A LIttle Lighting: Writing Flash Nonfiction

In this generative writing course, we’ll delve into the pleasure and potency of flash nonfiction. Defined as stand-alone nonfiction prose of less than 1000 words, flash nonfiction is an emerging form that seeks to capture life’s richness in a small space. It aligns in some ways with flash fiction and prose poetry, but it is also very much its own thing. We’ll discover what that means and where it can take us.

Our focus will be the creation of new work. We’ll try new approaches and take creative risks, and perhaps even catch a little lighting—the spark that ignites a great flash piece. Through short readings, discussions, and writing exercises, we’ll examine and practice essential elements of flash nonfiction. In group sharing, we’ll identify specific choices and notice what shines. Our goal for the week will be to produce fresh drafts of short, vivid flashes that can later be revised and polished. But our deeper purpose will be to play and experiment, discovering the possibilities of this exciting form.