Class

Loft After School Online: Genre Games–Sci-fi Sonnets, Fantasy Flash Fiction, and Horror Haikus

Do you have a yearning to write but aren’t sure where to start or how to proceed? Are you filled with so many story ideas that you have trouble capturing them all? Do you want to expand your shorter stories into longer, more elaborate one? This class is perfect for the imaginative student who wants to learn new skills and fictional forms and share their work with other supportive writers.

Students will spend the week learning different types of flash fiction, including 6-word stories, postcard stories, and microstories. All will then have the opportunity to practice the skills needed to create them with the encouraging guidance of the two instructors. Students will also learn how to give and receive helpful critiques and will share their pieces with other supportive writers. Students will learn how to sift through critiques and discern what is helpful before they polish their pieces. Finally, students will learn how to scaffold flash fiction into longer works, with time for outlining and planning next steps. The week will end with sharing and celebration.

Selected readings from flash fiction, "The Practice of Creative Writing" by Heather Sellers, and "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" by Renni Browne and Dave King.

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.