“Concise, intense, and urgent, flash fiction sits at the crossroads of storytelling and poetry,” says instructor Jennifer Lewis. “Flash pieces are designed to elicit a strong emotional response in a single sitting, often capturing a moment, an epiphany, or a turning point.”
In this three-week class, participants will explore how compression, resonance, and attention to language create flash fiction’s distinctive impact. Through close reading and discussion of George Saunders’s “Sticks,” “My Cheesecake-Shaped Poverty” by Haruki Murakami, and “Certain European Movies” by Emma Cline, we’ll examine how rhythm, imagery, repetition, and omission elevate prose and generate emotional force.
Each week will include in-class writing designed to generate new work, along with revision strategies for time compression, language economy, purposeful juxtaposition, and omission-driven tension. We'll also have time for sharing and light feedback.
Jennifer says, “Over the course of the three weeks, you’ll practice distilling large emotional and narrative material into tight forms and work toward at least one developed flash piece to continue revising on your own after the end of class.”
About The Writing Salon's Online Zoom Classes
You will be able to participate in live class meetings via Zoom videoconference. To attend classes, you'll need a phone, tablet or computer and access to the internet. You can participate in the class from wherever you'd like, whether on your living room couch or in your office. Before your class meets, you'll receive an email from The Writing Salon with more information about Zoom and your remote class. If you have any questions about remote learning, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@writingsalons.com.
Jennifer Lewis is a writer, editor, and the publisher of Red Light Lit. Her debut short story collection, The New Low, is published by Black Lawrence Press. Jennifer won the Nomadic Press Bindle Award for her short story, “New Low,” and the Los Angeles Review Flash Fiction award for “Put a Teat in It.” She received her MFA in creative writing from San Francisco State University in May 2015. She teaches at The Writing Salon in San Francisco.
- Live Zoom Meeting: Tuesday, April 14, 6:30pm-9:00pm
- Live Zoom Meeting: Tuesday, April 21, 6:30pm-9:00pm
- Live Zoom Meeting: Tuesday, April 28, 6:30pm-9:00pm
Jennifer had excellent, thought provoking exercises every session. She also really fostered an environment that engaged everyone.
I've taken a few of Jennifer's classes before and for good reason - she is an excellent instructor. Her personality and style allows for a comfortable and open class environment. She is also an authentic and passionate writer and encourages her students in a constructive and kind way. She provides helpful feedback on our writing, and her class structures provide a fantastic learning forum.