The goal of this class will be for you to complete — or at least be well on your way to completing — a full draft of a short story collection.

Whether you’re writing your first short story, or you’ve already written a dozen and are hoping to revise and shape them into a collection, this class is for you. During this course, we will focus on all aspects of writing a short story collection, from drafting a story to revision, and finally publication. In this year-long class, we will learn what makes a story work. The very best stories are often highly constructed, although they may appear perfectly natural. We will pick them apart, learn by dissecting literature with an eye for how a story is built and the choices the author made to create their work. The class will combine a rigorous and intimate workshop with craft lessons on topics such as plot, character, point of view, and narrative time. We will look at the similarities between jokes and storytelling and study the structure of fairy tales and fables. We will also do close readings of short stories by masters of the craft, such as Alice Munro, James Baldwin, George Saunders, and Jhumpa Lahiri. Over the course of the year, we will read and analyze several full short story collections. The instructor will select these story collections around the interests and inclinations of the group. We’ll also do many generative writing prompts, that will help you develop and hone your craft, including by responding to painting and photography, drawing maps of your invented worlds, making up histories for discarded objects, and writing new endings to old stories. We will share practical advice about the best writing habits and routines to support a long-term project. We will also discuss publishing and the literary marketplace, agent querying, and submitting to literary magazines.

The class will meet 40 times over the course of the year, for two-and-a-half-hour sessions. The year will culminate in a celebratory reading for all participants in the Short Story Collection Generator.

Students are chosen by Omer Friedlander on the basis of a manuscript submission. Applications must be received by Tuesday, February 17 at 5 PM. View the submission guidelines and submit an application for this class.

Scholarship assistance is available. Applications must be returned to Scholarship Services at least two weeks before the first session.

Tue, Feb 24-Nov 24
6:30-9 PM ET
$6,035