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Lightning: A Collection of Very Small Stories
FLASH, MICRO, FUN-SIZE, mini fiction.
Twenty-seven very small stories written by Claudia Brevis. All are under five hundred words. Seven are exactly one hundred words. And seven—plus a few scattered additional stories—are just #sixwords each. Waiting inside... A farmer, serial killers, a confused old woman, a magician, a panic attack, a ghost, a vampire, a mouse, a dog, great-grandparents, a girl with orange shoes, a Siren, a shape-shifter and much, much more. #Invitation Come on in. The water's fine.
Twenty-seven very small stories written by Claudia Brevis. All are under five hundred words. Seven are exactly one hundred words. And seven—plus a few scattered additional stories—are just #sixwords each. Waiting inside... A farmer, serial killers, a confused old woman, a magician, a panic attack, a ghost, a vampire, a mouse, a dog, great-grandparents, a girl with orange shoes, a Siren, a shape-shifter and much, much more. #Invitation Come on in. The water's fine.
- GenresShort Stories
56 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2014
6 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Brevis
3 books64 followersCLAUDIA BREVIS is an author, songwriter, playwright & genealogist living with her husband, Skip, in NYC.
Claudia’s music and lyrics have been featured on stage, television, film and recordings.
She vocal-arranged and composed original music for the off-Broadway hit Beehive, the 60′s Musical , and co-wrote the 2011 New York International Fringe Festival hit, Winner Take All (A Rock Opera) . Other works include Norwegian Cruise's Showdown , an interactive American Idol spoof now in its 6th year on the high seas.
When she isn’t writing music, digging in ancestral records, or working on her next novel or screenplay, Claudia can most often be found just hanging with her family!
The post-apocalyptic A GAZILLION LITTLE BITS is Claudia’s debut novel.
Claudia’s music and lyrics have been featured on stage, television, film and recordings.
She vocal-arranged and composed original music for the off-Broadway hit Beehive, the 60′s Musical , and co-wrote the 2011 New York International Fringe Festival hit, Winner Take All (A Rock Opera) . Other works include Norwegian Cruise's Showdown , an interactive American Idol spoof now in its 6th year on the high seas.
When she isn’t writing music, digging in ancestral records, or working on her next novel or screenplay, Claudia can most often be found just hanging with her family!
The post-apocalyptic A GAZILLION LITTLE BITS is Claudia’s debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 31, 2014
I had a lot of fun writing these stories and I hope you enjoy reading them. The Kindle version is FREE on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OHML0OW
February 1, 2015
These stories were enchanting. Each one was its own little world.
Except the hashtag/"seven word stories" which really, were just tweets that felt incredibly out of place. But I'm biased; I don't have a Twitter, and I cringe every time I see a hashtag.
Other than that, I really enjoyed most of these little stories.
Except the hashtag/"seven word stories" which really, were just tweets that felt incredibly out of place. But I'm biased; I don't have a Twitter, and I cringe every time I see a hashtag.
Other than that, I really enjoyed most of these little stories.
June 5, 2015
A fabulous collection of flash-fiction. Subtle, disarming, funny, poignant, all of the things that good flash-fiction should be. Heartily recommended.
March 17, 2017
Some stories, like "Best Friends Forever" and "Ernesto," are really fine, enjoyable reading. But many of the stories just didn't do much for me. They were okay, but I felt needed more time in revision to polish them, or, as in the case of the title story, were missing something that tied the narrative together. The collection is diverse, from mainstream to supernatural, but as a whole was only mildly satisfying.
February 22, 2026
At a recent brunch meet-up with Books n Brunch PGH Area here in Pittsburgh, someone introduced us to Lightning: A Collection of Very Small Stories by Claudia Brevis.
The concept immediately caught everyone’s attention. A collection made entirely of flash and micro stories is such an interesting idea, and it sparked a fun conversation about how much can actually be said in just a few lines.
The concept immediately caught everyone’s attention. A collection made entirely of flash and micro stories is such an interesting idea, and it sparked a fun conversation about how much can actually be said in just a few lines.
February 22, 2026
During our latest Books n Brunch PGH Area gathering in Pittsburgh, Lightning: A Collection of Very Small Stories came up during our book chat.
