In this 3-week class, we'll go from blank pages to three completed flash memoir drafts! Flash memoirs can stand on their own, or they help us bring depth and immediacy to our longer memoir projects as well. Writing flash memoirs can help us dig deeper into scenic work, imbue our settings and character descriptions with more heart and backstory, and find instant gratification as a break from the slog of writing longer works! Flash memoirs can be very inspirational.

Every week, we'll each draft a new flash memoir, and focus on specific craft elements of successful memoir and flash writing. In Week 1, we'll focus on mining a memory for its captivating sensory details; in Week 2, we'll dig into creating compelling characters from real people; and in Week 3, we'll consider how story and themes can be imbued in setting and objects. In analyzing, drafting, and revising flash memoirs, we'll dig into the heart of every story and consider the most important craft elements of any successful memoir, regardless of length.

Students will have the opportunity to workshop at least one of their flash memoirs, with our whole class offering encouraging and constructive feedback. We'll also discuss where and how to submit flash memoirs, and how a great flash idea can be expanded into a longer work or add depth to an existing memoir project. Students will leave class armed with several completed flash memoirs and ideas for deploying these writing techniques in the future.

Class Takeaways:

- Learn about how crafting flash memoir compresses a story into a short, intense, immersive experience.

- Produce three flash memoir pieces, to revise and submit or expand into longer works.

- Get workshop feedback, learn revision strategies, and prepare to submit short works for publication.
- Generate new writing and get inspired!

About the Instructor

Kim Liao is the author of the forthcoming hybrid memoir Where Every Ghost Has a Name: A Memoir of Taiwanese Independence, coming soon in Fall 2024. Her creative nonfiction, fiction, and criticism have appeared in The New York Times, Catapult, Salon, The Rumpus, Lit Hub, McSweeney’s, The Millions, River Teeth, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Fourth River, Hippocampus, Fringe Magazine, and others. Her 2016 essay in Lit Hub about collecting 100 rejections a year went viral--starting the #100rejections challenge--and led to her being dubbed a "Rejection Expert," a title she wears with a healthy dose of irony.

Student Testimonials

"Kim Liao is an indispensable source of knowledge about both craft and industry practice. In addition to her knack for poignant feedback, she is also incredibly warm and thoughtful. Her ability to remain sensitive to the writer's goals makes her one of the best writing teachers I've ever had.

Most importantly, Kim Liao has an impressive knack for reframing writing obstacles in a way that makes the process much more doable than it seems when you're buried in the drafts. She's a guiding light for all those moments when writing by yourself keeps you in the weeds." -- T, former student

Capturing a Memory in a Moment: Writing Flash Memoir in 3 Sessions with Kim Liao