Award-winning author Libby Cudmore has been teaching at The Writers Circle since 2018. Her virtual class on short stories and flash fiction always gets rave reviews. But what exactly is flash fiction? And why should every writer give it a try?
Here’s what Libby told us, in under 100 words, of course!
“Flash fiction s a great place to experiment with form, voice, and to fully explore the expanse of what a story can be. From stories inside of grocery lists to fairy tale retellings, from second-person narratives to the folding of time and memory, flash invites the writer to stretch beyond tradition, beyond their comfort zone. Writing in flash can also teach writers of all genres how to self-edit and distill the beauty of sentences. Where does a story begin, and where is the molten-hot center? What must be said, and what can remain unheard?”
Perhaps the best know flash fiction is the famous six word story attributed to Ernest Hemingway: For Sale: baby shoes, never worn. But flash fiction is so much more. Consider masters like MacArthur Fellow and Man Booker International Prize winner Lydia Davis.
Flash fiction teaches writers to pare down their words to the most incisive and necessary. It focuses on efficiency and the power of a single image to tell a larger tale. There’s so much to learn, even if you plan on writing novels.
Want to give flash a try? Start your short-form journey with Libby’s spring workshop beginning April 22.
- “This class helped me start writing again!”
- “Libby was very informative and covered a wide range of short fiction genres and styles…. The majority of class time was devoted to writing which was great.”
- “It’s a real hands-on workshop, where we wrote in class and outside class. Great discussions, too!”
