1 Flash Month
Signup for the pilot of 1 Flash Month, a four week block of playful online workshops focusing on getting one story finished over the course of a month.
Who's it for?
Anyone finding it difficult to finish a piece of flash fiction for what ever reason - life's making it hard to focus, EVERYTHING is a distraction, you've lost your writing mojo, you'd really like some feedback. Maybe you have one of those stories that just won't bend into a nice shiny, flashy shape, or perhaps you're a 'slow' writer hoping to change up a gear, hello👋🏼 OR, maybe you just fancy some writerly company.
Skill Level
The workshops are open to all levels. Absolute beginners are welcome.
Structure
Week 1: Hello
This first session we'll use to get to know each other. There will be chat, daft writing games and a chance to talk about the stories we've brought with us to work on.
Week 2: What's It All About?
We'll be summing-up, and stretching out, looking at what's going on in our stories, and thinking about what it is we're trying to say with them. Is there something missing? Something that's not quite clear?
Weeks 3: Beginning and Ending
This week we'll be focusing on the first and last sentences of our stories. Is the opening line of our story drawing people in? Is our last sentence leaving our readers satisfied, curious, confused? This session's exercises will involve cutting and pasting, swapping, sticking and rearranging.
Week 4: Title
Are our story titles doing what we want them to do? Do we know what we want them to do? Could they do more? Exercises in this session will look at different ways we can use titles in our writing process.
What to Bring?
Please bring one flash that you're working on to the workshops. Ideally, it should be something in the early drafting stages so that you have more to work with. 1,000 words max, please.
Dates
March 2, 9, 16, 23
Times
Wednesdays 19:30 - 21:30 GMT
Cost
£20 one-off pilot price
This is the first outing for 1 Flash Month so I have kept the price low and participants will have the opportunity to offer feedback at the end.
Places Available
The group is kept small to ensure that everyone is able to give and receive feedback.
Price
Special pilot price £20
There is one paid place left.
Who's it for?
Anyone finding it difficult to finish a piece of flash fiction for what ever reason - life's making it hard to focus, EVERYTHING is a distraction, you've lost your writing mojo, you'd really like some feedback. Maybe you have one of those stories that just won't bend into a nice shiny, flashy shape, or perhaps you're a 'slow' writer hoping to change up a gear, hello👋🏼 OR, maybe you just fancy some writerly company.
Skill Level
The workshops are open to all levels. Absolute beginners are welcome.
Structure
- Four, weekly, two-hour sessions on Google Meet
- During weeks two, three and four two members of group will read their flash and receive feedback
- As well as the online sessions, there will be an asynchronous element to the course hosted on the online community platform Mighty Networks. Here participants will be able to share the story that they are working on with the option to receive ongoing feedback
- Monday - Friday via Mighty Networks there will be optional writing exercises designed to help you look at your draft with fresh eyes
- At the end of the month a list of Flash Fiction recourses, including courses, workshops and submission listings will be posted on Mighty Networks
Week 1: Hello
This first session we'll use to get to know each other. There will be chat, daft writing games and a chance to talk about the stories we've brought with us to work on.
Week 2: What's It All About?
We'll be summing-up, and stretching out, looking at what's going on in our stories, and thinking about what it is we're trying to say with them. Is there something missing? Something that's not quite clear?
Weeks 3: Beginning and Ending
This week we'll be focusing on the first and last sentences of our stories. Is the opening line of our story drawing people in? Is our last sentence leaving our readers satisfied, curious, confused? This session's exercises will involve cutting and pasting, swapping, sticking and rearranging.
Week 4: Title
Are our story titles doing what we want them to do? Do we know what we want them to do? Could they do more? Exercises in this session will look at different ways we can use titles in our writing process.
What to Bring?
Please bring one flash that you're working on to the workshops. Ideally, it should be something in the early drafting stages so that you have more to work with. 1,000 words max, please.
Dates
March 2, 9, 16, 23
Times
Wednesdays 19:30 - 21:30 GMT
Cost
£20 one-off pilot price
This is the first outing for 1 Flash Month so I have kept the price low and participants will have the opportunity to offer feedback at the end.
Places Available
The group is kept small to ensure that everyone is able to give and receive feedback.
Price
Special pilot price £20
There is one paid place left.
About Me
I have a background in Fine Arts. My previous workshop experience includes running 'creative speed dating' sessions for collaborating artists and poets, drawing/writing games in an empty swimming pool and art exchanges in an apple orchard.
I started writing Flash Fiction five years ago. My stories have been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and Bath Flash Fiction Award, nominated for Best of the Net and a Pushcart Prize. You can find my stories in Ellipsis Zine, Janus Literary, Molotov Cocktail and Reflex Fiction among others.
If you'd like to sign up for 1 Flash Month April please join my mailing list to find out when booking opens.
Recommendations
'Anika provides exactly the kind of feedback that you, as a writer, want. She knows when the individual elements of a flash - voice, character, structure, tone, title, language, imagery, and so on - are working, contributing towards creating a more resonant and effective piece, pinpointing why, and celebrating these with enthusiasm and warmth. But, more importantly, she's able to pinpoint when the ingredients of a flash aren't mixing together as they perhaps should, and is able to offer invaluable insights and suggestions on how these could be improved. Furthermore, she understands that good, constructive feedback is a dialogue, helping you move closer to telling the story you want to tell. All writers would benefit from the encouragement and close reading that Anika offers.,
James Montgomery
You can find James' work online at Janus Literary, Truffle Magazine, Comma Press, Hungry Ghost and Ellipsis Zine
'Anika has a unique imagination that equips her to offer insightful as well as practical feedback on creative writing. From questions that help me dig deeper into my subject to suggestions on areas that could be highlighted or stripped back, she helps me get closer to the story I’m trying to tell and produce work I can believe in, with a level of positivity that makes it a really heartening and enjoyable editing process.'
Judy Darley, author of 'The Stairs are a Snowcapped Mountain’, 'Sky Light Rain’ and ‘Remember Me To The Bees’.
James Montgomery
You can find James' work online at Janus Literary, Truffle Magazine, Comma Press, Hungry Ghost and Ellipsis Zine
'Anika has a unique imagination that equips her to offer insightful as well as practical feedback on creative writing. From questions that help me dig deeper into my subject to suggestions on areas that could be highlighted or stripped back, she helps me get closer to the story I’m trying to tell and produce work I can believe in, with a level of positivity that makes it a really heartening and enjoyable editing process.'
Judy Darley, author of 'The Stairs are a Snowcapped Mountain’, 'Sky Light Rain’ and ‘Remember Me To The Bees’.