The story I’ve chosen this month for What Makes This Story Exceptional? is “Nancy” by Ellen Comley. At 313 words, it’s at the very end of the spectrum of what Flash Fiction Magazine publishes since the magazine publishes stories between 300 and 1000 words. Although definitions vary—which is the same for flash fiction—stories shorter than 300 words often fall into the micro-fiction category. This is a good example to look at in terms of what can be achieved in such a small space. 

Firstly, I’d like to draw your attention to the framing device. The story opens with a list of three things: ‘Three children, two bowls, one bottle.’ As the story progresses, we become aware that lists are important to the main character: ‘Nancy often took mental inventory of her day, her life. Things seemed more substantive in a list than in reality.’ But what makes these lists into a framing device is that the story also ends with a list: ‘Tomorrow: one train ticket, two suitcases, and three hundred from savings.’ There are also three things in the closing list that mirror the opening. A framing device, or mirroring the opening and ending, can work really well in flash fiction as it gives a strong sense of circularity or cohesion. 

Secondly, I’d like to discuss that “Nancy” is historical fiction. Writing historical fiction is similar to fantasy and sci-fi, and any story that is set in a world other than the one we currently live in. Why? Because all of these examples involve some kind of world-building aspect. That can be a real challenge, especially in short fiction where you don’t have much space to convey the world you’re depicting. So how do you do it? 

Hemingway’s ‘theory of omission’, which is more commonly known as the ‘iceberg theory’, is about the meaning of a story. If you picture an iceberg (or look up a photo of one), the tip of the iceberg is above water, and the biggest part of it is underwater. Hemingway’s opinion was that it was the same for short stories (and novels, too). On the surface, i.e., in the actual story, are actions and interactions between characters, but the deeper meaning behind all of those actions and interactions is hidden under the surface. As the writer, if you know all of the deeper implications, you can write that depth into your story without stating anything explicitly. 

How does Hemingway’s theory relate specifically to historical fiction? It’s about writing with implication; it’s about not showing too much world-building and/or research. “Nancy” is set in the past, and as readers, we want to know this, but we don’t need it to be the main aspect of the story. Here are a couple of choice details Comley has used to point to the time period: ‘It allowed enough time before Cronkite to change out of his coat and tie and start on the first of two Manhattans.’ & ‘But she had no interest in gossiping about how to discipline two-year-olds or whether Marilyn’s photos in Life Magazine were touched up.’ Using these two figures, although somewhat US-specific, sets the story very firmly in a specific time. 

The main thing to remember when writing a story set in any world is that the world your characters live in is normal for them. If flying cars are normal, would they comment on them? If upside-down trees were normal, would they be noticed? Probably not. The only time these details would be important is if they played a main part in the story. If two flying cars crashed, that might be important. If the tree falls and hurts someone, that might be relevant. 

As with all stories, it’s about the pertinent details and how they relate specifically to your character and the world in which your character lives. These details are relevant to the character in “Nancy” because her husband watches Cronkite, and the women he wants her to be friends with are likely to comment on celebrity gossip. So when writing your story, whether it be historical fiction, sci-fi, or set nowadays, choose specific details to give colour and depth.