Developing Your Short Fiction

Class Description

This course is designed to give intermediate writers, more experienced writers, and those familiar with writing workshops the intensive review and analysis they need to make their short stories deeper and sharper. We’ll focus primarily on workshopping student writing and discussing craft questions by looking at published stories by authors such as Octavia Butler, V.V. Ganeshananthan and Charles Johnson. You will write two short stories, up to 25 pages each, and receive in-depth critique from your classmates and the instructor. You’ll also provide rich critique of your classmates’ work, an exercise that sharpens your instincts as a writer. Workshopping novel chapters is discouraged—we’ll be focused on refining our ability to craft complete narratives.

Instead of remaining silent, writers will be active participants in their own workshop. You will be encouraged to incorporate content-based criticism (e.g. “how does this character challenge or reinforce stereotypes? what are the socio-cultural implications in this piece?”) with craft-based criticism (e.g. “how does the author use language to show this character’s change over time?”). This approach aims to give the writer a stronger voice in their own critique, for readers to thoughtfully examine and learn from providing actionable feedback during the workshop, and for everyone to leave class with a clearer revision strategy for their own work.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.