The Art of the Flash Essay: Writing Small, Impacting Big

Recorded Live on

May 9, 2026 10:00 am Pacific

Video replay available

$20.00

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Flash fiction gets a lot of attention—but what about flash essays?

Join Sue William Silverman in conversation with host Robin Quinn for this WPN Westside Satellite session exploring how powerful a short piece of nonfiction can really be.

Sue will share insights from her newest collection, Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader and talk about what drew her to writing flash after years of working in longer memoir and essay forms. Together, she and Robin will dig into what makes flash essays work—and why they’re resonating right now.

In this session, we’ll talk about:
  • What makes a flash essay “flash”
  • How to convey something meaningful in a very small space
  • The craft elements that matter most when you don’t have many words
  • Turning personal moments into pieces that connect with readers
  • Experimenting with form, including using photos or other visual elements
  • Where flash essays fit in today’s publishing world

After the conversation, you’ll be given a short writing prompt so you can try it yourself. There will also be time for volunteers to share, if you’d like.

This session is a great fit if you:
  • Write memoir or personal essays and want to try something new
  • Feel stuck in longer projects and want a fresh way in
  • Are curious about shorter, more experimental forms
  • Or just want to spend a couple of hours with other writers who get it


🎟️ Free for WPN Members | $20 for non-members

Not a member yet? WPN members get access to this event and ongoing programming throughout the year.

Come join us and see what you can create in fewer words.

Featuring

Sue William Silverman

Sue William Silverman is an award-winning author of nine works of creative nonfiction and poetry. Her new book, Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader, was Longlisted for the 2026 PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. A previous work, How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences, took Gold in Autobiography and Memoir in the 2020 Foreword Indies Awards. The author has appeared on The View, Anderson Cooper 360, and PBS Books. She is co-chair and faculty member in the MFA in Writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. www.SueWilliamSilverman.com 

Robin Quinn

Robin Quinn is the Host of our WPN Westside Satellite. She is a Book Editor and Book Coach, who makes her nest in Los Angeles. Her editorial projects include the 2026 BookFest prize-winning novella Waiting for Ten by Jason W. Park, PhD, the memoir Fly By from Diana Lee Brown, MA, MFT, and the forthcoming spiritual guide, Talking Torah for Today, by Dr. Judy Freier. www.writingandediting.biz 

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