Jem Poster and Sarah Burton

Apart from the obvious matter of the wordcount, what is it that differentiates the short story from the novel? In this one-day course we will consider the subjects and approaches that make for a good short story, examining the advantages of a form that Erskine Caldwell called ‘the essence of writing’, adding that a writer ‘should always write short stories before he [or she] tries to write a novel’. By the end of the day, you should have enhanced your understanding of this rewarding form of fiction; you may also have mapped out the ground for a successful short story of your own.

Whether you’re a beginner in creative writing or a more advanced writer looking for new ideas and inspiration, this event may be exactly what you need. Designed by two professional writers with long experience of teaching creative writing at university level, the programme will address the writer’s art and craft in ways both practical and thought-provoking, involving both writing and the discussion of writing.
This course can either be taken on its own or in conjunction with the following day’s course, ‘Getting to Know Your Characters’.

The course has been devised with a group of 30 in mind; however, the presence of two tutors means that, apart from a short period at the beginning of the course and another at the end, the teaching will take place in groups of 15. Each group will have two sessions with each tutor.

The sessions

9.30-11.00: Session 1. Definitions and differences
11.00-11.30: Coffee
11.30-1.00: Session 2. What kind of short story? 
1.00-2.00: Lunch
2.00-3.30: Session 3: The art of suggestion
3.30-4.00: Tea
4.00-5.30: Session 4: Drawing it all together

Session 1. Definitions and differences
What is a short story and how does it differ from other forms of fiction?

Session 2. What kind of short story?
We’ll consider various kinds of short story, including the two main categories: the ‘slice-of-life’ and the event-plot story.

Session 3: The art of suggestion
We’ll explore economy of style and what this contributes to the effect of short-form fiction.

Session 4: Drawing it all together
Concluding thoughts, observations and tips.

The tutors

Jem Poster is emeritus professor of creative writing, Aberystwyth University. He is author of a collection of poetry, Brought to Light, and two novels, Courting Shadows and Rifling Paradise. Sarah Burton, founder and former director of Cambridge University’s MSt in creative writing, is the author of Impostors; A Double Life: A Biography of Charles and Mary Lamb and The Strange Adventures of H. Poster and Burton are co-authors of a handbook for fiction writers, The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write, and of a novel, Eliza Mace, the subject of a talk on March 18.