Advanced Short Story Writing

A Certificate of Participation is awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/learning activities for the duration of the course. This tutor-led, cohort-based online course is 7-weeks in duration and is made up of 5 teaching units. Teaching Week 1 - Structure A combination of tutor video and structured reading from contemporary and classic short stories will help deliver answers to these questions: - What are the basic kinds of short story? How do event-plot stories differ from anti-plot stories? What is the appeal of each basic type? - How do we structure a short story? Is a plot a series of events or the arrangement of who knows what and when they know it? Does a story have to unfold chronologically? What happens when a plot splits? How do we ‘hide’ plot? How do we avoid ‘losing the plot’? How do we manipulate reader response? How do we ensure an anti-plot story is not merely a sketch? - What is the relationship between character and plot? How do we decide how many characters we need? What are the ways of introducing characters to the reader? How much do we need to plan characters? How do we manage minor characters? Can characters change? - Students can start planning their story and will be encouraged to share an outline on the forum provided. Teaching Week 2 - Beginnings and Endings A combination of tutor video and structured reading from contemporary and classic short stories will help deliver answers to these questions: - Why is it sometimes so hard to begin a story? Why am I rewriting my opening so many times? Where should my story start? Is there an advantage in starting in medias res? What is the function of an opening? Does my opening fulfil the function I’ve assigned to it? How do I decide how much the reader needs to know from the outset? How do I stimulate the reader’s curiosity at the beginning of my story? - Why is it helpful to know how my story ends before I begin writing? What are the functions of an ending? How do I decide where my story ends? In what relationship should my ending stand to my beginning? How does my ending define the meaning of my story? - Students draft the opening and the end of their story and will be encouraged to share this on the forum provided. Peer feedback will be encouraged. Teaching Week 3 - Narrative Voice A combination of tutor video and structured reading from contemporary and classic short stories will help deliver answers to these questions: - What are the relative advantages and limitations of first- and third-person voices? What different kinds of first person voice are available to us? How can we use internal monologue? How do we achieve the impression of an unreliable narrator? How useful is a non- or semi-participant observer as first-person narrator? What different kinds of third-person voice are available to us? What are their relative advantages and limitations? - While working independently on their own story students will have the option of participating in a range of exercises to experiment with narrative voice and to share their responses on the forum provided. Teaching Week 4 - Detail and Description A combination of tutor video and structured reading from contemporary and classic short stories will help deliver answers to these questions: - Why and when do we describe things in any detail? What are the functions of a description of a place? How do we avoid cliché when using metaphors and similes? Why should we be careful with modifiers? How is detail different in short stories? How much detail is too much? How can I use ‘telling’ details? How can I give proportionate attention to details? How is the idea of ‘Chekhov’s gun’ useful? Where is my description coming from? When should I ‘show’ and when should I ‘tell’? - While continuing to work independently on their own story students will have the option of participating in a range of exercises to explore how they might approach description and detail. Sharing on the forum will be encouraged. Teaching Week 5 - Editing A combination of tutor video and text will supply guidance on strategies students can apply to edit their own work, including: - Understanding different types of editing, required for different purposes - Editing techniques/methods - Interpreting editing notes - Students will edit and submit their short story for tutor review and feedback. They will also have the option of participating in a range of editing exercises. Sharing on the forum will be encouraged.