Writing the Short Story [Sharon Leach]

Short-story writing requires a certain skill set that involves the art of economy; that is to say, the ability to present a miniature world in as compressed a space as possible, with, unlike the novel, one single plot. Once properly mastered the short story is an excellent training ground for an aspiring novelist—appreciating the importance of each word, and helping with the complexities of multiple plots and subplots. This course will seek to examine short story construction overall: how information is conveyed, how conflicts are presented, when the climax occurs, and briefly, how the characters, dialogue, mood and style all contribute to a successful short story.