with Liz Matthews
 
"“With a limited number of words at the writer’s disposal, flash lends itself well to playfulness, form-bending, risk-taking. And the results are thrilling, But the flash story still needs to “work” on some level, right? Absent a template or hard rules, what marks a successful short short?” -Kathy Fish
 
We are defining flash fiction as a narrative told in 1,000 words or less. In flash fiction, writers are forced to question the importance of every word and become attuned to language on the sentence level. In this class, we'll build off of the foundations of flash—establishing strong beginnings, pacing, emotion and strong endings—and focus on how to best use metaphor and other poetic techniques. There is room to experiment and take more risks with prose told in 1,000 words or less. The workshop will also cover prose poems, micros and hermit crab fiction/nonfiction. Each week, we’ll study examples of well-known writers including Lydia Davis, Amy Hempel, Grace Paley (among others), as well as newer writers of this form such Kathy Fish and Tommy Dean. In between workshops, you’ll also receive unique writing prompts and more stories for continual inspiration and support.
 
In this class, you can expect:·
A warm, supportive environment.
Weekly craft-focused lessons.
Supportive and constructive feedback from the group.
Inspiration for new stories techniques for how to revise drafts.
Guidance about the writer’s life – including thoughts on how to get unstuck, deal with rejection, and how to silence the critic.
 
Optional: Want an extra hour of one-on-one attention?
Liz will provide written feedback on either part of a manuscript OR to help advise with the submission process for a total of an extra hour of consultation time. Please choose this option in the drop-down menu when purchasing this workshop. This extra time will be scheduled directly with the instructor.
 
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WHERE:
Online via ZOOM
(link will be sent the week of 1st class)
DATES:
4 Tuesdays
Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22
TIME:
7pm to 9pm EST
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LIMITED TO 7 STUDENTS
 
 
About the Instructor...
Liz Matthews is a writer and editor who received her M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts (2008) and M.A. in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Liz began her professional career in publishing, both at a literary agency and as an Editorial Assistant at Random House before teaching middle and high scfhool English at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in Quality Women’s Fiction, Town & Country, Literary Mama, Brain Child, Mothers Always Write, The Rumpus, and Big Fiction Little Truths, among other places. She co-coordinates our Pitch & Publish Conference with Julie Sarkissian.