In my small wonders workshop, we examine and craft creative nonfiction pieces that fall under 1000 words. I use that word limit because it’s how Creative Nonfiction categorizes a “short read.” Other markets stop sooner: Brevity caps out at 750 words; River Teeth’s weekly column “Beautiful Things” limits work to 250 words; and 100 Word Story asks for exactly 100 words. Whenever I have a question about writing true stories, I start with the Creative Nonfiction Foundation. And so for small wonders, I start with 1000 words and work my way down.
It feels just awesome for me, as a reader and writer and teacher of small wonders, that my short piece (flash / short-short / nearly micro) “Domestic Report” (538 words) is the most recent Sunday Short Read at Creative Nonfiction. Awesome and gratifying.
Suzanne Farrell Smith 