I write mostly flash fiction, so it makes sense that I should do some literary criticisms of flash. Since I'm really behind on my Daily Science Fiction stories, I'm using their September 11th story, "Ebb and Flow" by LaShawn M. Wanak as my subject today.
There are two main characters in "Ebb and Flow," Megan and her husband, the first-person narrator. Neither character is developed very well. They do things, but the things they do hardly define them. I wouldn't say they are terrible characters; I'm sure I've read worse. The characters are simply flat, even for flash fiction.
The story doesn't really have a plot. A little bit of time passes, but the only thing that happens is thought.
It's a sci-fi setting, done well enough. Setting is the strongest element of the story, in my opinion.
I'm not going to give a percentage, because something tells me I really didn't understand the story as well as I should have. The writer and editor are partly to blame, yet not 100%. Read the story for yourself if you want an accurate score.
Criticism like this for something in the same style as what you usually write will help you know what to do and what not to do in your own work. Keep it up! :)
ReplyDeleteM'hm. I sure will. Thanks for breaking my "no comment" streak.
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