The Writers Studio

Flash fiction? Prose poem? Proem? Short-Short? Vignette? Whatever approach you take, the brief 500-words or-less prose piece is a fun, rewarding way to experiment with a vast array of narrators, techniques and formats.

This survey class offers an overview of short prose writing. For six weeks, you will sample prose poems, creative nonfiction, flash memoirs, and flash and micro fictions. This mixed-genre class is open to fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, poets—anyone who wants to take on the joys and challenges of short-form prose writing. All levels welcome, whether you are a novice writer or long-time Writers Studio member.

Each week, the teacher chooses an exercise or reading from a variety of authors and offers instruction and guidelines for the week’s exercise and craft information about the genre. You then write a short, complete prose piece modeled on the writer’s example and technique and then receive feedback from your fellow classmates and offer feedback to them as well. You will explore the differences and similarities among flash fiction stories, prose poems and vignettes, etc. During the workshop’s final week, you will either pick one of your favorite exercises to revise under the teacher’s direction, or write an optional new exercise.