Last week saw the launch of Quick Fictions, a new interactive flash fictions app. The app is designed to give busy people a hit of fiction in a time frame they could afford. As every story is under 300 words, you can read a little literary nugget on the bus, on the tube or while the kettle boils.
The app currently presents fifty thought-provoking stories from some of the most exciting authors around – but it is set to grow: all of its readers are invited to submit quick fictions of their own. The University of Sussex, Myriad Editions and Aimer Media, who joined forces to create the app, hope that a wealth of published and unpublished writers will feel inspired and get involved.
The app also provides an ideal venue to house these tiny stories. Whilst flash fiction is becoming an increasingly popular form, it has proved difficult to publish in conventional formats. According to Adrian Driscoll of Aimer Media, the app is perfect for this kind of writing: “It is a new evolution in digital storytelling,” he says, “Quick Fictions is set to become a flash fiction hub.”
Quick Fictions began as a biannual short fiction event held at the University of Sussex and is the brainchild of Professor Nicholas Royle. “Quick Fictions grew out of a desire to explore the question of how to write – inventively, thoughtfully, memorably – in the age of the short attention span,” says Professor Royle.
As well as being available on the app, the Myriad website also hosts a selection of the stories, including works by Helene Cixous, Nicholas Royle and Rebecca Giggs. The stories vary wildly in style, subject matter and length (some are even tweet-able!) but they all pack a punch beyond their 300 word limit.
Over time the app will continue to develop, exploring new interactive ways to curate fiction, responding to current affairs, incorporating new stories, maps, audio and visual performances and illustrations.
The Quick Fictions app costs 69p or 99 cents and is available to purchase from the iTunes app store.