How to Write Great Stories
with Amy Bonnaffons
Whether you are a beginning fiction writer seeking to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of craft, or an experienced writer seeking to refresh your understanding of how fiction works at the level of blood and bone, this course is for you.
Each week will focus on a different element of craft, including setting, character, theme, dialogue and structure. Far from being prescriptive or formulaic, our approach will both acknowledge and challenge received wisdom; we’ll look at “classic” short stories as well as those that take risks and push boundaries.
Each week will include readings and a generative exercise focused on a particular element of craft; each week, two students will also share a finished short story with the class and received thoughtful, process-oriented feedback designed to help them connect with the essence of their story and become aware of the full range of tools available for telling it.
Learning and Writing Goals
In this course, you will learn:
- Essential craft elements such as character, plot, setting, and structure.
- How to identify, articulate and analyze these elements in the work of published writers and of your peers.
- How to incorporate these elements skillfully into your own stories.
- How to be a better editor of your own work and others’.
You will write:
- Two complete short stories (or one complete short story with one substantial revision), with instructor and peer feedback.
- New writing through weekly exercises.
Zoom Schedule
This course meets every Wednesday on Zoom, from 7-9:30 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time.
Course Syllabus
Week One: Character
Who is the story about? What do they want? How is their perspective crafted on the page and how does point of view affect the unfolding of the narrative?
Week Two: Setting
Where does the story take place? Why does setting matter? How can setting be a character in and of itself?
Week Three: Dialogue and Showing v. Telling
How do real people talk, and how do literary characters talk? What are the functions of scene and dialogue vs. summary and exposition? When is each appropriate for the story?
Week Four: Plot & Structure
What is plot? How much has to “‘happen”’ in my story, and how do I know? How do I write a good ending?
Week Five: Themes and Questions
What am I really trying to explore in the story? What is the deep structure beneath the surface mechanics?
Week Six: Putting It All Together
Why do discussions of “craft” matter? What are their limits? How do I use what I’ve learned in my work going forward?
Why Take a Fiction Writing Course with Writers.com?
- We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
- Small groups keep our online writing classes lively and intimate.
- Work through your weekly written lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
- Share and discuss your work with classmates in a supportive class environment.
- Award-winning instructor Amy Bonnaffons will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.
Student Feedback for Amy Bonnaffons:
