Short fiction is becoming a passion for writers.  It is an opportunity to see what you can say in as few words as possible.  Unlike the six word memoirs of Hemmingway, (For Sale: baby shoes, never worn), or flash fiction which normally allows 500 words in which to tell a story,  Hint Fiction allows the author 25 words to give a hint to the reader of fiction yet to come.

The Public Library of Enid and Garfield County will host a Hint Fiction workshop on December 12, 2015 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm.  The workshop is free to the public, will be taught by author Mary Coley and me, and will take place in our home-town library.

Twenty-five words are used up in a hurry in this exercise.  All stories have a beginning, middle and end and tell you who the players are and where it is set.  The same is true of hint fiction.

An example might be:  “Hot cocoa cooled like the fireplace embers as the lights twinkled on the tree.  Presents remain unopened until he returned.” Two sentences tell you where who and what.  We know the weather is cold, the season is Christmas, cocoa is being consumed and he is not home.  A hint at what is to come. Short and concise.

If you would like to try your hand at Hint Fiction we’d love to have you.  There will be a contest and the winners will have their hint fiction masterpiece printed on a bookmark and handed out to the public.  Published in a flash!

Size does matter.  What can you do with 25 words?