Flash Fiction Goes Mobile

By Virginia Prescott on Thursday, September 3, 2009.

Fiction is increasingly moving off the page and onto the screen – not the silver screen, but small screens, like the Kindle and iPhone. Few of us have the patience to read an entire novel on a palm-sized screen. But the iPhone has breathed new life into the genre of flash fiction, or microfiction.

Chicago-based publisher Featherproof Books is one of the latest practitioners, with their soon-to-be-released TripleQuick Fiction iPhone app. The stories are only 333 words long, and there'll be about 25-30 stories available when the app launches. There'll also be a rating system built in, so users can vote for their favorite stories. We’re joined by Featherproof Books co-publisher Zach Dodson.

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Interesting idea, providing it as an app. Flash fiction stories, such as stories on the Hypersonic Tales website, generally go up to 1,000 words. I've read those stories on my cell phone. I've also read news articles much longer that on my cell phone. A lot of websites, like Hypersonic, also offer their stories in audio form. A bunch of them are listed at audiomarketlist.com.

Submitted by flash audiophile on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 17:25.

Idea Smackdown: Round III

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Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.