What is a Drabble? (And How to Write One)

James Hancock (co-author of The Dark of Day: A Collection of 66 Drabbles) talks us through the process of crafting 100 word stories.

What is a Drabble?

In short, a drabble is a piece of micro fiction exactly 100 words in length. A complete tale, with a beginning, middle, and a clear ending. Wherever possible, steer away from poetry and non-fiction because a drabble is specifically prose fiction. When attempting to write a story with so few words, you should keep in mind that you won’t be able to create an epic story with background details and multiple characters. More often than not, a simple scene works very well. But remember, the scene needs to be engaging and complete.

How to Write a Drabble

I always start with an idea. This sounds obvious, but it’s even more important to start with a clear idea in mind when you have to make every single word count. Simply writing and seeing where the story takes you will be a difficult journey if you’re writing a drabble, so I really recommend planning out the beginning, middle and end before you begin. I always try to overshoot the mark, and aim for my first draft to be approximately 120-130 words in length. This is because it’s far easier to cut out superfluous or repetitive words, tighten what’s left, and see if there’s anything which isn’t needed than it is to try to add a bunch of words at the end. There’s always at least one sentence in your story that doesn’t add anything, so write outside the word limit to begin with. Keep the characters few and watch out for elaborate descriptions. Again, it’s all about making every word count. This means that your descriptions must serve to create an effect, and do so in the fewest amount of words possible.

Tips for Writing a Drabble

If your drabble has dialogue, keep it short and snappy.
Clarity is hugely important. Drabbles are supposed to be read quickly, and confusion is the last thing you want your reader to feel when they finish your story.
A twist in the tale can often be the cherry on top.
Make sure the first line captures the reader’s interest and the last line gives a satisfying conclusion.
Editing is the most important part when creating drabbles. Even though your story is only 100 words, several edits should be expected. A fifth or sixth draft will look significantly different from the first one you were happy with. With stories this short, a single word can be like a bum note that spoils the entire piece.
When you’re confident you’ve trimmed your story to perfection, read the final draft aloud and get others to take a look too. Leave it for a couple of days, then return to it and polish (there’s always a word or two that needs tweaking when you look at your story with fresh eyes).

How to Publish Your Drabbles

Look online for drabble competitions. Globe Soup have a handy and rather extensive list of current writing competitions. They even run their own drabble competitions from time to time.
Consider self-publishing a collection of your best drabbles. If you decide to go the self-publishing route, make sure your book has a great cover.
Or, you could even team up with other writers to create an anthology.

I recommend reading Drabbles written by other authors. You’ll find some you like more than others, and this will help identify what you feel works best. The linked image below will take you to a book of 66 Drabbles written by 5 very talented writers and myself. I hope this guide has given you some ideas on how to begin crafting and developing your own tiny tales. Get Drabbling!