On Oct. 27 at noon, the Bowers Writers House welcomed Robert Swartwood, a published fiction author and editor of “Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer.” The anthology includes work by a multitude of authors, and the pieces consist of just what the title implies: entirely self-contained, enigmatic and intriguing stories, told from beginning to end in 25 words or less. It was on this premise that Swartwood conducted the workshop for students, faculty, staff and visitors, speaking to a captive audience on the ins and outs of “hint fiction,” a term he coined himself.
“Hint fiction,” as Swartwood defines it in his anthology, is “a story of 25 words or fewer that suggests a larger, more complex story.” Some of the authors in the anthology achieve this with stories of only four words; other authors’ works are longer, but none, in keeping with the definition, exceed the 25 word maximum. Each “hint” is unique and mysterious; they are sometimes surprising, sometimes spooky, sometimes endearing and always thought-provoking.
It is a generally-accepted theory that Ernest Hemmingway was the founder of this type of short fiction, having believed to have written one of the shortest stories ever told. His tale, told in only six words, is said to have been: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” or something similar. The story, however brief, can produce varying interpretations from readers. Was the baby stillborn? Did it die at any early age? Was it born without feet? The brevity and vagueness of the miniscule piece of fiction, as some writers and readers might agree, might actually allow for a greater depth of analysis and creativity than what is expected from such a short work.
During the workshop at the Writers House, Swartwood pitched this loaded question to attendees: How long does a story really have to be? His answer, however obvious, vague or otherwise, was “as long as it needs to be.” Does a story need a beginning, middle and end? How much can the reader accurately infer about a plotline with so little information?
This is the exact principle with which hint fiction toys. It is the art of giving readers just enough information to perceive the semblance of a plot, without giving them too much or too little, and allowing them to construct the more intricate and drawn-out details of the story that are not included verbosely, but implied, and certainly open to interpretation.
A piece of hint fiction should stand on its own, “as its own world,” as Swartwood put it. “It’s not a first line of a story; it is the story.” He spoke of making the piece self-contained, with enough details to create a memorable image, but not enough to be overdone. The best pieces of hint fiction, he said, are those that end on a “punch-line,” or final word or phrase that speaks to the reader and becomes a lasting, poignant image in the reader’s mind.
In the realm of hint fiction, a title is also an invaluable element added to the storyline. “The title becomes half the story,” Swartwood said. “It brings a whole other layer to the story itself.” The title of a piece of hint fiction, he said, shouldn’t be overwritten. It should add more depth to the plot rather than detract from or repeat it.
“The best storytelling,” Swartwood added, “is when the writer and the reader meet halfway.” He described the way that good writers craft about 50 percent of a story, while readers will naturally fill in the other 50 percent with inferences and assumptions, which allows for the reader to be fully engaged in a story. But in hint fiction, he said, the author is only giving about 10 percent of the story, and the reader must infer whatever he or she can. This is not to say that hint fiction is inferior to the “best” storytelling that he described; he merely addressed the fact that authors of these very short pieces must work harder to convey their plots, while readers must both work hard to interpret them and find much enjoyment and freedom in letting their inferences and assumptions guide the plot.
Nothing could say it better than Swartwood’s introduction to “Hint Fiction,” which states, “They are a testament to the paradox facing every writer: less is more.”
Robert Swartwood was born in 1981. His work has appeared in The Los Angeles Review, The Daily Beast, Postscripts, ChiZine, Space and Time, Wigleaf and PANK. His edited book, “Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer,” was chosen by The Nervous Breakdown as one of their favorite books of 2010 and was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday with Scott Simon. Swartwood has published numerous short stories and continues to pursue novel-writing, citing Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Michael Crichton among the many authors who have influenced and inspired him and his work. His recommended reading list includes “Shutter Island” by Dennis Lehane, “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy and “The Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison.
Swartwood’s craft talk and workshop were part of the Bowers Writers House fall lineup. For more information on upcoming events, please visit www.etown.edu/writershouse.