Short Fiction Writing: Improving Structure

Master the structural elements needed to make compelling short fiction.

This four-week course guides you in transforming raw ideas into fully formed stories that are shaped with precision and intention. You’ll deepen your understanding of story structure by exploring beginnings, middles, and endings, and you'll learn the mechanics of premise lines, genre conventions, and scene development.

Throughout the course, you’ll explore strategies for character creation, scene execution, and how to build tension and urgency to keep your readers engaged. Your writing will be informed by both the study of classic works and contemporary approaches to fiction, helping you identify what makes stories work while developing your own voice. The emphasis will be on building confidence as you experiment with structure and style.

The course will also teach you how to navigate the publishing ecosystem, find the right outlets for your work, and experiment with narrative modes in a variety of contexts. You'll also learn how you can reinvent the short story for contemporary readers, giving you tools to push the boundaries of this traditional form.

Through reflection and feedback, you’ll leave the course with the ability to craft short stories that not only resonate with readers but also reflect your unique creative perspective.

What you will learn:

✔ Analyze short stories through premise lines, exploring how to structure your own work effectively
✔ Identify and apply key strategies for crafting compelling beginnings, middles, and endings in short stories
✔ Develop well-rounded characters and create scenes that advance plot and heighten emotional stakes
✔ Explore new directions for short fiction and how to adapt and reinvent the genre in modern literary contexts

Prerequisite Skills

• Completion of Introduction to Creative Writing, or equivalent knowledge and/or experience.