Take a deep dive into short story writing!
What brings a short story to life? We’ll investigate this question by paying close attention to craft elements—the nuts-and-bolts of storytelling—in participants’ work and in published fiction. Each week, we’ll zoom in on a different aspect of the form such as plot, character, dialogue, place, or point of view. Together, we’ll explore the vast and varied potential of the short story, reading across eras and styles to expand the horizons of our own work. Participants will submit at least one short story for peer and instructor feedback during the workshop. As time allows, we’ll also do in-class writing exercises and read essays on the craft of fiction writing and art of revision.
Live video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it).
In this workshop you’ll learn:
- Voice & Point of View
- Character Development
- Setting & Place
- Precise Description
- Revision Strategies
- Writing Exercises
Time requirements
- 1-2 hours (to read peers’ stories). Students may be asked to read 1-2 published short stories in advance of the first meeting.
Materials
- All reading materials will be provided.
Who should take this workshop?
- This workshop is designed for fiction writers at any level interested in focusing on short story craft.
If you need an accommodation for this workshop, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.