Vignette is a French word that means “little vine.” It is named after the decorative vine leaves that sometimes adorned nineteenth-century books.

A vignette is a short passage that uses imagery to describe a subject or scene in greater detail. By using descriptive language, a vignette helps the reader visualize a character, a place, or a moment.

Vignettes are sometimes confused with short stories and flash fiction. However, there is a major difference between them: Short stories and flash fiction are complete works, while a vignette is a smaller part of a story; a scene really.

Vignettes are...
Short scenes within a larger story that are usually under 1,000 words.
Designed to give more visual context to a character, place, or event.
Not bound to a narrative structure; rather, focuses on description.
Time doesn’t pass in a vignette; it describes a moment in time.

Vignettes don't have a beginning, middle, or end sequence.
Show, don't tell! Be sure to use descriptive language to paint a picture in the reader's head.
Connect through the senses by using words that show what a character is feeling, seeing, and hearing.
Just write, then edit. While a vignette is meant to be concise, start by writing everything down that you imagine this scene to be. Then, go back and shape the imagery, trimming any irrelevant bits.