prillalar | hal100

There are drabbles everywhere these days. I've written a bunch in the past month, read a whole lot more. Drabble communities are springing up like bean plants. Drabbles are a lot of fun without too much effort.

So, it's got me pondering: what makes a good drabble? Here's what works for me, anyhow.

A drabble needs detail. This may seem counter-intuitive because drabbles are so short. But when you've only got 100 or so words to make an impression, one or two sharp details can make a huge difference.

A drabble needs focus. That's pretty much a no-brainer. You can't fit everything into a drabble that you can into a three volume novel. So don't try.

A drabble needs a plot or at least a point. Something should happen, even if it's a small thing.

For me, anyhow, a drabble needs a punchline. Some sort of surprise or reversal at the end. There are exceptions, but I do find the drabbles I enjoy the most have a twist or unexpected ending.

A drabble should be complete. This doesn't mean you can't leave your audience wondering about what happens next, but even a short piece has a story arc and you've got to get to the end of it by the end of the drabble.

Here endeth the lecture.

I also sometimes feel like I should be writing something "real" instead of drabbles. Like I'm being lazy by working in that format. (Though of course I usually am working on something else at the same time.) Or that I'll become lazy. Certainly the work to feedback ratio is much more favourable for drabbles. *g*

Do you like drabbles? Do they bug you? Do they make writers lazy? Do they suck away all the good ideas that should actually be made into 10 000 word epics? Do they just suck?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've really enjoyed responding to the 100-word challenges for Smallville: given Superman's graphic origins, I think it's a great opportunity to craft a story around one or two striking images, like panels from a comic book.

Personally, I find drabble-writing quite a difficult exercise (recalling to mind the old chestnut about apologizing for the length of one's letter, because one didn't have time to make it brief). And the higher than usual feedback-to-word-count ratio can be a mixed blessing: in that feedback, people often ask to read more, which can leave me feeling regretful that I don't have time to develop these ideas further.

*

I have trouble knowing how to respond when people ask me for drabble sequels, because I don't think beyond the end of the story to what might happen next. It's just -- done. If I'd wanted to explore further, I would have written a longer story. But it's very gratifying to know you've captured someone's interest in such a short time.

I agree: it's a wonderful compliment--just a bit awkward to reply to.

*

I've seen some drabbles where I'd *love* to know the backstory that led up to the scene - but sequelizing them seems... odd. Because as you say, it's pretty much done, or it'd have been a longer story. But I think that goes for most feedback of that sort - many readers can't accept that 'the end' means the end (and neither can fic writers, or many of us wouldn't be writing fic that continues on in universes where the text has ended. And now I'm having thoughts, which can't be good...)

Would you like to share your thoughts with the class? *g*

Thoughts are here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/musesfool/317830.html). *g*

Here's something that I've wondered idly about: is it cheating if the writer leans on information in the header to get the message of the drabble through, since it involves words apart from the definitional 100 words of the drabble itself?

Discuss. ;-)

I'd say, yeah, it is cheating.

I mean, sure, "This follows Salvage" or "What if Faith killed Angel in GD1" are fine. "Xander and Buffy got married in Season 3 and she had an affair with Riley and got pregnant and Anya wasn't a vengeance demon but a midwife and this drabble is about the birth of Buffy's baby"? Not so much. *g*

And no, I don't want to know there's a story exactly like that out there. I'm still reeling from finding out someone else wrote my cherished LotR Mary Sue.

I think it works the same way as with larger stories. I can put in the header that Gimli and Legolas are in Lothlorien or that Harry and Draco are 16 here and get away with that in a drabble or a longer fic.

But if I put *plot* information in the header, that's cheating, regardless of length. And it's unsatisfying to the reader.

hal100

Drabbles

Re: Drabbles

Re: Drabbles

Re: Drabbles

Re: Drabbles

Re: Drabbles

Re: Drabbles

Re: Drabbles

Re: Drabbles