"It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

Are you feeling intimidated by the blank page? Maybe you have an idea but aren’t sure how to shape it into a “real” story? Meet microprose: extremely short prose pieces that deliver maximum impact in a minimal package. By condensing language and narrative, microprose offers a fun, freeing way to get ideas onto the page. And when it comes time to revise, it’s much easier to reshape 100 words than an entire novel.

In this course, we’ll read examples of microprose—from fiction to prose poems—by writers like Diane Seuss, Richard Siken, and Claudia Rankine. Together, we’ll look closely at how these pieces utilize structure, language, and imagery to tell the story. Then, we’ll use what we’ve discovered to inspire our own writing through generative exercises, with dedicated time each class to write, share and get feedback on our work. 

You’ll leave with practical tools for generating and revising microprose, a stronger sense of how compression can serve your writing, and at least three new micro-pieces.

Start Time: 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT
Four weeks
Hugo House Member Price: $275
General Price: $305