Waitlist only. Please email dreaminglucent@gmail.com to be added.

Available dates: 
Tuesday 19^th April 2022 7.30pm – 9pm British Standard Time
Saturday 23^rd April 2022 11am – 12.30pm British Standard Time

A Sing in the Tail: Hopeful Stories

While so much flash fiction moves towards a gut-punch ending, it feels like there are far fewer pieces that do the opposite and leave the reader on a note of hope. How do we create hope-filled stories with impact and power? In this workshop, we’ll look at strategies for adding a ‘sing’ rather than a ‘sting’ to the tail of your stories.

During the ninety minutes, we’ll reflect on what we mean by hope, consider the ingredients that are essential to building a story full of emotional resonance, read and analyse two pieces of flash fiction, explore different journeys you might take towards a hope-filled ending, and consider tricks and techniques to bring your story to life. You’ll be set on your way to writing two short pieces and will have the chance to connect with other writers during the mid-workshop break.

While the focus of this workshop is on flash fiction, the ideas that we’ll cover should also be relevant to crafting longer stories and poetry.

Before the Session

In advance of the workshop, make sure you’ve got a notepad and a pen so you can scribble down your ideas. You’ll also need two small (postcard size) pieces of scrap paper.

The workshop is hosted via Zoom and you’ll be sent a link a week beforehand. It is the responsibility of the workshop participant to make sure you have access to Zoom – unfortunately, we are unable to offer technical assistance.

Workshop Facilitator

Matt Kendrick is a writer, editor and teacher based in the East Midlands, UK. His short fiction has appeared in Bending Genres, Cheap Pop, Craft Literary, FlashBack Fiction, Fictive Dream, Lunate, New Flash Fiction Review, and elsewhere. He has placed or been listed in various writing competitions including Bath Flash Fiction, Flash 500, Reflex Fiction, Retreat West and Leicester Writes. His story ‘Life in the Colliery’ was included on the Biffy 50 list for 2019-20 and another story ‘a list of things that are white’ was included in Best Microfiction 2021. He has also been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions and the Pushcart Prize.

All tickets are pay-what-you-can. Our recommended ticket price is £8, although you can pay more or less depending on your income. This workshop is free for anyone who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend.

Maximum participants per session: 22