English in a Flash: Creative Short-Form Writing in English

Course content

Designed as a series of hands-on workshops, this course combines creative writing, literary studies, advanced English language practice as well as zine- and pamphlet-making to let us appreciate one of the most popular contemporary literary genres: the short-short. We read selected examples of its three types: flash nonfiction, flash fiction and prose poem to observe how such very short texts (from 6 to 750 words) use language to suggest larger narratives. We read as writers, that is, we treat short-shorts as our master texts to borrow their strategies (for example, scene, summary, point of view, voice, figures of speech) to experiment further. We compose creative texts weekly to strengthen our habits of writing and communicating. Through writing, we explore subjects that intrigue us. We share our texts in open mics and self-made publications to consider our audiences and become stronger communicators.

 

What do we do together over the semester?

  • get to know the literary genres of flash nonfiction, flash fiction and prose poetry;
  • read like writers (to explore the connection between good reading and good writing);
  • experiment with writing short-short genres and their hybrids;
  • produce texts week by week;
  • further our expertise in stylistic and linguistic analysis of literary texts;
  • develop effective practices of peer reviewing and self-editing;
  • reflect on our own writing, both in English and in our home languages;
  • self-publish our texts (open mics, DIY publications);
  • expand our knowledge of Creative Writing as an academic discipline;
  • improve our writing, reading, listening and speaking skills in English;
  • create a community of writers, artists, activists.

 

What techniques and mediums assist us?

  • weekly writing games and invitations to write (in class and between workshops);
  • weekly drafting of texts (works-in-progress);
  • discussions of master texts, peer texts, writing strategies and habits;
  • submissions, peer reviews, open mics and self-publication (zines, artists’ books, literary photobooks);
  • field trip, guest writers and artists;
  • analogue making (collages, photomontages, doodles, drawing, simple book structures, etc.);
  • reviewing master texts (‘One Point of Interest’ reviews);
  • reflecting on our own craft (keeping a writer’s journal);
  • assembling a portfolio which documents our progress throughout the course.

Weekly readings; weekly drafting and refining of texts (in class and between workshops); active contribution to class discussions (both in small groups and as a whole class); regular commenting on our peers’ work; reflecting on our own writing by keeping a writer’s journal; analyzing selected texts and responding to them in One Point of Interest (OPOI) reviews; systematic assembling of our portfolios; translanguaging (home languages and English as writerly resources); multiliteracy (emphasis on linguistic invention and creativity, not on grammatical correctness of our Englishes); hybridity (experimentation); multimodality (visual arts, DIY: collage, doodling, stick figures, drawing, animation, book making, zine making – analogue and digital).

IMPORTANT guideline: Our course consists of a series of hands-on workshops where you will acquire skills and produce work in the classroom. It is vital that you participate regularly in our activities: writing, making, conversations with peers. When you choose to attend this course, you commit yourself to creative discipline to build a writing community.

Our readings (available as pdfs in our Absalon course room and via links listed in the syllabus) are selected works by outstanding authors working within the genres of flash nonfiction, flash fiction and (prose) poetry. Some of the names include: Lydia Davis, Dave Eggers, Lia Purpura, John Berger, Rosmarie Waldrop, Russell Edson, Italo Calvino, Kathleen Jamie, Anne Carson, Jorge Luis Borges, Krystyna Miłobędzka, Sophie Calle, Charles Simic. We also read essays written by the genre practitioners who discuss their craft: chapters from The Rose Metal Press Field Guides to Writing: Flash Fiction, Prose Poetry, Flash Nonfiction as well as ‘Craft Essays’ published on the websites of such magazines as Brevity and Creative Nonfiction. We study examples of zines, artists’ books, literary photobooks to understand how to communicate through such DIY publications.

Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
ECTS
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
Type of assessment details
A portfolio (21-25 pages) uploaded in the Digital Exam:

• 6 short-form texts (ca. 6 pages)
• photo documentation of your DIY publication (ca. 5 pages)
• 2 peer reviews (ca. 4 pages)
• 1 OPOI review which discusses ONE literary or linguistic Point of Interest in one
master text of your choice (ca. 1 page)
• 1 response to one craft essay (ca. 1 page)
• 1 reflective essay which examines your own re-writing process (ca. 4 pages)
Examination prerequisites

Bachelorniveau - Tilvalg 1: HENB10251E (  Studieordning)

Kandídatniveau - Tilvalg 1: HENK13021E (  Studieordning)

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship

Single subject courses (day)

  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 56
  • Preparation
  • 353,5
  • English
  • 409,5

Kursusinformation

Language
English
Course number
HENÅ10251U
ECTS
15 ECTS
Programme level
Bachelor
Bachelor choice
Full Degree Master
Full Degree Master choice
Duration

1 semester

Placement
Spring
Price

Kun for studerende ved Åbent Universitet:
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Schedulegroup
Teaching Wednesdays 17.00-20.30.
14 weeks; classes take place on South Campus, Amager.
For questions regarding the schedule, please contact academicenglish@hum.ku.dk.
Capacity
30
Studyboard
Study board of English, Germanic and Romance Studies
Contracting department
  • Department of English, Germanic and Romance Studies
Contracting faculty
  • Faculty of Humanities
Course Coordinators
  • Jean Lohmann Rasmussen   (3-797b814f77847c3d7a843d737a)
  • Sofie E Abrahamsen Søndergaard   (18-827e7578743d827e747d73748176707081734f77847c3d7a843d737a)
Teacher

Elzbieta Jolanta Wójcik-Leese

Saved on the 14-03-2025

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