This 8-week course will guide students to read a short story with a critical eye and provide them with the tools to write their own short story. Students do not need prior creative writing experience to be successful in this class. Being an avid reader is helpful but is not required.

The goal of this class is to provide students with the necessary basics of the creative writing process. The class is interactive and is meant to foster community. Students will have the opportunity to receive peer feedback and individual comments from the teacher (both in-class and as teacher's margin notes on their work-in-progress). Any content issues with a student's work will be addressed by the teacher as needed and done so as margin notes sent directly to the student.

Note: Speaking in class will NOT be a requirement but is strongly encouraged. The students may elect to send their stories to me only for feedback through Outschool and opt for me to share my notes after the session. Those students will still benefit from hearing the feedback on the other students' work.


COURSE BREAKDOWN
Week 1: Story Dissection—What Makes a Story a Story
Before the first class, students will read a short story published online by Narrative Magazine. We will discuss literary aspects of the piece such as its protagonist, antagonist, plot, narrative arc, conflict, tension, hooks, POV (point-of-view), backstory, and interiority. The difference between a short story and a vignette will be explained. Each week, students will refer back to the Narrative story when discussing the different topics and while completing their own story.

Week 2: Story Ideas and “Plotting” Versus “Pantsing” When Developing a Narrative
Students will be able to share their story ideas and their decision to execute their work-in-progress as a “plotter” or “pantser.” Ways to diagram an outline will be shown, as will tactics to take if “pantsing.”

Week 3: Creating Dynamic Characters, Examining “What’s in a Name?” and Finding the Setting 
Students will be provided with a worksheet to create “dossiers” for their story’s protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters. Students will have the opportunity to share their main characters and describe what makes them unique. The importance of setting will be discussed, and students will decide where their story will take place.

Week 4: Creating Opening Lines That Hook the Reader
Students will be read a number of exemplary opening lines. Students will discuss what makes the lines effective and how to create an impactful opening sentence. The teacher will allow time for students to try writing opening lines. Students will also hear about some ways that opening stories are considered overused or “trite” (such as waking from a dream). If time permits, students may volunteer to share one of their possible opening lines. Then, it’s off to the races!

Week 5: Creating a Resonant Ending and Lasting Last Lines
Students will discuss what makes a strong story resolution. The teacher will share some powerful last lines and explain the difference between completing a narrative arc and closing a vignette. The students will have the opportunity to ask questions about any aspects of writing a short story or vignette. 

Week 6: Dialogue Workshop and Describing Action
Students will refer back to the Narrative Magazine story and discuss a successful passage of dialogue. Students will write a short piece of dialogue that will appear in their story in the second half of class. The teacher will also go over ways that students can condense action so that the narrative is streamlined and not bogged down in mechanics. Students may share their sample dialogue with the class if time permits.

Week 7: Story “Workshop”
Students will be taught “Workshop Etiquette,” which is used in most group writing sessions that call themselves “workshops.” Students will be asked to remain silent while excerpts are being shared, to not interrupt one another when offering feedback, and to listen with care to each other. Also, they will be instructed to be equally positive and critical (meaning offering strong points in a story as well as noting its weaknesses).

Students will then have the opportunity to read an excerpt (generally one page) from their short story, which the other classmates will have read. Depending on the size of the class, students may be asked to only share one positive trait and one aspect that needs work for each story.

Week 8: "The End"—Finalizing Stories and Possible Next Steps
In this last class, we will go through the steps needed to call a story “finished.” This includes creating dynamic titles, proofreading for spelling and grammatical errors, and how to research literary journals and online zines that may publish their work. The teacher will touch on how to craft a cover letter to accompany submissions to magazines and online outlets.