Autoplay
Autocomplete
Previous Lesson
Complete and Continue
Write your first short story draft
Introduction
Welcome to the class! (5:40)
How this class is laid out.
About the instructor
What is a short story? Why start with short stories and not a novel?
Video: What is a short story? (11:37)
Reading: Eight Essential Attributes of a Short Story by Joy Williams
Reading: Theses on the Short Story by Richard Piglia
Exercise 1: Observation, observation, observation.
Feeling it out!
Video: Feeling it out. (7:36)
Reading: Before the Law by Franz Kafka
Reading: Leopards in the Temple by Franz Kafka
Exercise 2: Playing with characters and shape.
Picking the right characters and bringing them to (half) life.
Exercise 1: Analyzing the characters you love.
Reading: In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried by Amy Hempel
Video: Picking the right characters. (8:01)
Exercise 2: Fleshing out your first character.
What is an inciting incident and how to use one in your story.
Reading: Stuff by Joy Willaims
Video: What is an inciting incident? (3:56)
Exercise: Discover the status quo.
Finding the conflict for your piece.
Reading: The Falls by George Saunders
Video: Finding the conflict for your piece. (4:19)
Exercise: All conflicts lead to change. Even the minor is major in literature.
The most common shape of a short story and putting it to use.
Reading 1: The School by Donald Barthelme
Reading 1: Rise Baby Rise by George Saunders
Exercise 1: Analyze The School by Donald Barthelme.
Video: The most common shape. (2:23)
Exercise 2: Using Freytag’s pyramid as a shape for your story.
Resource: Freytag's pyramid.
What is perspective and how to choose the right one for your story.
Reading: Emergency by Denis Johnson
Video: Finding your perspective. (4:41)
Exercise 10: The correct perspective just … feels right.
Discover your ending.
Video: Discover your ending. (2:01)
Exercise: You can't always get what you want.
Write your first draft!
Video: Write your first draft! (1:45)
Exercise 12: One and done.
So long, farewell, and keep on writing.
Video: Keep writing! (2:08)
Welcome to the class!
Complete and Continue