In this class we will be considering the formal advantages and challenges of writing very short stories. We will explore techniques and approaches that allow the writer to engage the elements of fiction in compressed spaces. Thinking about the unique restraints of “flash fictions,” we will consider how things like juxtaposition, sudden transition, and precise language (among other tools) can be used to generate suspense, voice, and meaning in a quick burst of narrative.
Before class, you'll receive copies of assigned stories and a collection of practical writing prompts that we will look at together as we toggle between modes of investigation (studying the stories of others to understand the formal choices each writer has made) and modes of practice (using prompts to generate our own short fictions).
This class is open to writers at any stage in their writing life. Flash fictions are capable of achieving effects that can’t be achieved in longer forms; they are also an ideal space for new writers, early in their writing practice, to exercise, experiment, and refine their voice and style.
Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout for 10% off through May 6! (Porch members, check your email for your special earlybird discount code.)
Stephen Mortland’s writing has appeared in NOON Annual, New York Tyrant, Chicago Review, Fence Magazine, and elsewhere. His story, Elenin, was featured in the 2022 Pushcart Anthology. He is a recent graduate of the MFA program at Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently a PhD student in the Creative Writing program at the University of Utah.
Stephen is new to The Porch. Welcome!
