Short course
Flash Fiction Workshop
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Location:
Online
Dates:
16/09/2026 - 25/11/2026
Study format:
Online - live
Fees:
£430.00
Flash fiction has earned its place in the wider world of literature. It is an agile, innovative form with a richness that brings benefits to both reader and writer – ideal for new and experienced writers alike.
This hands-on workshop will engage you in weekly writing and critique. You will hone your technique, develop skills, and make a robust start in creating a portfolio of new work.
Prerecorded weekly lectures will explore fundamentals – such as narrative style, word choice, structure, point of view and editing – and investigate how these building blocks can be different in Flash to other forms of writing.
We'll undertake weekly writing exercises and engage in close readings of published works, exploring different styles and structures, and new techniques to try. Our weekly webinars will be used primarily for constructive group discussion of students' written works.
You may be entirely new to writing – in which case, flash fiction is an excellent place to begin. Those already writing regularly will likely find that exploring flash fiction benefits their craft as poets, novelists, memoirists or writers of short stories.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Programme details
This course begins on the 16 Sep 2026, which is when the course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting, which will be held on 23 Sep 2026, 19:30-20:30 (UK time).
Week 1: The art of brevity – starting points
Week 2: Settings, characters, plots
Week 3*: Two-hour live session for workshopping
Week 4: Language and specificity; seeing your world through other lenses
Week 5: Form and Structure
Week 6: Narration and dialogue
Week 7: Beginnings and endings
Week 8*: Two-hour live session for workshopping
Week 9: Delete or develop – the fine comb of editing
Week 10: How and where? Strategies for getting your flash fiction published.
*Week 3 and week 8 will be two-hour webinar sessions to allow us an expanded time for sharing work, receiving feedback from fellow participants and the tutor. Each of these sessions will begin at the scheduled time and run for two hours rather than one. There will be no prerecorded lecture for these weeks.
Level and demands
This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.
This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.
English Language Requirements
We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.
Course aims
- To introduce flash fiction to new and experienced writers alike, and to enable them to incorporate flash fiction techniques into their creative practice.
- To encourage creativity and experimentation in creative-writing practice.
- To develop good critical reading habits.
- To encourage participation in discussion and debates about writing.
IT requirements
Any standard web browser can be used to access course materials on our virtual learning environment, but we recommend Google Chrome. We also recommend that students join the live webinars on Microsoft Teams using a laptop or desktop computer rather than a phone or tablet due to the limited functionality of the app on these devices. Students will need a reliable internet connection and a computer that meets our recommended minimum computer specification.
Programme details
This course begins on the 16 Sep 2026, which is when the course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting, which will be held on 23 Sep 2026, 19:30-20:30 (UK time).
Week 1: The art of brevity – starting points
Week 2: Settings, characters, plots
Week 3*: Two-hour live session for workshopping
Week 4: Language and specificity; seeing your world through other lenses
Week 5: Form and Structure
Week 6: Narration and dialogue
Week 7: Beginnings and endings
Week 8*: Two-hour live session for workshopping
Week 9: Delete or develop – the fine comb of editing
Week 10: How and where? Strategies for getting your flash fiction published.
*Week 3 and week 8 will be two-hour webinar sessions to allow us an expanded time for sharing work, receiving feedback from fellow participants and the tutor. Each of these sessions will begin at the scheduled time and run for two hours rather than one. There will be no prerecorded lecture for these weeks.
Teaching methods
- Close-reading and discussion of set texts.
- Group discussion and analysis in the classroom.
- Directed writing tasks.
- Sharing of work and group discussion.
This course takes place over 10 weeks, with a weekly learning schedule and weekly live webinar held on Microsoft Teams. Shortly before a course commences, students are provided with access to an online virtual learning environment, which houses the course content, including video lectures, complemented by readings or other study materials. Any standard web browser can be used to access these materials, but we recommend Google Chrome. Working through these materials over the course of the week will prepare students for a weekly 1-hour live webinar you will share with your expert tutor and fellow students. All courses are structured to amount to 100 study hours, so that on average, you should set aside 10 hours a week for study. Although the course finishes after 10 weeks, all learning materials remain available to all students for 12 months after the course has finished.
All courses are led by an expert tutor. Tutors guide students through the course materials as part of the live interactions during the weekly webinars. Tutors will also provide individualised feedback on your assignments. All online courses are taught in small student cohorts so that you and your peers will form a mutually supportive and vibrant learning community for the duration of the course. You will learn from your fellow students as well as from your tutor, and they will learn from you.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be expected to:
- respond to different forms of flash fiction with growing confidence and understanding;
- be able to write flash fiction in a manner which engages and sustains the interest of the reader;
- apply techniques learnt in the class across a broader practice of writing;
- understand how and where to submit their written work.
Assessment methods
You will be set a portfolio of up to five pieces of work to complete over the duration of the course, one or more of which might be submitted for the purposes of feedback only and will not count towards your final outcome. The other pieces will be submitted for formal assessment at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Gail Anderson
Gail Anderson is a writer of short forms: flash fiction, short story, creative non-fiction and poetry. Recent writing has taken first prize in the Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction, Reflex Fiction, The Writers’ Bureau, Winchester Writers’ Festival, and the Scottish Arts Trust Story Awards. Twice shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, and three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, her work appears in journals such as Ambit, Mslexia, Popshot and The Southampton Review.
Assessment methods
You will be set a portfolio of up to five pieces of work to complete over the duration of the course, one or more of which might be submitted for the purposes of feedback only and will not count towards your final outcome. The other pieces will be submitted for formal assessment at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Level and demands
This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.
This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.
English Language Requirements
We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £430.00 |
Module code: O26P747CRZ
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.
