Extremely short fiction, typically under 300 words, where a complete story lives in the space of a single paragraph or page.
Microfiction is fiction at its most compressed - stories that clock in under 300 words, sometimes under 100, sometimes under 50. Despite the tiny word count, microfiction still aims to be a complete narrative experience. It relies heavily on implication, subtext, and the reader's willingness to fill in blanks. Think of it as the literary equivalent of a single perfect photograph versus a photo essay. Every word is load-bearing.
Writing microfiction teaches you something that longer forms let you avoid: the discipline of choosing the one right detail instead of listing five okay ones. When you only have 150 words, you learn which elements of a story are truly essential and which are comfortable padding. That awareness will transform how you write at any length.
Often called the shortest story ever written in Spanish: 'When he awoke, the dinosaur was still there.' Seven words that open an entire universe of questions.
A tiny parable about a man lost in a city who asks a policeman for directions. Classic Kafka in miniature - absurd, haunting, and about 150 words.
Davis is the modern master of microfiction. Many of her stories are under a page, blurring the line between fiction, philosophy, and observation.
A complete life story told through a father's obsessive decoration of a yard pole. Roughly 400 words that span decades and break your heart.
Microfiction should still feel like an experience, not a plot synopsis. Use concrete sensory details and a specific moment rather than narrating events from a distance.
A twist can work beautifully in microfiction, but the story should still resonate if the reader sees it coming. Build meaning into every line, not just the last one.
With so few words, precision is everything. 'She felt sad' wastes your tiny word budget. 'She folded his shirt one last time' does the same work and more.
Write three separate stories, each exactly 50 words long. Give each one a different emotional tone - one funny, one sad, one unsettling. After you finish, look at which one works best and ask yourself why. The constraint will force you to discover which of your instincts are strongest at tiny scale.