Class

Short Story Nitty Gritty

Wondering about the basic elements needed in crafting a short story? Each week we’ll dive into the essential aspects of the short story form such as character, plot, point of view, theme, and setting.

Students will pre-read a short story by Viet Thanh Nguyen. A discussion about its core strengths will occur on the first day—then students will jump into writing a short story of their own.

Classes will kick off with instruction and generative exercises then move into interaction. Students will submit up to five pages of their work-in-progress and then read excerpts in-session. Discussion is meant to foster community. There will be an opportunity to receive peer feedback and comments from the teaching artist according to “workshop etiquette,” which will be demystified in the first class.

By mid-course, students will have (the opening pages of) a rough draft of a short story that they will fine-tune during the final weeks. In the last session, students will read excerpts of their revised short stories and discuss if they’ve reached "The End." The class will close with how and where writers can submit their work for publication, both to literary journals and online zines.

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at edu@loft.org or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.