Intensive: The Short Story, Fall 2025

In a short-attention-span world, short stories are more important than ever. As writers, the short story is a crucible for our craft—a way to test our power for story, dialogue, character and prose, and to explore new ideas, themes and genres. We’ll look at what makes a great 21st-century short story, both literary and genre-driven, and explore the worlds of speculative fiction, magical realism and flash. We’ll also consider what elements of great short stories from the past still resonate with today’s readers, and tools and tricks we can use from Hemingway, O. Henry and Golden Age mysteries.

Finally, we’ll address where to find readers for our stories, and publication paths for short fiction, including literary magazines and anthologies as well as unconventional publishing.

Each weekly webinar is two hours, and includes short in-class exercises, plus take-home exercises for participants to complete on their own, as well as in-class Q&A.

This intensive is geared toward writers at all stages, and the exercises will include variations for those beginning, in the middle, or polishing their own work.

Week 1: What makes “good” short stories?

Structure and form, circles and loops

Need and intention

Solid middles

What makes a story idea have sticking power?

Week 2: Character and Dialogue

Characterization beyond physical description

Hopes and wishes, fears and dreams

High and low context dialogue

Week 3: The Finer Points, and Publication

Beginnings and endings

Finding your voice

Publishing paths for short fiction

To engage further with this topic, consider registering for the Intensive + Small Group option, which includes these three lectures plus three small-group sessions, including discussion and live edits by Allison K Williams. Register here.