The idea of stories that are sometimes only a few sentences long intrigued the group. It led to a great discussion about how short fiction can leave a big impression even with very few words.
The idea of stories that are sometimes only a few sentences long intrigued the group. It led to a great discussion about how short fiction can leave a big impression even with very few words.
February 22, 2026
Our brunch discussion at Books n Brunch PGH Area in Pittsburgh recently included Lightning: A Collection of Very Small Stories.
The premise alone made people curious. Micro fiction isn’t something our group talks about often, so it was interesting hearing everyone’s thoughts about storytelling in such a condensed format.
The premise alone made people curious. Micro fiction isn’t something our group talks about often, so it was interesting hearing everyone’s thoughts about storytelling in such a condensed format.
February 22, 2026
At one of our Books n Brunch PGH Area meetups in Pittsburgh, this collection came up as something different to explore.
The range of characters mentioned in the description—from a magician to a ghost to a girl with orange shoes made it sound like a very creative mix of tiny stories.
The range of characters mentioned in the description—from a magician to a ghost to a girl with orange shoes made it sound like a very creative mix of tiny stories.
February 22, 2026
During our latest brunch with Books n Brunch PGH Area in Pittsburgh, Lightning: A Collection of Very Small Stories became part of our discussion.
The group seemed fascinated by the idea of six-word stories. It’s amazing how much imagination something that small can spark in a conversation.
The group seemed fascinated by the idea of six-word stories. It’s amazing how much imagination something that small can spark in a conversation.
February 22, 2026
At our recent Books n Brunch PGH Area gathering in Pittsburgh, someone brought up Lightning.
The collection’s format flash and micro stories led to a fun discussion about how writers can capture a moment or emotion in just a handful of words.
The collection’s format flash and micro stories led to a fun discussion about how writers can capture a moment or emotion in just a handful of words.
February 22, 2026
One of the more unusual titles that came up at our Books n Brunch PGH Area brunch in Pittsburgh was Lightning: A Collection of Very Small Stories.
The concept alone got people talking. The idea of stories that are sometimes only six words long really made the group curious.
The concept alone got people talking. The idea of stories that are sometimes only six words long really made the group curious.
February 22, 2026
During a relaxed brunch meeting with Books n Brunch PGH Area in Pittsburgh, this book sparked an interesting conversation.
Short-form storytelling isn’t something we discuss often, so it was refreshing to talk about how creative a writer can be within such a small space.
Short-form storytelling isn’t something we discuss often, so it was refreshing to talk about how creative a writer can be within such a small space.
February 22, 2026
Our Books n Brunch PGH Area group in Pittsburgh recently chatted about Lightning: A Collection of Very Small Stories.
The premise of tiny stories featuring such a wide range of characters from everyday people to supernatural figures made for a lively and imaginative discussion.
The premise of tiny stories featuring such a wide range of characters from everyday people to supernatural figures made for a lively and imaginative discussion.
February 22, 2026
At our latest Books n Brunch PGH Area meetup in Pittsburgh, this collection came up as a topic of conversation.
The idea of storytelling in such short bursts felt unique, and it definitely sparked some curiosity around the table.
The idea of storytelling in such short bursts felt unique, and it definitely sparked some curiosity around the table.
October 19, 2014
I'll conclude what's supposed to be a never-ending review in three words. Beautiful, Disturbing, Captivating.
My Favs — Best Friends Forever & Ernesto.
And not to mention that I'm too in love with the cover!
My Favs — Best Friends Forever & Ernesto.
And not to mention that I'm too in love with the cover!
October 17, 2015
Imagine opening a drawer of an old desk and find a notebook with short stories, scraps of paper with quick scribbles and some random words. You lose yourself in going through them, reading everything. That’s how Lightning felt to me. Discovering a treasure!
May 5, 2016
An excellent snack...
Like any great snack this leaves you wanting more. The stories are entertaining, some surprisingly moving for such brief tales, and quite clever. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone for a quick, enjoyable and satisfying read.
Like any great snack this leaves you wanting more. The stories are entertaining, some surprisingly moving for such brief tales, and quite clever. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone for a quick, enjoyable and satisfying read.
November 1, 2014
Short, quirky, thought provoking stories. Loved it!! Can't wait for another.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews