Brief Bursts: The Memoir Edition

A workshop about writing short, true things

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

Writer Bret Lott once wrote:

This form is something akin to Russian nesting dolls, one person inside another inside another. But instead of finding smaller selves inside the self, 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 5-session workshop for a small group of writers who are ready to get familiar with 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 delete 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 for Winter 2025:

On Zoom with Mari (she/her)

5 Tuesday mornings, weekly
10am - noon ET
January 21 - February 25
(no class Feb 18)

Cost:

The fee for this workshop is $475. If you prefer, you can pay in 4 monthly installments of $118.75. Tax will be added for Canadians, in your local provincial rate. See our financial policies.

Four times a year, we give out bursaries for our programs to people with financial barriers. Check out our upcoming dates.

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:

What clients are saying…

  • Headshot of Keri

    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)

  • Headshot of Jessica Moore

    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