Flash Fiction at Deer Lakes Middle School: Big Benefits from Little Stories
The WPCTE Flash Fiction Writing Contest is one of my favorite events of the year! As a gifted/enrichment support teacher for students in grades K - 8, I appreciate that this event gives students of all ages the opportunity to experiment with this fascinating medium. Students get to learn about a genre that is recognizable in its early forms (fables and parables) and relatable in its modern forms (Twitterature, dribble and drabble, sudden fiction).
I work in tandem with our elementary and middle school literacy teachers, who have taught strong foundational writing skills. Students who would benefit from writing enrichment projects are made aware of the WPCTE contest. I teach a lesson or series of mini-lessons on flash fiction to individuals, small groups, or as a co-taught, push-in lesson in advanced literacy classes. The lesson includes a brief history of flash fiction, distinguishes flash fiction from short stories, shows some of the modern subgenres of flash fiction, presents the basic characteristics of flash, and features a few popular examples. As we dig deeply into this genre, the lesson emphasizes important elements of flash fiction: use of strong imagery, focus on one moment in time, work with one or two well-developed characters, write in the first person point of view, use the title to help tell the story, and incorporate the element of surprise through word play, plot twists, or unexpected outcomes (from Neil Gaiman’s Master Class on Flash Fiction). Whenever possible, I have students from the previous year’s contest share their work with the new participants.
Students begin their drafts in a Google doc, which they may share with me and/or their classroom literacy teacher. We use the “comments” feature to ask questions or offer suggestions. We are also available for one-on-one writing conferences to coach our young writers through the process. This digital and in-person contact gives our students the opportunity to seek advice on character or plot development, learn about ways to sharpen word choice for more concise writing, and get tips for smoothing out the rough places with regards to the organization and structure. These coaching opportunities are also about affirming a student’s personal experiences, perspective, ideas, and interests. Throughout the project, students are encouraged to experiment with the genre, take risks with their writing, discover something new about themselves, and have fun with the project! I have observed that the idea of competing with other students creates a lot of enthusiasm and entices students to try their hardest, helping them to maximize their writing strengths and creativity. DLMS Advanced Language Arts 7 teacher, Lisa Huerbin, who uses this flash fiction activity as a classroom assignment stated, “Written expression evolves when students are given the ability to engage in creative writing. I am always pleased with the writing of our students. It is always fun to read their ideas as they come alive on paper. Flash fiction writing is the perfect opportunity to allow our students to get their creative juices flowing."
Deer Lakes students and staff are always eager to hear from contest judges. The WPCTE Flash Fiction Awards Ceremony is an exciting event, and it gives our young writers the opportunity to celebrate self-expression through writing. We enjoy hearing stories written by students in other schools and have found the variety of ideas and quality of writing to be both impressive and inspiring. One of my young writers stated, “I enjoyed writing flash fiction because anything that comes to mind can happen. If you can think of it, it’s possible! That’s also what makes flash fiction writing fun to read!”
In fact, our enthusiastic young writers wanted MORE flash fiction! DLMS Advanced English Language Arts 8 teacher Charlena Welteroth and I pulled together our first annual Flash Fiction Festival just before Christmas break. We invited a Pittsburgh-based flash fiction writer to open the day with a peek into the writer’s process and to lead a flash writing activity. Students visited writing stations with task cards (containing directions and examples) and relevant materials. Writing tasks ranged from the six-word story, to dribble/drabble, to twitterature, pocket fiction, postcard fiction, and more! We hope to publish an in-house anthology of work produced by the nearly 75 student participants.
Here, at Deer Lakes, flash fiction has proven to be a popular form of writing. Not only is flash fiction an engaging genre to write and share, it will stretch student creativity and strengthen important writing skills.
Tammy McQueen is the K - 8 Gifted & Enrichment Support teacher at Deer Lakes School District. She enjoys creating and facilitating experiential and project based learning experiences for students. In her free time, Ms. McQueen loves sharing stories and creating memories with her six young grandchildren.