What is Flash Fiction?

A few years ago, I guest blogged at Cheek Teeth Blog about the defining characteristics of flash fiction. The post quickly went to the top of that sites hits, and soon thereafter became the first link listed on most Google searches pertaining to flash fiction. That URL has since been sold out and locked down, the post no longer available. But since that time, I’ve travelled and lectured on flash to various audiences across the country, refining my understanding of the form and–most notably–successful approaches to teaching flash. We learn by example: by seeing what works, what doesn’t work, and isolating the moment of creative decision that leads a story down either path. I teach to inspire and to help others isolate such moments in their own work, with the aspiration to empower writers to ultimately generate, revise, and coach themselves toward their own best work.I’m delighted to announce I’ll be teaching weekend and week-long courses at Interlochen College of Creative Arts on 4 occasions in 2015, the first of which is a very special weekend all about flash fiction, full scene, and how these skills can improve short stories and novels. Here’s the full schedule and course registration links, and the flyer is below. It’s winter, it’s up north, and it’ll be cold…but if you’re like me, you may find that a blanket of white, a quiet artful campus, and all the permission that darkness affords are a perfect chemical mix for writing. I hope some readers of The Writing Life blog will consider joining me: