Aha! I think I finally figured out what the little story things I write are actually called. I’ve been using "ficlet" which I think I got from my fanfic days about four thousand years ago, but no one seems to know that term when I mention it. It looks like they’re actually called vignettes. "Ficlet" can be used for original fiction according to google, but vignette is probably the more correct term. I don't know if I want to start using it here on my blog, though. I mean, with "ficlet" you can at least make a guess at what it is- a short work of fiction, a tiny story. Even the name sounds cute and short. "Vignette" just makes me think of grapes or vinegar or food or something.

Oh, what the heck. I'm probably using the term "short story" wrong, too. I mean, I have written some short stories in the low thousands of words, but the 25k word ones are probably supposed to be called novellas. Novellettes? One of my friends pointed out that fanfiction gets all the good descriptive terms that make sense. Over here in Original Fiction Land everything's all grey and may or may not depend on a specific word count. Sigh. I'll be over here waffling about what to call my writing, I guess! And nevermind the fact that the short story I'm currently writing is essentially fanficion of my own dorks. Ya know, for that extra level of confusion.

~Meri