| Keeping it Brief: The Pleasures and Pains of Writing Short Fiction (Online)

Guided by Clif Travers, explore the essential elements of good writing in short fiction and learn how to craft memorable short stories that will captivate readers from beginning to end.

Note: This workshop will be held in a live, online format utilizing the Zoom platform.
Class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, Oct 10, 12, 17, 19, 24 & 26 from 6-8:30pm.

What makes any story come alive on the page? Is it the plot? The characters? Or is it a particular situation with realistic dialogue? And what makes it a short story, anyway?

These are questions all short story writers confront in the process of telling a tale. Guided by Clif Travers, in this workshop, we will discuss the elements of good writing and how they apply to short fiction, generally described as 1k-8k words. We will read and discuss three short stories by authors who have dealt with these components differently, and you will then write your own pieces incorporating the elements we’ve discussed. We’ll do writing exercises that will address the above questions, and then we’ll analyze what “works” and why.

All levels are invited. This will be a workshop environment with one-on-one sessions scheduled. Contribution to the discussions and feedback on submitted work will be expected. 

Writing can be fun, but it’s also hard work. We’ll be doing both.