Writers’ HQ | How to write flash fiction about climate change

Climate change! Yay! The world’s most upbeat and cheery topic. Woo! That, in case you weren’t sure, was sarcasm.

Climate fiction can be a tricky ol’ beast. Getting the balance right between urgency, facts, panic and simply telling a story is no easy feat.

Flash fiction is uniquely positioned to help us out here, because flash is all about the impact without the word count to become (too) didactic. Sooo here are some tip top tips for writing climate change flash fiction, compiled by flash fiction maestro Flashy Kathy Hoyle and long term climate change bore Sarah Lewis.

Do some research
Look, you don’t have to know everything, but it is helpful to know a bit about what’s going on. Websites like Grist or Treehugger are great for easy-to-digest news and info, or you could go hardcore and hit up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or the Tyndall Centre For Climate Change Research.Do remember that people talk an awful lot of shit about climate change so watch out for sources such as the The Global Warming Policy Foundation or The Heritage Foundation, all of which spout denialist nonsense.
Trust your reader to fill in the gaps
Your flash can be a fantastic springboard for nurturing curiosity, but we don’t want to overwhelm the reader with exhaustive facts and data. Remember, flash fiction is all about brevity and suggestion. By leaving some details unsaid, you invite readers to engage on their own terms.
Focus on one subject per story
While we’re talking about overwhelm, focus on one subject per flash. It’s hard, because climate change is an everything subject. But you need to allow some breadth in the work and honing in on one thing – a specific consequence, a personal story, a symbolic element – can bring deeper meaning to these short pieces. Of course, you can always write three linked pieces, or five, or even ten and then hey presto! You have yourself a climate fiction novella-in-flash!
Feelings not facts
In stories, how we feel about things is more interesting than the thing itself. Climate change brings with it all the emotions: terror, rage, a sense of impotence. Spend time thinking about how climate change feels for you and write from that place. Your personal perspective is everything in fiction.
Consider the big questions
- How might you change things, fix things, remain hopeful?
- What might the world look like for your grandchildren? How does that make you feel?
- Do you feel like a lone voice or part of a collective? Could loneliness or connectedness be a theme for your work?
- What are you hopes and fears for our planet?
- What is lost but what might be gained?
Hold on to hope!
Remember, it’s easy to feel powerless in the midst of all the information we have, but your stories are conduits for change, resilience and hope too! Flash fiction allows you to highlight resilience, hope, and the human spirit in the face of adversity. Use your writing to inspire, challenge, and engage readers, fostering a sense of agency and possibility.
Get inspired
If you are new to writing climate change/environmental flash, this month’s Flash Face Off prompts have been specifically created to help you with themes and subject matter. And below you’ll find some fabulous cli-fi stories for inspiration.