I'm learning things about writing with my current project, the Drabble Saga, appearing here on BC daily except when I forget. :)

A drabble has the structure of a scene or vignette, not a story. It's too short to have a beginning, a middle and an end. Mostly, it's just a middle.

A successful drabble seems to consist of an idea and a twist. The idea is a story concept and the twist is a joke on that concept. The idea has to be presented concisely in the first few lines of the drabble and the twist should be in the last or next-to-last line. The last line can be a "take" on the twist.

The first line is usually a setup, the second to fourth line should contain the idea, though the setup and idea can be combined in the first line. The rest of a drabble is padding to make this presentation work.

I'm doing something different, though -- a connected set of drabbles telling or at least outlining a more conventional story. Still the structure above is involved and is what I used in the first one.

In later drabbles, instead of a story concept, I've tried to present a fact, a piece of information or an action to move the story along -- the sort of thing one puts into a story outline.

The twist becomes a counter-fact (an exception or contradiction to the fact/info) or a reaction (to the action); and the take is usually my punchline.

Sometimes it seems to work well and sometimes it comes out weak or confusing. I get out the hammer and tongs and beat the hell out of the drabble to teach it a lesson. I have to get it down or up in length anyway. Whatever survives this process gets posted. :)

It can take a half an hour to an hour to do one of these drabbles, about the same length of time I usually spend on a 500 word scene in a longer story.

It's a wonderful exercise in how to be concise and clear and convey a simple emotion. Usually humor, one hopes. :)

Just a few thoughts on drabblations, your mileage may vary, pay at the pump, no restrooms. :)

Love and sweat,
Lainie