The Writers' hq GUIDE TO FLASH FICTION

HOW TO CONJURE TEENY, FLASHY STORIES OUT OF THIN AIR

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take this course
Exclusively available to members of Writers' HQ

Learn a HUGE range of flash fiction techniques and approaches in this comprehensive course

Get writing with story prompts, exercises, inspiration and a tonne of flashy examples

Join our super friendly online community for feedback and support

Are you ready to create some teeny tiny stories full of impact and truth and humanity? YES YOU ARE! Come flash with us…

The Writers’ HQ Guide to Flash Fiction course contains a holy hand grenade of tips, tricks and techniques on crafting your own glorious little story nuggets, breaking all the rules (jk there aren’t any), editing your work, and even getting your writing published.

Join award-winning flash experts Kathy Hoyle and Jo Gatford as they take you through the fundamentals of flash fiction and teach you how to take the seed of a story idea and turn it into something spectacular. 

This frankly enormous course will show you how to harness story inspiration from quite literally anywhere; how to develop those ideas into tangible plot fodder; how to experiment with structure, characterisation and style; how to edit, develop and polish your work; and what to do when you’re ready to send your writing out into the big wide world… 

Backed up every step of the way with the most enthusiastically supportive flash fiction community around, you’ll have everything you need to expand your flash fiction repertoire and write a whole HEAP of stories!

LESSONS IN
THIS COURSE

WEEK 1: WHERE THE HECK DO I START?
What is flash fiction? Yes, okay, but what IS flash fiction? THIS is flash fiction…

WEEK 2: BEGINNINGS
Snippets of inspiration, a gazillion story prompts, and how to develop an idea.

WEEK 3: MIDDLES
Building structure, developing character and finding your rhythm.

WEEK 4: ENDINGS
The plot twist, powerful endings, and finally, the title.

WEEK 5: EDITING
Death by a thousand cuts, difficult questions, and a final polish.

WEEK 6: GOING OFF PISTE
Break the rules, learn from all the best rulebreakers, and do some experimenting… 

WEEK 7: WHAT’S NEXT?
Sending your work out into the world with our submissions checklist and guide to acceptance/rejection.

Get full access to The Writers' HQ Guide to Flash Fiction when you join Writers' HQ today!
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instant access to all our creative writing courses

Get stuck in straight away with our specialist library of online courses covering everything from productivity, idea generation, short stories, and novels, to editing and publishing – suitable for writers at any point in their writing journey.

ROADMAPS TO GUIDE YOU FROM STARTING, MIDDLING AND FINISHING

Our step-by-step roadmaps will guide you from a standing start to a  solid writing routine, help you smash through writers block, and hold your hand through the winding alleys of novel writing. 

With Writers’ HQ, there’s no writer left behind.

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THE MOST AWESOME, SUPPORTIVE, HILARIOUS, PRODUCTIVE writing COMMUNITY

Whether it’s to help you workshop a story, offer in-depth critique, celebrate a finished story, squee over an acceptance, argue over the finer points of an arcane novel, or pick you up when you’ve had a rejection, the Writers’ HQ community is everything. 

Members get access to special buddy groups and accountability logs, and you’ll often find Team WHQ loitering on the forums instead of doing their own writing.

DOZENS OF LIVE WRITING EVENTS INCLUDING MASTERCLASSES AND WRITE-ALONGS

Hone your craft by getting answers to your writerly questions and exploring your challenges with regular online events, including live Q&As, masterclasses, flash fiction write-alongs, goal setting sessions, and advanced journaling workshops.

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WHQ SUCCESS STORIES
It's a bold statement but I'm pretty sure that without taking this course I would never have got past four chapters of my novel. The tools which I gained allowed me to not only structure my novel in a way that makes sense but to give myself the boundaries within which to really move forward with the book. I've written more in the last four months than I've written in two years and I'm coming to the end of my first draft now which is something I never thought I'd actually say. I've been able to set realistic goals, be disciplined and really see my novel take shape. I would recommend this course to everyone and I couldn't be more grateful for it!
Kezia BarrPlotstormers
Seriously could not have done it without Writers' HQ courses: Plotstormers, Making People and now The First Draft! My dreams are becoming real. Thanks WHQ! 5 STARS!
Gill O'SullivanThe First Draft
It made me thing and it made me laugh - what's not to like? A properly fun and enjoyable course that actually made me want to work harder. Lots of stuff to reflect on, had to go and walk around the garden a few times just to let some of it percolate. And it genuinely, unexpectedly, made me want to write more, better and be published. My gosh it is recommended and some.
Bernie MayallWriting Short Fiction
This course was exactly what I needed to help me bring to life the characters in my novel--they had been feeling a little flat but I didn't know how to fix it. I was excited to do the exercises, thrilled with the new insights I gained. I had several "aha" moments. Highly recommend!
Corinne ClarkMaking People: The Characterisation Masterclass
That's what this course left me with - in a very good way. It goes straight for the writing jugular, which is what a ditherer like me needs. It left me feeling like this: I can run away as far as I can get from anything to do with writing, or I can woman up and get on with it. Running away not being an option, Seven Ideas In Seven Days was like a sergeant-major shouting in my ear "What are you?" and me answering in a humble whisper "I'm a writer, Ma'am." Not for the faint-hearted. Definitely not. If you want to write - or, more accurately, not want to not write, join WHQ.
Jan McCarthySeven Ideas in Seven Days
I loved this course - it beats the pants off other editing courses! I got more out of this course than all of the other ones I've done put together, and I've done lots and have been to some prestigious places that live off their puffery and fame, but what they offer in terms of proper skills and help simply doesn't touch this. Plotstormers II has been enormously enlightening and empowering and deeply generous. Thanks so much, Jo and & Sarah, you ROCK.
Stephanie GerraPlotstormers II: The Editing Strikes Back
Excellent, thorough course! This course is an excellent, thorough run-down of everything you might want to think about when writing and sending your query letter. Written with Writers' HQ's trademark snarky charm, and filled with links to even more information about what agents are looking for and what to do/not do, it's a really enjoyable, detailed look at this topic. Thank you!
Elizabeth OttossonPublishing 101: The Query
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