Q&A for How to Write a Vignette

It depends on what you are writing the vignette for. For example, if it is for school, make sure it is appropriate. Or, if you are writing for fun, choose a topic that seems fun to you. If all else fails, think of something that happened in your life and write about it, even if it doesn't seem very interesting.

If you mean you want to write the entire vignette as a flashback, sure, you can do that. It would make the most sense to frame the flashback, introducing it with a short section at the beginning that takes place in the present, and then ending up back in the present at the end. However, you could also just write the flashback, then have the fact that it's a flashback be a surprise for the reader at the end.

Try to replicate the atmosphere of a school. It depends on what you are trying to prove. If you are trying to make a point about how faulty the education system is, then poetically point out the faults. Like, "The teachers drones on, yet I understand nothing. The sound of pencils scratching on paper fill my ears." something like that. Just use your words to paint a picture.

End it as the scene you are drawing would end. Try to make it abrupt enough to give it that pang that you need, but still leave the reader wondering about the tone of what you are trying to say. We want the picture not because we do, but because we can.

Think of your favorite place, your hobbies and interests, family members, or events that have impacted your life.

Yes, there can be dialogue in your vignette. But since it's a very short piece, you probably shouldn't have more than a few lines of dialogue.

A paragraph is usually 5-7 sentences, but since vignettes are a looser form of writing, it doesn't matter as much. It's different from writing a formal paper or story.

Focus on a meaningful moment with that person or the feelings this person provokes in you when you’re near them. Refer to your senses for inspiration.

Since a vignette is free-form, there is no formulaic start to one. A better place to start, if you are stuck, is to close your eyes and open your imagination to the question, "How would I experience [topic]?" Then, write down everything that comes to mind, as it comes. This technique should work whether your topic is anything from "being stuck in the rain on a cold night with a long walk home" or "family beach vacation."