How this book was created:
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library gathered flash fiction stories from community members with the theme: what community means to you. This collection is aimed at helping library staff understand what the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community truly means to the local writers and authors, and how this meaning can be incorporated into the new Main Library.

As the library progresses toward the opening of the new Main Library in 2024, library staff are working on the visitor experience for the new Library. Part of that work involves looking at the many unique spaces new Main Library will have, one of which will be a space for writers and authors. While this space is still in the ideation stage, staff are looking at unique ways to connect local writers and authors to the library in an effort to ensure that the new Main Library is grounded in community perspective and input. Part of this effort is being made in the form of prototypes, short trials of innovative ideas, meant to enhance and inform the visitor experience at the new library.  One of these prototypes is this book, crowd-sourced community collection of short stories.

What is Flash Fiction?
Flash fiction is a type of short story that limits the author to a word count of 750 words or less. If you’re submitting flash fiction stories to be published, some magazines limit flash fiction stories to as few as 300 words, but we accepted up to 750 words.

Why Write Flash Fiction?
Flash fiction forces us to be economical with words. It helps focus the ideas and strip away anything that is not essential to the story. Often, when writing fiction, we write more than is necessary. In the editing process, anything that is not essential can be removed or reworked.