Fiction, including very short stories, on Twitter
#Fiction, #short #stories
AI Overview
Fiction on Twitter encompasses a wide range of forms, including very short stories (like #flashfiction), and longer “twovels” or “twitter novels” that unfold over multiple tweets. These stories leverage the platform’s constraints to be concise and impactful, sometimes using anonymity to create a distinct narrative voice. Common forms include standalone micro-narratives, serialized “twitter novels,” and collections of stories organized through hashtags.Fiction on Twitter encompasses a wide range of forms, including very short stories (likeForms of fiction on Twitter, Twitter novels (or “twovels”): These are longer narratives that are told over a series of many tweets, sometimes spanning hundreds of posts. The author may be known or anonymous, using a pseudonym or a character’s name to build a fictional persona.
Micro-narratives: These are extremely brief stories, often comparable to flash fiction or sudden fiction, that are contained within a single tweet.
Hashtag-based stories: Writers use hashtags, such as #VeryShortStories, to create and share collections of short fiction or to find and engage with other writers and readers.
Storyella: This specific term, coined by Penguin US, refers to humorous reworkings of classic literary tales published in digestible chunks of 20 or fewer tweets.
Examples and conceptsAnonymity: Authors sometimes use anonymous or pseudonymous accounts to create a specific voice or to enhance the mystery and authenticity of the story.
Conciseness: The limited character count forces writers to be deliberate and impactful with their words, making every word count.
Connectivity: Some Twitter fiction is less about a traditional narrative and more about creating a connection with the audience through creative use of the platform.
Role-playing: Some accounts take on the persona of a fictional character (sometimes from an existing universe, like Mass Effect) and interact with users as that character, essentially improvising a story in real-time.
Inspiration and community: Platforms like “Book Twitter” are filled with discussions about short fiction, with users recommending their favorite collections and writers.
How to find and share fiction on TwitterSearch for hashtags: Use hashtags like #VeryShortStories or #flashfiction to find creative content.
Look for specific accounts: Follow accounts that specialize in writing or curating Twitter fiction.
Engage with “Book Twitter”: Participate in communities like Book Twitter via Literary Hub where users discuss and share short stories and novels.Ai Mode
Fiction, including very short stories, on Twitter
Twitter fiction (or “twit-fic,” “twiction,” “nanofiction,” and “micro-fiction”). The 280-character limit of a single post (formerly 140) provides a creative constraint that challenges writers to produce complete narratives in a very short format, similar to traditional flash fiction. Writing fiction on Twitter (now X) is a well-established practice, often referred to as
Forms of Twitter Fiction
Single-Tweet Stories: These are complete, bite-sized stories contained within a single post. A famous example often cited in this context, though predating Twitter, is Ernest Hemingway’s six-word story: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn”.
Tweet Threads: Authors can string together a series of interconnected posts to create longer narratives, effectively writing entire short stories or even novels one tweet at a time.
Interactive/Collaborative Fiction: Some writers create accounts for fictional characters or use crowdsourcing, allowing readers to contribute to the story’s development or provide epitaphs for fictional scenarios.
Prompt-Based Writing: Communities use specific hashtags to share stories based on daily prompts.
Communities and Hashtags
Writers and readers engage with Twitter fiction through dedicated communities and hashtags.
#VSS365: This stands for “Very Short Story 365 days a year” and is one of the most active communities. A host tweets a new single-word prompt each day, and participants write and share a very short story based on that word.
#Twiction, #Twitfic, #Nanoism, #140novel, #veryshortstory: Searching for these hashtags on X will reveal numerous examples and active participants in the genre.
Notable Examples and Authors
Several authors, from aspiring to established, have experimented with the medium:
Jennifer Egan: The Pulitzer Prize-winning author published an 8,500-word short story, “Black Box,” via The New Yorker’s @NYerFiction handle, releasing it in 140-character bursts over ten nights.
Arjun Basu and Sean Hill: These authors are known for consistently posting single-tweet stories on their accounts, such as @arjunbasu and @veryshortstory. Their work has also been compiled into published books.
The Guardian: The newspaper has challenged and featured established authors, including Ian Rankin and Jeffrey Archer, to write stories within the character constraints.
You can find current examples by searching the platform X using the hashtags mentioned above, or by following specific authors and literary journals that dedicate themselves to this form.— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Nov 23, 2025
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