Flash fiction is a genre of writing defined by its short length.
Don't let the length fool you, though! You still have to pack in a beginning, middle, and end. You still have to bring your characters to life!
Can you do it in just 350 words? What about 250? What about 100?!
In this club, we'll meet weekly to share our flash fiction projects, learn some techniques, and workshop each other's stories.
We will also use the website Write Like to play flash fiction games and for learners to access optional lessons on their writing outside of class.
Meet Live Weekly
This is a live class, which means we meet weekly to discuss the reading and explore writing tips. Learners can also interact with each other and the instructor between class meetings on our class discussion boards.
Provided materials include reading guides and activities to help with vocabulary and comprehension as well as writing tips to apply to short, informal writing assignments.
Class Details
Age Range: 11-16
Class Size: 3-10 Learners
Schedule:
Class meets live weekly from May 30-July 25 on Thursdays at 12-12:45pm Eastern.
(Note: There is no class on July 4.)
Supplies:
To participate successfully in class, learners will need the following:
- Microphone and camera for in-class participation
- PDF Reader
- Zoom (free account)
- Learners will submit work through Google Drive (a Google (Gmail) account can be acquired for free)
- (Optional) WriteLike account (free)
Time Commitment
Class meets for 45 minutes each week for 4 weeks.
How much time students spend outside of class is really up to them! Each week will be open for sharing, so writers may want to work on stories between class. There will also be a discussion board where they can share their own drafts and help classmates by commenting on their work in progress.
Note on Rigor and Academic Expectations
Since this is a "club," it will be less formal than a writing class. The instructor will participate in the feedback sessions throughout the class, but writers will not have formal assignments or graded work. It's more about sharing and workshopping! I will also adjust class experience based on learner input, so each class may look a little different depending on what participants want to do!
Meet Dr. Michelle Parrinello-Cason
Dr. Michelle Parrinello-Cason is the founder of Dayla Learning. She has a PhD in rhetoric and composition, a passion for helping students find their writing voice, and two homeschooling children of her own.
Michelle has taught in a wide variety of settings including six years as a full-time college professor. She has been teaching virtual and in-person homeschool writing and humanities classes for more than five years.
Michelle believes in meeting students where they are and — as any of her previous students will tell you — believes deeply that there is no such thing as a bad rough draft!
Is this the right fit for your learner?
This class is designed to be accessible to a range of students, and writers are invited to workshop their writing at any stage!
This class is a good fit for both middle and high school learners who want to practice flash fiction in a supportive environment.
Skills Gained
Learners will gain writing skills in narrative fiction, concision, dialogue, character development, description, and word choice.
They will also practice providing appropriate and constructive feedback to peers.
Content Note
Writers will be asked to avoid submitting work that contains excessive violence, sexual content, or is otherwise inappropriate for a mixed-age classroom setting.
Writers will also be asked to provide individual content notes for their work to be respectful of their classmates' needs, and we will discuss how to craft meaningful content warnings that consider sensitivities.