The Art of the Short Story

The Why and How of Writing Short Fiction

What could be a more versatile art form, a more valuable writing practice, a more powerful marketing tool than the humble short story? Author Lorrie Moore once said, "A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film." Short stories--what Stephen King calls "a kiss in the dark from a stranger"--say a lot with a little, imparting a powerful message in only a few thousand words. Short stories can hone your writing and attract new readers for your novels or collections. The best of them can change the world. Want to master the art of the short story? Join me for the Spirit of Ink short story masterclass (starting on January 3, 2023) and learn how to craft effective short stories by studying the writing techniques of more than a dozen master storytellers. The class will be delivered live, with recordings posted for those who can't attend or who would like to review the material. Need this class but can't afford to take it? Check out our affordable payment plan--and if that's still a hardship, email me at [email protected]. A few full and partial scholarships are available.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Orientation

  • 2

    A Quick & Dirty Overview: What Is a Short Story, and Why Should I Write One?

    • Video - Write Short (An Overview): What Is a Short Story, and Why Should I Write One?
  • 3

    Module 1: Classic, Linear, Horror - "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs

    • Video: "The Monkey's Paw" Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "The Monkey's Paw"

    • Writing Exercise: "The Monkey's Paw"
  • 4

    Module 2: Epistolary - "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

    • Video: "Flowers for Algernon" Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "Flowers for Algernon"

    • Writing Exercise: "Flowers for Algernon"
  • 5

    Module 3: Stream of Consciousness - "Parole Hearing, California Institution for Women, Chino, CA" by Joyce Carol Oates

    • Video: "Parole Hearing, California Institution for Women, Chino, CA" by Joyce Carol Oates

    • Writing Exercise: Parole Hearing, California Institution for Women, Chino, CA"
  • 6

    Module 4: Classic, Humorous - "Why I Live at the P.O." by Eudora Welty

    • Video: "Why I Love at the P.O." Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "Why I Live at the P.O."

    • Writing Exercise: "Why I Live at the P.O."
  • 7

    Module 5: Unconventional Nonlinear Structure, Meaningful Lists - "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

    • Video: "The Things They Carried" Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "The Things They Carried"
  • 8

    Module 6: Classic, Linear, Slow Revelation - "A Bottle of Perrier" by Edith Wharton

    • Video: "A Bottle of Perrier" Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "A Bottle of Perrier"
  • 9

    Module 7: Atmospheric, Frame/Bookend Structure - "Strawberry Spring" by Stephen King

    • Video: "Strawberry Spring" Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "Strawberry Spring"
  • 10

    Module 8: Classic, Horror - "The Birds" by Daphne de Maurier

    • Video: "The Birds" Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "The Birds"
  • 11

    Module 9: First Person, Deep Emotion, Paranormal Elements - "Lost Boys" by Orson Scott Card

    • Video: "Lost Boys" Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "Lost Boys"
  • 12

    Module: 10: Third Person, Imagery & Description, Deep Emotion - "People Like That Are the Only People Here" by Lorrie Moore

    • Video: "People Like That Are the Only People Here" Discussion

    • Text with Notes: "People Like That Are the Only People Here
  • 13

    Module 11: Modern Crime, Linear, Twist - "The Weekender" by Jeffery Deaver

    • Video: "The Weekender" Discussion
  • 14

    Module 12: Classic, Subtext, Dialogue-Driven - "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell

    • Video: "A Jury of Her Peers" Discussion
  • 15

    BONUS: Flash Fiction

    • Video: Flash Fiction

    • Flash Fiction: "At Confession" by Harvey Stanbrough

    • Flash Fiction: "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid

    • Flash Fiction: "Unnecessary Things" by By Tatyana Tolstaya

    • Flash Fiction: "Possessions" by John Smolens

    • Flash Fiction: "Mall 2004" by Alice Martin
  • 16

    BONUS: Business of Writing Short Fiction (Markets, Resources, Examples--e.g., John Floyd)

    • Video: Selling Your Short Fiction

    • Flash Fiction Markets

    • Short Fiction Markets

Pricing options

Explain how different pricing options might be valuable to different segments of your audience.

Instructor(s)

Instructor

Jaden Terrell

Jaden Terrell is a Shamus Award finalist and the author of the internationally published, Nashville-based Jared McKean private detective mysteries. On the other end of the spectrum, she's a proud Mad Catter and the author of TROUBLE MOST FAIRE, a cozy cat mystery. She write a semi-regular series of author interviews for the International Thriller Writers' The Big Thrill online Magazine and is also a contributor to the Killer Nashville Noir anthology and to Now Write! Mysteries, a collection of writing exercises published by Tarcher/Penguin for writers of crime fiction. Terrell is a recipient of several awards for service to the crime writing community, including the 2009 Magnolia Award (Southeast Mystery Writers of America, or SEMWA), the SEMWA 2017 Golden Quill Award, and the 2017 Killer Nashville Builder Award. A former special education teacher with thirty years of experience as a teacher and trainer, Terrell is a writing coach and consultant who also teaches workshops on the craft and business of writing fiction. Contact her at: http://www.jadenterrell.com.