Flash Fiction (online)

What "counts" as flash fiction?

Stories of around 1500 words—or fewer.

What's so great about super-short stories?

Sometimes, we can finish a first draft in a single sitting. Better still, we can practice story structure, voice, cause-and-effect storytelling—all the elements that go into making a piece moving.

At this hands-on workshop, we will:

Write an original short story and hear it read aloud, anonymously
Read & analyze 13 entertaining works of flash fiction
Explore how to write brief yet compelling stories
Discover form-specific revision techniques
Learn who publishes flash fiction

There’s no need to bring a story to this class; you’ll write your piece—and hear positive feedback—over the course of two days. We welcome beginners as well as non-native speakers of English.

March 23rd to March 24th, 2024, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Taught by Lisa Friedman
Venue: Online
Register for this workshop (Fee: €150)
Have questions about this workshop? Call us +31 (0) 62 502 0817 or send us an email.

Workshop times listed are in Amsterdam time (CET).

What people are saying about this workshop

“I initially felt intimidated when I realized the degree to which some of [the other workshop attendees] were into writing. But as it turned out, they all used their experience to the benefit of the group. That speaks volumes for how the workshops are facilitated.

I learned how to approach the writing of a surprisingly demanding type of fiction, and I enjoyed the feedback from people of different backgrounds whose common denominator was their sincere involvement in the pleasure of reading literature and the pain of creating it.”

Anthony, April 24, 2021

“Despite its abbreviated form, flash fiction may actually be more varied than standard short stories, or the novel. I liked seeing the different forms that works of flash fiction can take, as well as what other writers consider important—especially how they work with language to create a story.”

Jillian, April 24, 2021

“I would say that for the first time ever in a writing class, I was completely satisfied with the instruction. The central question is How—How does one write in this form? How does one compose? How does one structure? I was very satisfied with the precision of [the instructor’s] answers to these questions.

[The instructor] has such passion for her craft that it became a spiritual experience when she passed on her knowledge to the group.”

Paul, October 24, 2020

“I have to admit that before the class, I thought flash fiction was ‘too fancy’ for me, somehow. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much fun it actually was. I walked away from the workshop with a better and a deeper appreciation for the genre and its many forms. In the coming days, I’ll go back to the handout material, to fully appreciate the depth of my discoveries.

I have been to a lot of workshops and worked with a lot of mentors/writing instructors in my ten years of writing. This workshop is definitely in my top three.”

Natalia, October 24, 2020

“Writers who do short shorts need to be especially bold. They stake everything on a stroke of inventiveness.”

– Irving Howe

Flash Fiction (online)