Class

Crafting Flash Fiction That Lasts

Whatever the reason (shrinking attention spans; too much mental stimuli; just plain old cultural preferences shifting) the flash genre has seen a massive uptick in readers and writers over the past decade. This recent surge has meant that more people than ever before are aware of flash fiction, but one glance through the recent slate of flash pieces reveals that not everyone is crafting flash that lasts past the initial reading. This course will focus not just on explaining how the elements of fiction are used in the flash genre, but will use examples of published stories as a means to reverse-engineer what makes a piece of flash fiction stick in the minds of readers years after they’ve first encountered it. Likewise, this course will also feature a weekly workshop where we workshop each other's work (1.5k words or less) in a welcoming, equitable, and supportive manner. Workshopping writers can expect verbal feedback from their peers and written feedback from myself, the teaching artist, for the week they’re getting workshopped. Over the course’s eight weeks, we will use these tools to take our flash to the next level.

No class on July 2.

All Classes listed on the Loft website take place in Central Standard Time (CST); make sure you understand your time zone, and adjust accordingly

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at [email protected] or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.