August Featured Speaker – Mary Langer Thompson

Workshop Title: How to Write a Flash-Fiction Story of 1,000 Words or Less

Can you tell a complete story in 1,000 words or less? Join us for an interactive session that explores the art of flash fiction by writing a story together—from the first spark of an idea to a finished piece.

Using the simple premise that every character must want something—even something as ordinary as a glass of water—participants will work together to build a flash-fiction story in a fun, brainstorming style, adding and sometimes subtracting story elements along the way. By the end of the session, members will have experienced how to develop a complete flash-fiction story from beginning to end.

Mary Langer Thompson has taught this process to students from middle school through college. She also describes her approach in the article “Thirsting for a Way to Teach the Short Story,“ published in California English (September 2022).

Mary’s Bio:

Mary Langer Thompson is an award-winning writer who writes articles, fiction, and poetry. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and was the 2012 Senior Poet Laureate of California. She is the founder of The Poemsmiths of the Mojave High Desert and recently edited a book of poetry, From Silence to Speech: Women of the Bible Speak Out, available on Amazon and Kindle. She resides in Apple Valley, California with her husband, Samuel T. Lujan. She holds an Ed.D. from UCLA.

Article: Thirsting for a Way to Teach the Short Story

Meeting on Saturday, August 15, 2026
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am
The general meeting begins at 9:15 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield