes its impression, and gets out. Think of how people naturally tell stories in conversation: 'So this one time, my roommate...' That's anecdote territory. In fiction, characters use anecdotes to reveal their past, connect with others, or dodge deeper conversations.
Anecdotes are one of the most natural ways to deliver backstory without writing a flashback. When a character tells a quick story about something that happened to them, the reader learns about their past, personality, and worldview all at once. Anecdotes also make dialogue feel alive - real people constantly tell little stories to each other. If your characters never do this, their conversations might feel stilted.
Holden Caulfield's rambling anecdotes about people he's known reveal more about his loneliness and values than any direct statement could.
Kalanithi weaves clinical anecdotes from his medical training into philosophical reflections, grounding abstract ideas in lived moments.
The entire book is structured as a collection of anecdotes from Vietnam, each one illuminating a different facet of war and memory.
Every anecdote in your fiction should do work - reveal character, advance theme, or shift the dynamics of a conversation. If it's just filler, cut it.
If a character's 'quick story' goes on for two pages, it's no longer an anecdote - it's a flashback wearing a disguise. Keep it tight.
How someone tells a story reveals as much as the story itself. A nervous person digresses. A confident person builds to a punchline. Match the telling to the teller.
Write a dialogue scene where two characters are on a first date. Have one of them tell a short anecdote about their childhood - something funny on the surface but revealing something vulnerable underneath. Write the other character's reaction. The anecdote should be no longer than five sentences, but it should change the dynamic of the conversation.