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Book now - Wednesdays, 20 September - 25 October 2017
The world of a short story may be more condensed than the world of a novel, but its emotional impact can be as wide-ranging as a novel’s. But what skills do you need to make an impact and render the story memorable?
Over six weeks, with the help of tutor Alba Arikha, you will be looking at different elements of the short story, including character, voice, structure, plot, setting, pacing and dialogue. You will learn how to read like a writer and have your own work discussed in class.
You will be given the opportunity to explore and develop your creativity as well as build the confidence to start your own collection of stories.
Through a combination of exercises, reading material, group discussions and professional feedback, you will be on track to find your voice, demonstrate your newly acquired skills and produce one or two short stories by the end of the course. But most importantly, you will be on the road to inspiration to continue with your collection.
Content
Week 1: How to begin a story: the construction of character
- What makes a short story stand out
- The construction and importance of character: what does your character want/need?
- Memorable characters in short stories
- How to generate ideas: memory and how we apply it to our imagination
Week 2: Voice and plot
- How do you find it and perfect the voice?
- Developing your idea: the excavation of voice, how to sharpen it and build confidence
- The “throb” as described by Nabokov – how inspiration hits
- The importance of conflict: the twists and turns that make the story move
Week 3: Setting and structure
- A sense of place and time
- How surroundings impact character and plot
- The scaffolding of fiction: how to “build” a story
- How to maintain a cohesive structure and sense of unity when fleshing out a story
Week 4: Dialogue and point of view
- The function of conversation in fiction
- Speech patterns: how can dialogue tell us something about the speaker?
- Confrontation in fiction: how to maintain momentum between narrative and dialogue
- Who’s telling the story – first, second or third person, unreliable narrators, omniscient or limited narrators?
Week 5: Shaping your story, mood and pace
- The importance of narrative flow: are you confident with the voice and arc of your story? What are the obstacles in the character’s way and how will they be resolved?
- Mood and pace, putting further techniques into place
- How other writers work
- What makes your story stand out
Week 6: Drafting and ending: how to finish a story
- The first draft: spotting weaknesses as well as strengths. What to keep, what to delete?
- What does one look for when editing? Are you saying too much or too little?
- When to wrap up and submit
- Tips on agents and publishers
Tutor profile
Alba Arikha is an author of fiction and non-fiction, including Walking on Ice, Muse and Major/Minor, a memoir that was shortlisted for the Spear’s award and chosen as one of the best books of 2012 by the New Yorker. Alba’s narrative poem Soon was developed into opera and performed at the Riverside Studios. She has written for various publications, including the New Republic and Tatler, and is a regular contributor to Spear’s Magazine. She is also a singer-songwriter and has performed in London and Paris.
More from this tutor...
Details
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Book now - Wednesdays, 20 September - 25 October 2017
Dates: Multiple dates available
Times: Evening course, 6.30pm-9.30pm
Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU
Price: £599 (includes VAT, booking fee and refreshments)
Event capacity: 18
You may also be interested in...
- The science of storytelling with Will Storr
- Writing your novel: A six-week creative writing programme with award-winning author Ross Raisin
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