Write and Submit a Short Story

A practical course for short story writers

This course guides writers from initial ideas for a short story through drafting and finessing to the submissions process for competitions and journals. We’ll start by working on inspiration and ways to tune yourself into the small details that bring a story idea to life. Then, we’ll look at how to tell a story at sentence level and thematically, cover all the nuts and bolts from viewpoint, character, using dialogue and body language to transition between story stages.

Working in a small group of dedicated writers, led by tutor Susmita Bhattacharya, there will be live sessions with guest authors as we close-read and discuss one of their stories as a group, plus masses of writing prompts, including using found sounds, art and the pictures on your phone as a story starter. Finally, you’ll have two weeks to write a complete story (up to 3,000 words) and learn about the submissions process, with tips from award-winning writers, editors and competition judges.

Duration: 7 weeks 
Skill level: Intermediate
Frequency: Weekly
Sessions: 6 

This course allows you to:

• Start exploring different types of short fiction
• Find inspiration and ways to attune yourself to details that can turn into stories
• Learn the importance of showing not telling, and other techniques to finesse short fiction
• Get your story ready to submit to competitions or journals
• Gain the confidence to send a story out into the world
• Trust your instinct when selecting and developing ideas
• Become a more effective writer, for recreation and at work
• Develop the transferable skills writers require (eg discipline, attention to detail, ability to work to deadlines)
• Practise giving feedback to other writers and receiving responses to your work
• Build greater independence, autonomy and judgement as you work on a final assignment

Session 1: Immerse Yourself

We’ll start by focusing on reading lots of different types of short stories, asking what kind of short fiction appeals to you and what makes you want to write. We’ll look at keeping a journal and a daily senses diary, working on one sense per day to attune yourself to the small details of everyday life that bring a story to life.

You’ll meet your group and tutor for a live session on Zoom.

Session 2: Finding Inspiration

What do you do with all the details you’ve noticed and read? We’ll explore story-starter prompts, including sounds, ways to play with stories at sentence level, working from themes and thinking about why stories work. On the craft technique side, you’ll practise show not tell and the art of reading a story aloud.

Session 3: The Nuts and Bolts

This week is all about character and setting in short fiction. You’ll experiment with character-building techniques, and take a look at a setting through a character’s eyes. We’ll look at stereotyping in character-creation and ways to think differently, especially around cultural appropriation. Have fun playing with Hollywood gender roles, and transporting a setting from your own experience into a story.

This week, there will be a group session with a guest writer to read and discuss one of their stories.

Session 4: Seeing Differently

Let’s talk about point of view and dialogue. We’ll experiment with different ways to present thoughts and speech on the page, and look at the role of dialogue and body language in making transitions in a story. You’ll write an exchange between two inanimate objects.

Session 5: Story Structure

Focus on openings and endings. We’ll look at masses of openings and ask what makes a good (and dull) start to a short story. You’ll explore life experience and how to develop a fictional structure from something that happened to you, and examine why ‘real’ structures don’t make a good story form. What makes a satisfying ending? Your tutor will give you feedback on the start of a story.

Session 6: Find Your Place

Demystifying the competition and journal submission process, and thinking about when you’re ready to go for it. We’ll offer lists of places to submit, with pointers, plus tips and advice from judges and writers.

This session lasts 2 weeks to allow you time to draft, peer critique, and complete a short story of up to 3,000 words. There will also be a Group Q&A on Zoom for tutor advice on your story and next steps.

At the end of the course we’ll run an open mic session to encourage participants to read their work to the group and develop the confidence needed to power a submission.