I admit, I tend to overwrite. In every form of writing (except syllable-controlled poetry forms). So when I write flash fiction, I need to do a lot of cutting.
Word choice:
First, I look for words and phrases that readers might not understand
or might throw them out of the story.
- slang
- dialect
- idioms
- difficult-to-read names
Dialogue:
Next, I look for wasted words in dialogue. Flash fiction tends to use
very little dialogue so I cut a lot here and turn the rest to
summaries of conversation.
- unneeded interruptions
- repetition
- dialogue tags
- adjectives and adverbs
- correcting another person
Narrative:
Finally, I look at the bulk of the story.
- trivial details
- modifiers
- long sentences
- anything not in POV
- flashbacks and memories
- words that could become contractions
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