Please note that this is an online workshop conducted via Zoom. Participants will be provided information on how to join the online sessions.

SMALL WORLD: A MICRO MEMOIR / FLASH NONFICTION CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

In this generative creative writing workshop, we will explore the emerging sub-genre of Micro Memoir/Flash Nonfiction (FNF) – a form perfect for those unpredictable, touch-and-go times. Over the course of six sessions, we’ll shape and refine our ever-evolving sense of Flash by reading published work, by sharing craft essays on form, and by writing—every week in class—new work of our own. This specific course in FNF will focus on setting, place and worldbuilding, while also covering concerns like pacing, sensory description, dialogue, character, stakes, and, as we’ll debate and explore, the necessity (or irrelevance) of plot. For those new to FNF, flash prose includes any non-lineated creative writing piece under 750-words (roughly 3 pages double-spaced standard 12-point font). Tiny but mighty, these pieces build stakes, provoke emotions, and pack the punch of a full-sized piece. Looking at essays (and the occasional prose poem) by Melissa Ferrone, Hanif Abdurraqib, Carmen Maria Machado, and Claudia Rankine, we’ll explore the micro-worlds flash can offer us. Our discussions will segue into writing prompts, ensuring that, no matter how busy your life is outside of Inprint, you will be writing, no matter what. This course is a great fit for those looking to begin or boost a regular writing practice, to explore new forms, and to build an insightful and generous writing community. Both new and previous FNF students are encouraged to attend – the material covered in this class changes every iteration. The course will include a discussion of the submission process, literary journals, cover letters, and publication. Be prepared to experience “economy of language” on a whole new level.