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Short of time to write? Only one piece of paper? Flash fiction, or the short-short story, is a popular form among writers from Borges to Brookmyre. A flash story can be completed in an hour but offers different challenges and new opportunities for publication or performance. Suitable for beginning to intermediate writers. New students welcome.
The course will accommodate both newcomers to fiction and experienced writers trying flash fiction as a new form.
1. Cold starts. Finding inspiration when none seems available.
2. Defeating stereotypes. Simple techniques to craft memorable characters.
3. Dialogue. The use of direct speech in flash fiction.
4. Style and the narrator. Using narrative voice to suggest character.
5. Project motivation. A flash fiction challenge to the entire class.
6. Criticism. Accepting and using the opinions of a workshop group.
7. Prose style. Techniques to polish completed stories.
8. Marketing. Where and how to get flash fiction published.
9. Project assembly. Creating something larger from very short stories.
10. Conclusions. Bringing the syllabus together and looking forward.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Identify the opportunities and challenges of flash fiction;
Build confidence in their own writing;
Create works of flash fiction in a supportive environment;
Experiment with story structure, tone, mood and narrative voice.
Each week students will receive a handout summarising the key issues explored during that week, with suggested reading and a potential market for their stories. The final handout contains a comprehensive reading list to encourage students to take their writing further.
If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.
If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.