Thirty Days of Flash Memoir 

Transform your personal experiences into art, by exploring memory, identity, and the moments that shape us. Memoir and autobiographical writing allows us to capture moments, reflect on our experiences, and shape our personal histories into compelling narratives. Each day, we’ll do short readings and exercises designed to loosen us up, access our creativity and writing voice, and jumpstart a writing practice. You will emerge from the class with a portfolio of autobiographical vignettes (also known as flash essays or flash memoir pieces). You can use the writing in the class as material toward longer essays or simply as a way to reconnect with creative flow. And, of course, you could also polish up some of the pieces and send them off to literary magazines as flash memoir.

In this asynchronous workshop, we will aim to write every day. We’ll spread out the writing over six weeks, with six weekly lessons that include five prompts each. We will read prose poems, essays, and excerpts from memoirs. Some of the authors we’ll read include Eudora Welty, Jo Ann Beard, Jamaica Kincaid, Paul Auster, Anne Carson, Lydia Davis, Dorothy Allison, and Joe Brainard.

I’ll offer in-depth feedback on one of your pieces per week, plus ongoing reflections and encouragement on your writing throughout the week. I also encourage you to give and receive peer feedback on your daily submissions. Additionally, at the end of the course, you’ll have the option to submit a few polished vignettes for additional feedback and guidance. With a dynamic mix of readings, prompts, and community support, this workshop is sure to spark new creative connections and deepen your writing practice!

Who This Course is For

This course is for writers looking to jumpstart or reinvigorate their creative practice through daily writing, short exercises, and peer engagement. Whether you’re interested in generating new material for longer essays, crafting standalone flash memoir pieces, or simply reconnecting with your writing voice, this class provides structure, inspiration, and community. Ideal for both beginners and experienced writers, this workshop offers a low-pressure yet productive environment to explore personal storytelling.

Learning and Writing Goals

Learning Goals

In this course, you will learn to:

• Identify how other writers have approached flash memoir.
• Experiment with strategies for approaching your own biographical material, and form new connections between disparate experiences.
• Experience and contribute to a rich and supportive community of writers who are finding meaning through reading, writing, and discussion.

Writing Goals

In this course, you will: 

• Produce short life-inspired vignettes in response to five writing exercises per week, which can be polished into standalone pieces of flash memoir or form the seeds of longer pieces, if you like.
• Gain practice in offering critiques to peers.
• Have the option of producing a short final portfolio of vignettes for instructor feedback.

Course Setup

• Every Monday for six weeks, you’ll receive a lesson that includes tips about craft elements and the writing process, short readings to inspire you, and five writing prompts. Over the course of the week, you’ll select the prompts you wish to respond to and post your work to me and your fellow classmates. Posting is encouraged, but not required.
• If you’d like me to comment on one of your pieces each week, please plan to post your work at least three times a week, and leave feedback on at least one of your classmate’s posts. 
• At the end of the course, you’ll have the option to send me up to three polished vignette drafts to receive more detailed feedback and direction.

Click the Enroll Now button below, enter your details on the Checkout page,
and reserve your spot in the course.

$395.00 Original price was: $395.00.$340.00Current price is: $340.00.Enroll Now