From fragments to finished: learn the art of the flash essay.
Beautiful Fragments: Crafting the Flash Essay
A 3-week workshop for writers who want to turn everyday moments into short, finished, stunning nonfiction.
What this workshop helps you do
You’ve probably written short things before—journal entries, fragments, quick scenes, mini-memoir moments. But a flash essay isn’t just “short writing.” It’s a finished piece with shape and stakes, even when it’s only a page (or 100 words).
This workshop will help you:
- Find the pulse in your raw material
- Compress without flattening the meaning
- Build structure fast (so your piece feels whole, not like an excerpt)
- Revise toward impact—cleaner, sharper, more resonant
Who it’s for
A great fit for:
- Nonfiction writers / essayists who want tighter, punchier work
- Poets who want to explore hybrid/lyric nonfiction moves
- Fiction writers who want more compression, energy, and snap on the sentence level
- Any writer who loves experimenting and wants practical revision tools
- No polished draft required. Bring scraps. Bring notebooks. Bring the stuff you weren’t sure mattered.
What you’ll learn (and take home)
By the end of three Saturdays, you can expect:
- Hands-on practice with flash forms (hermit crab, lyric, braided, postcard, collage, and more)
- How to turn existing writing (journals/freewrites/fragments) into flash essays
- Tools for shape + structure in very short work
- “Short, shorter, micro”: strategies for writing an essay in 100 words
- Flash essay vs. prose poem: how to tell the difference (and why it matters)
- Multiple drafts—and at least a few finished flash essays
- A list of publications that accept flash essays
What happens in class
Each session blends:
- Craft discussion (what makes flash work on the page)
- Examples + form demos (so you can see the engine, not just admire the car)
- Prompt-driven writing time (directed, doable, and productive)
- Small-group workshop (supportive feedback aimed at revision and completion)
- You’ll get both: inspiration and a method.
The 3-week arc
Week 1 — Flash Fundamentals
What flash is (and what it isn’t)
Compression, clarity, and the “window” your piece opens
Draft new work + quick workshop feedback
Week 2 — Forms That Do Half the Work
Experiment with structured forms (postcard, collage, hermit crab, etc.)
How to create turns, tension, and endings in tight space
Drafting + workshop focused on shape
Week 3 — Micro + Revision + Next Steps
100-word essays: strategies that actually work
Revision tools for impact, precision, and resonance
Submission options: where flash lives in the wild
Workshop your drafts toward finished pieces
What to bring
Notebook or laptop
Optional: a few pages of past writing (journal entries, freewrites, fragments)
Willingness to draft, play, and revise in community
FAQ
Do I need to be a “nonfiction writer”?
Nope. If you write poems or fiction and want stronger compression and resonance, flash will treat you well.
Will I have finished pieces by the end?
You’ll leave with multiple drafts and a clear revision path. Many students finish at least a few flash essays during the class, depending on how much you revise between sessions.
Is this workshop critique-heavy?
It’s craft-forward and supportive. You’ll get feedback in small groups, focused on helping you shape drafts into complete flash essays—without workshopping you into oblivion.
Saturdays, May 16, May 23, May 30, 2026
10 am-12 pm
In-person at the Wordcrafters studio
436 Charnelton St. Ste 100
Eugene, OR 97401
Cost: $199
Pricing info: Our classes and events are priced at their actual cost to run.
If paying the full price would keep you from joining us, use the code ACCESS at checkout to reduce your registration amount by 20%—no questions asked. If you’re a Wordcrafters member, use code MEMBERACCESS.
If the full price is within your means, please leave the ACCESS code for those who truly need it.
If you’re able, you can add a donation during registration to support our scholarship fund.
Scholarship info: We want everyone to have access to our writing programs. If you need additional support, please complete our scholarship request form.
Wordcrafters members save 10% on this and other events and classes.
Click here to learn about becoming a Wordcrafter.
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
Masks are optional. Please stay home if you’re unwell with any upper respiratory illness.
Your instructor
Erica Goss (she/her) served as Poet Laureate of Los Gatos, CA from 2013-2016. In 2019, she won the Zocalo Poetry Prize. She is the author of Night Court, winner of the 2016 Lyrebird Award; Wild Place; and Vibrant Words: Ideas and Inspirations for Poets.
Recent work appears in Lake Effect, Atticus Review, Contrary, Convergence, Spillway, Cider Press Review, Eclectica, The Tishman Review, Tinderbox, The Red Wheelbarrow, and Main Street Rag, among others.
She is the founder of Girls’ Voices Matter, an arts education program for teen girls. Erica is the editor of Sticks & Stones, a monthly poetry newsletter. Please visit her at www.ericagoss.com.
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