Brief Bursts: The Memoir Edition

A workshop about writing short, true things

When we’re writing the truth, less can be more.

There is so much magic in writing small, true things. Writer Bret Lott put it perfectly:

This form is something akin to Russian nesting dolls, one person inside another inside another. But instead of finding smaller selves, the opposite occurs: we find nested inside that smallest of selves a larger self, and a larger inside that, until we come to the whole of humanity within our own hearts.

In this workshop, we’ll explore the fine art of brevity in writing about our lives.

Here’s how it works:

This is a workshop designed for writers who want to explore the freedom and the tension of the delete key. We’ll begin by sketching out a handful of memories we want to write, and then week by week, we’ll try out different types of flash non-fiction including six-line stories, 50-word stories and micro-essays. We’ll cut and contract, watching words disappear while the essence of our stories grow.

By the end of this course you’ll have a pile of new finished stories, a toolbox of ways to play with your work, and a fresh appreciation for the art of “less”.

- Want to write about their lives, memories and worlds.
- Love the idea of limits as a creative force.
- Are curious about how existing pieces of writing might be transformed through the art of contraction.
- Are motivated by the idea of a regular date with a community of like-minded writers.
- Are ready to let go of perfectionism and just play. This class has minimal homework; we’ll be creating together.
- Have been on a writing journey for a while (this isn’t a beginner class).
- Thrive in small, cozy groups with lots of sharing. This workshop is capped at 8 participants.
- Feel aligned with our fundamental beliefs.
- A pile of fresh, new stories, excerpts and ideas.
- A new or renewed love of flash non-fiction and the power of the delete key.
- Creative courage, possibility and energy.
- Writing peers whose work you are invested in.
- A set of tools and ideas you can use anytime to keep you writing.
- Critique or competition. We’re all about the love.
- Strict rules or guidelines on what flash non-fiction should look like. While we will provide guidelines and options, we believe there are a million ways to do this perfectly.
- Written feedback on your work.

Details:

We will run this workshop again in 2026, stay tuned for updates!

Join our early bird mailing list for early access to registration or sign up for our newsletter.

Cost:

The Total Workshop Fee is $490 plus applicable taxes. If you prefer, you can pay in 4 monthly installments of $122.50. There is no extra fee for this service.

Kindly note that since this workshop is for a small group, deposits are non-refundable. One week before the workshop starts, the full fee is non-refundable. See our financial policies here.

If money is a barrier, check out our financial aid program, which we open up four times a year.

If you don’t have a credit card, let us know and we’ll gladly find a way to make it work.

Sign up here:

Join our early bird mailing list for early access to future registrations or sign up for our newsletter.

Questions?

Your answer is probably on this page.

What clients are saying…

This workshop really solidified how powerful brevity can be in writing. I loved Mari's approach! She gave generous and gentle feedback. She really listened carefully and her thoughtful comments were specific and on target, very helpful for improving the piece. I am so grateful for this online class.

Keri Cronin
Art historian and writer (website)
The facilitator's feedback for everyone was so thoughtful and I could tell she was really listening. I also loved the examples of writing she provided - I will keep them with me. I really appreciated the diversity of voices within our session. We had different ages and identities and yet we were all finding commonalities and supported each other. I have not come across many other spaces that do this effectively. Thank you, Firefly!

Jessica Moore
Bicycle lover, reader and mom