Writing short fiction I. Glimpsed moments

Through discussion of exemplar texts and practical writing exercises aimed at developing specific elements of the writer’s craft, we shall explore the way short fiction works and consider its very particular way of rendering our experience of the world. The primary focus will be the students’ own writing, produced between sessions, and workshopped by the group in the course of those sessions.

We shall begin by addressing in broad terms the nature and role of short fiction – short stories as the ‘moment glimpsed in passing.’ This is the realm of the fleeting, the love affair that can’t last, the overheard conversation, so we’ll be looking at how we actually pin down these glimpsed moments and considering what really makes a short story ‘short’ (it’s not just about word count).

We’ll then go on to look at more particular aspects of craft relating to the shape of a short story and its structure, as well as examining the importance of research as a basis for fiction. We’ll consider the nature of ‘fictional truth’ and the ethics of our own research, as well as the ways in which we might transform lived experience into fiction, before drawing together the various strands of the course.