Students will need prior creative writing experience and a rough draft of a story that they wish to revise. This 8-week course will guide students to read their short story with a critical eye and provide them with the tools needed to revise and polish that short story. The course will start with a “developmental (big picture) edit” and then in the last weeks move into a “line edit” where we look at the craft of individual sentences, grammar, and syntax. (It is helpful if students are familiar with The Chicago Manual of Style). The process of the class is “progressive,” meaning that each week there will be a revision "focus," but overall improvement should be the aim with each pass.

The goal of this class is to provide students with the necessary basics of the creative writing revision 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 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 notes sent directly to the student.

Note: SPEAKING IN CLASS IS REQUIRED. Each student will be, at a minimum, asked to read excerpts from their story. For a more immersive experience, students will also be asked to offer comments on the work of the rest of the class according to “workshop etiquette.” STUDENTS WILL NEED TO POST THEIR STORIES TO THE OUTSCHOOL CLASSROOM PAGE for feedback from me the day before each class, and we will discuss excerpts from each student’s piece and the areas that are the focus of that week’s topic. Each student will still benefit from hearing the feedback on the other students' work. Also, I am available through Outschool to answer questions and provide guidance in between sessions.


COURSE BREAKDOWN
Week 1: Story Dissection—Do I Have a Story?
During the first class, students will discuss their story ideas and literary aspects of their piece such as its protagonist, antagonist, plot, narrative arc, conflict, tension, hooks, POV (point-of-view), backstory, and "interiority" (which students should be familiar with but will be defined). The difference between a short story and a vignette will be explained. The teacher will describe the different types of editing (line editing versus developmental editing).

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).


Week 2: The Importance of the Narrative Arc, Tension, and Conflict
Students will look at their manuscript with an eye on its narrative arc: what is different in the end of the story than at the start? What are the stakes (wants and/or needs) of the story? Students will articulate how the protagonist grows, changes, evolves, or devolves. We will discuss inner and external conflict, and why that is important in a story.


Week 3: 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 read their opening lines. Students will also hear about some ways that opening stories are considered overused or “trite” (such as waking from a dream).


Week 4: Creating Dynamic Characters and Examining “What’s in a Name?” 
Students will have the opportunity to share their main characters and describe what makes them unique. We’ll also look at how naming characters can make or break a story.

*This is also “mid-term,” and students will be looking critically at their stories to ensure they’ve developed the most critical aspects of their work (e.g., is the narrative arc clear, is it well-paced, and is there enough tension and conflict?).


Week 5: Finding the Setting, Dialogue Workshop, and Describing Action
The importance of setting will be discussed, and students will discuss the settings where their story takes place. Also discussed will be how much setting or "world-building" is needed.

Students will discuss a passage of dialogue read to them by the teacher. Students will share examples of dialogue from their story with the 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 and "chitchat."


Week 6: 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 7: "The End"—Finalizing Stories
Students will read an excerpt (generally one page) from their short story. Depending on the size of the class, students may be asked to only share one positive trait and one aspect that still needs work for their story.

Students will then go through the steps needed to call a story “finished.” This includes creating dynamic titles, proofreading for spelling and grammatical errors.


Week 8: Story “Celebration” and Possible Next Steps
In this last class, students will celebrate their accomplishments and read an excerpt from their finished short story. The length of the reading will depend on the class size.

Finally, students will be shown 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.