I really enjoy writing flash fiction. The super short format forces me to make tough choices as to what goes into each volume so only the best words remain. I also like how quickly I can write them compared to longer stories. The endorphin hit when I staple and fold a Eureka County Tales volume and hand a copy to my husband and most ardent supporter keeps me going. Otherwise I think I would flounder on a longer work.
What is flash fiction you ask? It is a super short format of prose that is usually defined by the number of words in the work:
Flash fiction: Max 1,500 words.
Sudden fiction: Max 750 words.
Drabble, or Micro Fiction: Max 100 words.
Twitterature: Max 280 characters.
Six-word story: Any story with a single-digit word count is a category unto itself.
Currently Eureka County Tales float just barely over Sudden Fiction, 800 words or so.
My very first zine was Eureka County Tales, Volume 1. I thought I might want to try making my own zines rather than doing the illustration, collage, and layout of other's works. History nerd that I am, I was scrolling through some old magazines online and the idea just started sprouting from my subconscious. I stand firm that Tom's actions towards Sally at the end of Volume 1 is one of the most romantic things I have ever seen. No one can convince me otherwise! For some reason I am obsessed with ten volume story arcs with this series. Maybe it is the whole number? Or perhaps the corrupting influence of Socialist Units (metric)? Either way I completed my first ten volumes and compiled them together in what I am calling a "story." Tales, Stories, get it? Well it sounded cool at the time, so I am sticking with it.