ATTN: This event has been moved to April 19th at Noon NYC due to unavoidable circumstances.
We are often told that every word counts in flash fiction, but what about the spaces that vibrate between the words? One of the most compelling aspects of flash fiction is what remains unspoken, those moments where absence in the details create a tension and depth so intriguing, we can’t help but want to know why. These spaces urge us to zoom in, consider, and ask what this silence asks of us. This workshop will unravel how these unspoken spaces, gaps in narrative, and what we choose to remain unwritten can become compelling tools in flash fiction. Sometimes what we choose to remain silent can speak volumes above words, allowing readers to engage in a more intimate space, acting as witnesses. With exercises that explore and allow practice for depth and tension, we’ll also read and reflect on flash fiction writers from across the globe who are masters at using this silence to craft unforgettable narratives that echo far beyond their endings.
Date: April 19
Time: Noon NYC
Duration: 90 minutes
Zoom Link sent shortly after purchase and one day before the event as a reminder.
Hillary Leftwich is a multi-media writer and the author of Ghosts Are Just Strangers Who Know How to Knock (CCM Press, 2019 & Agape Editions, 2023), Aura (Future Tense Books, 2022), and Saint Dymphna’s Playbook (forthcoming from Limit Zero, 2025). She teaches creative writing, business writing, environmental writing and environmental storytelling at several universities, writing organizations, and nonprofits for adults, previously incarcerated and hospitalized youth, and unhoused populations. She centers her writing around themes of class struggle, the impact of disease, ritual, and the supernatural. On the outskirts of the writing world, she is a professional Tarot reader and death worker.
$29.00
The core workshop of SmokeLong Fitness is all in writing, so you can take part from anywhere at anytime. We are excited about creating a supportive, consistent and structured environment for flash writers to work on their craft in a community. We are thrilled and proud to say that our workshop participants have won, placed, or been listed in every major flash competition. Community works.