Flash Creative Nonfiction: The Hidden Power of Form with Sarah Carson

Begins Monday, November 2, 2026

Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Mondays, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET

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Instructor Bio

Instructor Sarah Carson's poetry and other writing have appeared in The Rumpus, The Slowdown, Guernica, The Missouri Review, and The Christian Century, among others. She is the author of three full-length collections of poetry, including How to Baptize a Child in Flint, Michigan (Persea Books, 2022). She has been a recipient of, and a finalist for, grants and fellowships from Tin House, the Poetry Foundation, the Martha's Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, and the Michigan and Illinois Arts Councils. Born in Flint, Michigan, she now lives in East Lansing, where she is at work on a memoir about single motherhood, work, and the rules that govern the universe.

Who is this class for?

This online creative writing workshop is for writers at all levels — whether you're brand new to flash or looking for fresh strategies to generate new short work. You'll leave with three workshopped flash creative nonfiction pieces and concrete ideas for where they might get published.

What to expect:

This 4-week online writing class explores how form itself can become the spark for flash creative nonfiction — narratives you never saw coming. Each week, you'll experiment with a different short form (under 750 words), including The List, The Epistle, and the Hermit Crab, reading and discussing strong published examples before trying your own hand at the page.

As a practicing poet and flash nonfiction writer, Sarah brings both disciplines into the workshop, borrowing techniques from poetry to help you craft compact, resonant narratives that grab a reader by the heart. Each week you'll workshop a new piece with an eye toward publication, receiving feedback from both the instructor and your fellow writers.

Beyond the individual pieces, this creative writing workshop looks at how these small flashes can build toward a longer collection or larger creative project. The final session is devoted to publication strategies — where your little flashes might find an audience in the world.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will produce three flash creative nonfiction pieces, each under 750 words, working across three distinct forms: the list, the epistle, and the hermit crab/found form. Students submit one piece per week (up to 750 words) and receive feedback from both the instructor and classmates in workshops during Weeks 2, 3, and 4, leaving the course with revised work and a clear sense of where to submit it.

Readings

Readings will be provided in class. Texts may include excerpts from Family Resemblance: An Anthology and Exploration of 8 Hybrid Literary Genres; The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Flash Nonfiction; and journals such as Brevity, Booth, and The Cincinnati Review, among others.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1: Introduction to Flash Nonfiction and The List — An introduction to the use of craft in flash CNF and an overview of list-making as a generative exercise.

Week 2: The List Workshop, Introduction to Epistolary Flash — Students workshop their list exercises from Week 1; then we closely read examples of epistolary flash for the next week's assignment.

Week 3: Epistolary Workshop, Introduction to Hermit Crab/Found Forms — Students workshop their epistolary exercises from Week 2; then we closely read examples of hermit crab/found forms for the next week's assignment.

Week 4: Hermit Crab Workshop, Strategies for Publication — Students workshop their hermit crab/found essays from Week 3; then we end with a discussion of where these pieces might find an audience, both in journals and in larger collections.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Three workshopped flash creative nonfiction pieces, each under 750 words
• Hands-on experience writing across three forms: the list, the epistle, and the hermit crab/found form
• An understanding of how form can unlock memory and meaning in short nonfiction
• Techniques borrowed from poetry for crafting compact, emotionally resonant narratives
• Instructor and peer feedback on every piece submitted
• Concrete publication strategies and ideas for where to submit your work

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $330 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.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructor: Sarah Carson
• Begins Monday, November 2, 2026
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Mondays, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $330 USD.