Flash Stories: Brevity and Echo in Writing

with Vasilis Manousakis

June 19, 2023 • 2 week master class

Online
Meet online at Scribophile and via instructor-led Zoom video chat

Perfect for
Fiction writers of any skill level

Small class size • Seats are limited

Over the past decade flash fiction has blossomed into its own hugely popular and unique genre, distinct from the classic short story. But compressing power and meaning into just a few hundred words can be exacting work that requires careful study of the form and knowledge of how to precisely craft phrases and sentences for maximum impact.

Join acclaimed writer and teacher Dr. Vasilis Manousakis as he teaches you the exquisite craft of flash fiction in just two short weeks. You’ll work with Vasilis as he introduces you to the form, and as he teaches you the methods and techniques that will help you develop your flash fiction writing skills.

You’ll cover conciseness, brevity, implication, how to write sentences that leave an echo for the reader, and more, so that you can become a thoughtful artisan of flash fiction. Participate in text-based discussion on Scribophile, plus live Zoom calls with Vasilis and your classmates, as you work through the material. Complete exercises and get personal feedback from Vasilis to make sure you’re understanding the nuances of flash writing.

Writers of any skill level are welcome. By the end of the class, you’ll have a broad understanding of this demanding form, and how to apply its techniques to not just your flash writing, but all of your other writing too!

Some of Vasilis’s career highlights

Barcelona Ink Drunken Boat Hayden’s Ferry Review Literary Bistro Literary Encyclopedia New American Writing National Library of Greece Parenthesis

What you’ll learn

After you finish this class, you’ll:

  • Understand and be able to recognize the structure of flash fiction stories.

  • Be able to narrate full stories in brief.

  • Know how to condense sentences to maximize their impact.

  • Learn techniques to work within tight word limits.

  • Gain the skill to focus on the main events of a narrative.

  • Have explored the limits of language and what just a few words can achieve.

  • Class outline

    • Week One: The elements of flash fiction

    • Week Two: Reading and analysis of flash fiction, exercises, and feedback

    Student praise for Vasilis Manousakis

    The assignments were varied, a nice challenge, and the group feedback lively. Vasilis creates a warm, friendly atmosphere conducive to a relaxed exchange of ideas between writers.

    The workshop presented many opportunities to practice writing flash fiction, which was great. I liked that we were not bogged down with reading but were still given many references, suggestions, and examples. Instead, we wrote. And the reading we did focus on was the writing we each wrote. I liked the way we took the time each week to discuss what people had written the week before. I enjoyed the challenge of having a different flash to write each week. But I benefited also from classmate feedback.

    I have submitted two pieces I wrote in this class. I’m thinking about submitting others. Writing flash fiction is now one of my goals.

    Thanks very much to Vasilis!! I love his comparison of flash fiction to bonsai! He described flash fiction’s components extremely well. This was a fun class!!

    The feedback I received in the workshop was very helpful. I’ve had trouble finding constructive feedback and receiving that from the instructor and participants was great. I also liked that it was in real time. I’ve taken some online writing workshops that were good, but didn’t have real time discussions where we could build on and bounce off of other participants’ ideas, and that was important for me. Vasilis gave us a good mix of examples, theory and discussion and kept us on track while allowing for meaningful tangents. And he encouraged us to interact with each other outside of class via email, which was another plus.

    Zoom schedule

    Along with these Zoom calls, you’ll also spend time taking in lectures and chatting on Scribophile over the course of the class. All Zoom calls are recorded, so if you miss one you can review it later.

    • Friday June 23, 2023 12:00pm US Central time — 1 hour

    • Friday June 30, 2023 12:00pm US Central time — 1 hour

    How this workshop works

    This class is conducted entirely online, on Scribophile and via Zoom videoconference. Participate from anywhere in the world!

    You’ll join the instructor and your fellow students in a private group hosted on Scribophile. Take in reading and assignments at your own speed, and discuss them with the instructor and your classmates in the online class discussion forum.

    You’ll also participate in Zoom videoconferences with the instructor and your classmates so you can get live lessons and insights, and ask questions in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Videoconferences will be recorded, so you can review them later if you missed them.

    Questions about this class?

    We’re happy to answer any questions you might have!

    About Vasilis Manousakis

    Vasilis Manousakis

    Dr. Vasilis Manousakis is a short story writer, poet, and translator, whose work has appeared in New American Writing, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Barcelona Ink, Parentheses, and Drunken Boat, among others. He writes reviews and translates poetry and short stories for literary magazines and e-zines. He has been one of the founding members of Bonsai Stories, the blog directly linked to Planodion literary magazine. The blog is dedicated to flash fiction and work from many well-known writers from Greece, the United States, and other countries has appeared there. These flash stories have been collected in two printed volumes so far, and a special tribute to 9/11 stories has appeared in a third volume, in which Vasilis was on the editorial committee. He holds a Ph.D. in Contemporary American Poetry and currently teaches creative writing, modern poetry, short fiction and audiovisual translation. He is a faculty member of the New York Writers’ Workshop. His focus on the human thought and behavior in his writings has led him to a Master’s Program in Mental Health Counseling, and he holds individual and group sessions with clients, specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy and narrative therapy.

    Other workshops starting soon

June 19, 2023
2 week master class

Small class size
Seats are limited

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