These days, it seems like everyone – from tween/teen bloggers to seasoned New York Times best-selling authors – is writing about their lives. But what makes some stories more satisfying than others? And more to the point, how can you tell the difference between the kinds of personal stories people want to read and the ones they don’t?

In this class, you’ll learn the art of the personal essay through an in-depth, guided discussion of models by contemporary writers and exercises designed to help you craft a 500 word+ mini personal essay (also known as “flash” nonfiction) that you can use as the basis for (1) a more substantial essay (2500+ words), suitable for journal submission or (2) the seed for a book-length project.

The class is intended for writers of all levels, from beginner to advanced, and will explore how to sift through story material to find those all-important tension points that make people take notice, grab readers by the throat from the start with compelling openings and “shoot straight from the gut” to avoid the narrative clichés guaranteed to turn readers off.