This is an online workshop conducted via Zoom. Participants will be provided information on how to join the online sessions.

Fiction writer and essayist Jayne Anne Phillips says good flash fictions “move palpably beyond the page,” lingering “in the air of the mind like an image made of smoke.” This generative online workshop welcomes writers of all levels of experience. Over six weeks, you will engage in the art of crafting flash fiction. The genre has multiple titles and definitions, but for our purposes, we will regard flash fiction as stories consisting of 1500 words or less. In addition to focusing on elements of craft such as character, point of view, and plot, we will attempt to unpack the genre’s enigmatic nature. How can such a short story channel the intensity of lightning, an electric blink that singes the sky? The class will be divided into two units. For the first unit, you will draft a collection of flash fictions. I will offer prompts, in-class writing time, and published stories for discussion. During the second unit, we will workshop a selection of your new stories (2-3 stories, 3-15 pages). You’ll be encouraged to write outside of class, complete assigned readings prior to each digital gathering, and respond to classmates’ stories. I will provide detailed feedback on all workshop submissions. By the end of the course, you will have a better sense of your voice and style, drafts on which you can continue to work, and the tools to approach future writing projects.