Short Story Writer’s Group
“A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage.”
— Lillian Hellman
Short Story Winter Syllabus
December 14: Intros! Tell us why you’re interested in writing a short story, what’s inspiring you, how we can help, and maybe even a little bit about the story itself!
January 9: Scaffolding - Share your outlines in whatever way it’s coming to you.
February 13: Drafting - Share a rough draft. Truly, this can be very ugly. We know you can write, so please trust us with your messy drafts!
March 13: Sending out - Share your sending out chart. Let’s get our work out into the world!
*To submit work, click on a link and add your submission as a comment.
First, tell us why you’re here. How can we can help?
Take a minute to tell us why this group intrigued you.
What are you looking to get from the group this winter? How can we best support you?
Let’s learn from each other.
Share your favorite short story authors and other short story wisdom you may have.
Short Story Scaffolding
January 9: Click "Read More” to post your short story outlines.
“Plot is people. Human emotions and desires… That is the struggle, the plot.”
— William Faulkner
Let’s build some short story sandcastles! We’re aiming to have a cohesive story idea, but honestly, anything goes here.
You can post three sentences about the beginning, middle, and end.
Or maybe you have a three-page synopsis with all the twists and turns.
A full story map? Baller.
Even a back-of-the-napkin sketch will do.
This is also a space to post your model story and your craft analysis. Please lead those posts with "CRAFT ANALYSIS/MODEL STORY”
Short Story Drafting
February 13: Click ‘Read More’ to post your your short story draft.
“I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.”
— Shannon Hale
We’ve got a basic idea of where we want our story to go, so let’s get a few words down.
Here’s the thing. We already know you’re a brilliant writer, so in the comment section below, throw in your roughest work if that’s where you are.
Short Story Editing
March 13: Click “Read More” to post your short story edits!
“The short story is the most difficult and the most disciplined form of writing.”
— Raymond Carver
Fun and games are over, friends! Let’s try to get to a well-polished final edit.
Still, if you aren’t there yet, no worries. We’d still love to see your drafts in the comment section below.
Short Story Submissions
April 10: Click “Read More” to post your sending-out chart.
“What you do with your writing matters. Don’t be afraid to let it be seen.”
— Austin Kleon
Post your sending-out chart in the comment section below.
As a reminder, here’s a link to the Erica Kraus rankings: https://www.erikakrousewriter.com/erika-krouses-ocd-ranking-of-483-literary-magazines-for-short-fiction
Resources
Prompts
Endings
Crafting Endings in Short Fiction - Craft Literary
“Break It Down” by Lydia Davis (If you hit a paywall, you can hear it on This American Life.