Why write flash fiction?
1) Brevity is a useful constraint — as is true in poetry, every word counts. Flash fiction teaches us precision and concision.
2) It’s an excellent way to practice conveying plot, character, and emotion efficiently.
3) It makes you pay a new kind of attention to opening and closing lines that leave a lasting impression on the reader.
In this craft class and generative workshop, we will explore this brief (up to 500 words!) and vivid form, reading and discussing stories by Lydia Davis, Franz Kafka, George Saunders, and Jamaica Kincaid before turning to writing exercises designed to help us generate our own flash fiction.
