Ariel Katz

This course focuses on writing and reading *very* short fiction. Together, we’ll investigate the following questions: what can a story accomplish in a single page? In a single paragraph? How can we, as writers, create character, place, plot, or voice in such a compressed form? What techniques are helpful for drafting and revising a super-short story? How does contemporary “flash fiction” or "micro fiction" relate to older forms—like the fable—and other genres, like poetry? What makes a piece of very short prose a "story" at all? Each week, we will workshop participants' fiction and do writing exercises to learn about this form. We’ll also read a range of published flash fiction from a craft perspective. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have written and received feedback on at least one very short story (under 2,000 words). The course will conclude with a discussion of strategies for submitting very short fiction to literary magazines.