Writing Focus: Drabbles

Sometimes, we don’t really feel like writing something big. In fact, sometimes we want to write something that simply takes a snapshot of a moment in time, or tells a minute story that doesn't require screeds upon screeds of chapters, and that’s where drabbles come in!

What Is a Drabble?

A drabble is typically categorised as a story of 100 words or less. Here on Mibba, drabbles do not have to adhere strictly to the 100-word limit, but are still incredibly short stories, often under 500 words. Rather than telling a character’s full story or journey, drabbles usually capture a snapshot in time and leave a lot of the main story up to the imagination of the reader.

Tips

Remember that description is key. You’re trying to paint as vivid a picture into the minds of your readers as you can, so making your piece as descriptive as possible can be of great benefit to you. Just remember that over-describing things can put some people off, so be careful you’re not using several adjectives to describe one little flower!

Remember that you’re sticking to quite a strict limit when it comes to word count. You’re not trying to fill up a huge chapter, you’re just showing a snapshot. Strip away anything that isn't needed — if we don’t need to know that the character has a cat, then don’t tell us. Get rid of words that aren't really needed as well, as this can lower the count. Try to restrict yourself to a specific limit. As said above, most drabbles are 100 words or less, so try restricting yourself to 100 words and see how you get on.

Prompts

Looking to practice your drabble writing? Check out these prompts below that are designed to help!

  1. With a limit of 150 words, describe the scene outside your window.
  2. With a limit of 100 words, tell a tale of a tense moment in your life.
  3. Take any photograph and in 500 words, use it as inspiration to write a small story.

Drabble writing is an art form that can be very different to writing any other type of story. Once mastered, you can create breathtaking snippets that leave your readers speechless, so why not get practicing now!

Special thanks to silent hearts. and Dixon's Vixen for editing!

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