What is Flash Fiction Month?

Flash Fiction Month typically refers to an annual online writing event, often held in July, where participants challenge themselves to write one piece of flash fiction every day for the entire month.  

Here's a breakdown of what it usually entails:

• Daily Writing: The core of the event is the commitment to writing a very short story (flash fiction) each day of the month.  

• Prompts: Often, organizers or the community provide daily prompts to inspire writers. These prompts can be a single word, a phrase, a scenario, or an image.  

• Community Aspect: Flash Fiction Month often fosters a sense of community among participants. Writers may share their work, offer feedback, and encourage each other. This often happens on platforms like DeviantArt, Twitter, or dedicated writing forums.  

• Word Count: The definition of flash fiction can vary slightly, but stories written for Flash Fiction Month typically fall under 1000 words, and often much shorter. Some days might even have specific, very short word count challenges (like six-word stories).

• Challenges and Themes: Some iterations of Flash Fiction Month might include specific writing challenges or overarching themes to add another layer to the daily writing.  

• Personal Growth: The goal is often to encourage consistent writing habits, experiment with brevity, and push creative boundaries. It's like a writing workout for the month.

  
  

Key things to know about Flash Fiction Month:

• Timing: While July is the most common time associated with "Flash Fiction Month" (particularly the event hosted on DeviantArt), other flash fiction challenges and events can occur throughout the year. For example, National Flash Fiction Day is celebrated annually around the shortest night of the year (June in the Northern Hemisphere) and often involves writing and sharing very short stories. Additionally, February has also become a popular month for flash fiction challenges, such as the February Flash Fiction Challenge run by Writer's Digest and the Flash Fiction February event by the Storytelling Collective.  

• Platforms: The specific platform or organizer can vary each year, so it's worth searching online for "Flash Fiction Month [current year]" to find active communities and challenges.

• Participation: It's generally open to anyone who wants to participate, regardless of their writing experience.

So, while the most established "Flash Fiction Month" traditionally happens in July, the spirit of dedicating a month to daily flash fiction writing can be found at other times of the year as well, often tied to events like National Flash Fiction Day or specific online challenges.