Drabble and The Poetry Pitfall

Are you writing 100 word stories or are you a poet and didn't know it?

I love drabble. So much so, when I first brainstormed the idea of a romance lit mag, the vision was to publish only 100-word love stories. “Maybe I can start a new microfiction genre, like scifaiku,” I told a friend. “It could be micromance,” I continued as the light bulb flickered over my head….and hence the name - Micromance Magazine. But something told me to expand, to allow longer pieces (while keeping it to my forte of flash fiction) and, of course, I'm glad I did.

So, you see, my heart is with microfiction, having written hundreds of drabbles, and even a few dribbles. My very first publication credit ever was a 75-word piece in Paragraph Planet. My very first Pushcart Prize nomination was a 100-word story in Friday Flash Fiction. I was a regular contributor at FFF and was chosen to judge a 100-word story contest there as well. It was a reader's choice contest where readers voted on the top pick from 6 different judges - my top pick won the grand prize. My own entry in the same contest (judges were a secret, even to each other, and were encouraged to enter) was shortlisted, being a choice of one of the other judges. I was also drabble judge at Fictionette for several months, before they closed, and an editor at 101words, as well as published there.

So, yes, I love drabble. I love reading it and I love writing it. And the challenge of writing it. And it is a challenge to write a story in 100 words (or less). But it's gotten easier for me over time, though some pieces do come easier than others. Of course, it wasn't always that way. At first I made the same mistake a lot of writers make and that's the poetry pitfall - setting out to write a 100-word story and writing 100 word prose poetry instead.

During my time at Fictionette, I read tens of dozens 100-worders. A majority were some of the most beautiful poetry you ever read and, sadly, had to be passed on. And since the beginning of Micromance, I've read many pieces submitted to the category we at MM call sweet nothings, and have come across the same issue - poetry called drabble.

But this isn't some nefarious plan by writers to submit poetry as something else to get published. It's a common and easy error to make. Writing a story in such few words is tough.

Thing is, whether it's 10,000 words or 100, a story needs to have the same elements - a hook in the beginning, a plot, compelling characters, a problem and a resolution, a start; middle and end.

Here, I'll show you.... Here's an example of prose poetry submitted as drabble... This was one of my own early mistakes... And the editor of the lit mag was quick to point out this was poetry (I rewrote it in poetry form and it was accepted at another lit mag)...

Surreal, that's what he is. Perfectly created, beautifully flawed, but all dream come true. But that's a lie. Dreams don't spark to life, rather, they die at sunrise. One morning I'll wake, and he'll be gone. "But no!" My pleas shatter the dawn, begging the moon never trade places with the sun, but in vain I plead. Can't stop daybreak, but can keep it dark. Close my eyes. All night I slumber, all day, sleepwalk.

Notice there's no real plot...see the structure? And hear how it's a bit "lilting" and, well, poetic. I didn't see it then. I wasn't even sure what the editor meant when they critiqued the piece. But I read more drabble and began to understand the structuring. Now, I see it!

In contrast, here is an example of a 100-word story...

It was a dark and stormy night...

"No... It wasn't." He heaved a sigh, pressed backspace and started typing again.

Once upon a time...

"What's the matter with you? You're not writing a fairy tale." The backspace key was getting a workout.

He stared at the blinking cursor on the blank screen. How hard was it to write a good love story? Especially one based on his own whirlwind romance with the woman who was both the girl of his dreams and the one who got away.

The keys clicked.

He loved her... Always.

He smiled, the perfect story written.

See the difference?

I'll be honest. There are still some pieces of drabble, even award-winning ones, that I don't understand - sometimes figuratively and literally. They're metaphorical. They, in some cases, make no sense - not to me, anyway. They're abrupt or don't seem to have much development. Some, even highly regarded ones, come off as prose poetry, yet somehow they pass as drabble, while a similar piece won't. The more literary/MFA lit mags seem to gravitate toward the pieces with the "deeper meanings" and the five-dollar words. As with most of the writing community, it's all subjective and acceptances go according to the editor's tastes and interests.

Call me silly, but I tend to lean toward the true definition of a drabble:

A drabble is a short work of fiction of precisely one hundred words in length. The purpose of the drabble is brevity, testing the author's ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space. It is a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end.

With that said, I look for pieces that have action. Pieces with fun characters. Moving pieces. Any piece that makes me feel like I'm there - or makes me wish I was there. A piece that can satisfactorily stand alone, but that can easily be a snip-it of a larger story - one you hope the writer creates. For me, I think of them as snip-its of a bigger scene, and I start them in the middle of some action or have the reader enter in the middle of a conversation, like an eavesdropper.

Like here:

"I'll be watching teevee or cooking." She stirred an invisible spoon. "Or in the middle of sorting out the plot of my newest story and, suddenly, I'll get a flash of him in my head and, instantly, tears." Sometimes just a drop or two, other times, a deluge, but, either way, it makes no sense."

She shook her head. "That has never happened with anyone else... ever." She looked at me, her uncertainty showing in her eyes. "What do you think it means?"

"Easy." I shrugged. "You're in love with him"

"But I hardly know him."

"Love doesn't know that."

I love drabble. And I wish Micromance Magazine received more submissions to its sweet nothings category. Unfortunately, I think a lot of drabble writers aren't into romance and a lot of romance writers aren't into writing such short stories. We have published a few first attempts by some writers who decided to go outside their comfort zone and accept the challenge of writing microfiction. And the writers and their stories both did extremely well with readers.

As far as Micromance Magazine goes, Johannah Simon and Katie Fitzgerald are a couple of our most popular drabble writers. And for good reason. For more reference as how to write, structure, and create attention-grabbing 100-word stories, check out Johannah's award-nominated Pop, Pinch and Spark and Katie's little story, Under The Porchlight, and you'll get a much better understanding of how strong 100-word stories are written.

And so I toss this challenge out there to all reading this. If you ever wanted to give microfiction a try, here's your chance. Don't be shy, don't be hesitant...submit, submit, submit! And don't worry about if you accidentally write poetry instead. I promise, I'll let you know and, if it's beautiful, well-written and romantic, it'll be accepted anyway. So you've got nothing to lose! But a whole lot to gain - publication, free feedback, maybe a bit of coaching if you'd like it, and who knows, you may find out you're a poet and didn't know it!

So, let's put the micro in Micromance and have a little flurry of sweet nothing submissions. And remember, we nominate for the Pushcart Prize, BestMicrofiction, The Cupid Prize annnnd... there may be a new prize anthology coming in 2026 for drabble only (open to 100-word stories from ALL lit mags with opportunity for winners from ALL themed/genre lit mags, not just the literary ones)...

Sneak peek… Could this be the next new prize anthology? 🤔

So, are you going to take the Drabble Challenge? Hope so...hope every one of you do! Can't wait to read your bite size stories!

Gail Lynn, EIC 🥰