Fast Fiction: Original Fiction

Original fiction, though arguably a less popular type than fanfiction, is still alive and thriving on Mibba. Authors take pride in crafting their own characters from the ground up and putting them into situations and settings that are generally relatable to the average person. Though it can be difficult to build up a world and flesh out characters in such a small amount of words, the stories featured this week manage to do just that!

Icarus is a story of murder and revenge. The story follows Jake, a broken-down man, as he seeks out the man who murdered his little sister. Laced throughout the gunshots and anger are moments of tenderness and sadness while Jake thinks back on his sister. All he has left of her is the snow globe that she loved so much, something he refuses to let go of even when his need for revenge sees him in a precarious situation. TheDevil’sHalo; does an excellent job of presenting the two sides of Jake’s story and the impact that this can have on the character.

Basing stories off of songs that inspire us is a common route for writers to take, and Firefly is a beautiful example of this. In a story of lost love, the nameless main character has a moment of reminiscence while observing fireflies. exploding boy. opted to use intricate descriptions to enhance the setting for her story instead of creating an individual character, which allows the reader to imagine themselves as the ones who are watching the fireflies at night.

Until My Breathing Stops focuses on something that most everyone can relate to – a teenage breakup. Channeling the feelings that come with falling out of love, while also being in a small town and not being able to escape that person, Mogar describes the feelings that every teenager knows well. Simple descriptions and blunt language allows for the words themselves to resonate with the readers and bring up a sense of nostalgia.

Short stories are the perfect way to catch a glimpse of the lives of characters without having to know their backstory. At the Grassroots Park is a great example of exactly that. This story allows the reader to listen in on the conversation between two characters taking a drive. Though the content alludes to situations that happened in the past, the main focus is the relationship and love shown between the characters. Without needing to develop the characters past the 587 words, dawn of light shows what a carefree relationship can look like.

If you’re looking for some original short stories to dive into, these are a great place to start!

Special thanks to isak valtersen and Audrey T for editing!