Starts on Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Tuesdays, 7:00-9:00 PM EST

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.

Instructor Bio

Instructor Sarah Van Arsdale is a fiction writer, poet, and artist living in New York and Oaxaca, Mexico. Her seventh book, an illustrated poem titled Catch and Release, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2024; her sixth, a poetry chapbook titled Taken, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2021. Her first book, a novel titled Toward Amnesia, was published by Riverhead Books in 1995. She is the author of three other books of fiction: Blue, winner of the Peter Taylor Prize for the novel (2003 University of Tennessee Press); Grand Isle (SUNY Press, 2012) and a novella collection, In Case of Emergency, Break Glass (Queens Ferry Press, 2016), and one other illustrated poem, The Catamount (Nomadic Press, 2016). She's the assistant director of the Ferro-Grumley Award in LGBTQ Fiction, and she's taught creative writing extensively, most recently in the low-residency MFA program at Antioch University. 

Who is this class for?

Open to all levels of experience, this online writing workshop is designed for anyone who wants a fresh look at short memoir by using visual illustration. Whether you're new to creative nonfiction or an experienced memoir writer seeking innovative approaches, this class welcomes you.

What to expect:

The sky's the limit in illustrating your flash memoir: photos, altered photos, ticket stubs, receipts—there are plentiful ways to add a new dimension that will support and deepen the writing that go way beyond drawing. In this creative writing workshop, we'll start with writing a short memoir piece—a vignette from your life that marks a turning point, or an epiphany, or that captures your life at a particular point.

In the workshop, we'll form that into a work of flash memoir, using the elements of craft, such as setting, dialogue, and narrative structure, all the while expanding our definition of illustration. No artistic experience is required for this online writing class; illustration can take many forms, from family photographs to digital collages to collections of meaningful objects.

The final classes will focus on the illustrations, finding them and honing them, so that you leave the class with an illustrated little jewel box of a memoir.

Throughout this nonfiction workshop, you'll receive supportive feedback on both your writing and visual elements as you develop your unique creative voice.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will create one complete illustrated flash memoir piece. Students will leave the course with a flash memoir piece illustrated with photos, drawings, memorabilia, or short film. Students will receive instructor feedback on both the writing and the visual illustration throughout the course.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1: Freewriting, discussion of what memoir is, basics of narrative writing, basics of illustration

Week 2: Discuss students' flash memoir drafts, brainstorm ideas about illustration

Week 3: Workshop students' second drafts, workshop illustrations

Week 4: Finer points of narrative writing based on student work; finer points of illustration

Week 5: Workshop penultimate drafts of writing and illustration

Week 6: Presentation of final drafts and final comments

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Master techniques for condensing life experience into compelling flash memoir
• Develop skills to create lively, engaging narrative in short form
• Learn innovative methods to illustrate memoir with visuals, photos, and mixed media
• Complete one fully realized illustrated flash memoir piece
• Gain confidence in combining visual and written storytelling
• Expand your creative toolkit with multimodal memoir approaches

TESTIMONIALS:

Sarah Van Arsdale has an uncanny ability to illuminate craft issues in exciting, accessible ways. When she talks about setting, for example, it’s literally possible to picture new ways to incorporate this element into our stories. When she discusses point of view, the camera lens zooms in and pans out. Character development and I interrogate my protagonist in deeper ways. I am always awed by the breadth and scope of her literary knowledge. No matter the subject, she always has a perfect quote or example to illustrate. -Sion Dayton, prize-winning author of AS A RIVER

Sarah Van Arsdale is amazingly thoughtful, supportive, and rigorous. My writing improved immensely under her expert eye, and no matter how vulnerable I felt about the work I shared with her, I always knew she was on my side. -Gabriella Souza, writer and editor, winner of the 2020 San Miguel Writers' Conference Writing Contest

Sarah Van Arsdale is that remarkable person who teaches fiction as well as she writes it. From the start of my time as her student, I knew I was in capable hands—she is a role model as an author, a tactful critic as a teacher, and a skilled mentor for those of us starting out and daring to navigate the stormy seas of publishing today. -John Treat, author of FIRST CONSONANTS

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $445 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

• Instructor: Sarah Van Arsdale
• Begins Tuesday, February 10, 2026
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Tuesdays, 7:00-9:00 PM EST
• Tuition is $445 USD