Keeping It Short
How do you fit all the elements of a great story into 10,000 words or less? Writing short stories can be just as challenging as writing full-length novels; yet learning to work within the constraints of a short story can open up exciting possibilities for authors, both when it comes to creativity and publishing opportunities. Valued at $697.90, the Keeping it Short bundle collects nine OnDemand Webinars and one Writer's Digest Digital Edition, all centered on writing short stories, for the bargain price of $62.99. Whether you're just getting started, looking for ways to expand your skillset in this craft, or working towards publishing works you've already written, with this bundle you can save on learning valuable expertise from critically acclaimed writers about writing and publishing short stories.
Products included in the bundle:
Be Your Own Gatekeeper: Indie Publishing Your Short Fiction (OnDemand Webinar) The traditional short fiction market simply can’t accommodate the many excellent short stories that deserve to reach readers. But with an indie mindset, you don’t have to rely on gatekeepers. Instead, you can take control of your publishing journey, connecting directly with readers who will love your stories, turning them into fans, and generating income from your work.
Matty Dalrymple, author of Taking the Short Tack: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction, shares how to unlock the potential of short fiction.
Walk away with practical strategies to turn short fiction into a powerful tool for building your author brand and income. ($49.99 value)
Never Stop Never Stopping: The Golden Rules of Submitting Short Fiction (OnDemand Webinar) Writing short fiction is one skill; publishing stories is a whole different endeavor, but one that is completely achievable. Jeff Somers shares some of the lessons he's learned over the years about submitting and selling short fiction that have helped him get paid for his writing over the years. In this session, Somers breaks down the process so that other writers can find that same publishing success with their own stories. ($79.99 value)
How to Write a Short Story That Only You Can Write (OnDemand Webinar) tories have been told for centuries. There is no new story to be told. Still, every now and then, we encounter a story that we are convinced we have never seen before. A story that captures something so specific and still makes us feel less alone. How do we tell a story that is singularly yours? How do we learn from the masters, and still center ourselves in our stories? In this session, Deepa Rajagopalan will help writers navigate these questions and more. ($79.99 Value)
Find a Container and Fill It—Using Found Forms to Hold Your Story Idea (OnDemand Webinar) Creating a short story inside a pre-existing written form is a playful and powerful strategy for structuring an original short story. By examining stories in the form of a Multiple-choice-assignment, a How-to Guide, a Workplace Orientation, a List, a Field Guide, a Drinking Game, a Joke and a Museum Audio Guide, writers will learn how best to make use of a valuable tool in their toolbox. We’ll draw on excerpts of stories by Margaret Atwood, Lorrie Moore, Daniel Orozco, Jamaica Kincaid, Sofia Samatar and Kristiana Kahakauwila to explore ways borrowed forms can provide just the right shape to approach what it is we are trying to say. Useful both for generating new material and for revising older work. ($79.99 value)
How to End a Short Story? Lessons from Children's Picture Books (OnDemand Webinar) Children's picture books can teach us about the many forms satisfying short stories can take. We'll examine several picture books as examples, discussing common story shapes with a focus on how authors begin, build tension, and especially, end a short tale. Sheffer will share examples of short fiction for further reading, and exercises that participants can use to "try on" these story shapes to enrich their own writing. ($79.99)
Common Problems in Your Short Stories, and How to Fix Them (OnDemand Webinar) One of the most common problems I see in new writers and short fiction is when something essential is missing. Basing my teachings over the past 10 years on Freytag's Pyramid, if your story isn't working, it's usually one of a few key elements: narrative hooks, inciting incidents, conflicts, and resolutions (with denouements). We'll discuss the mechanics, and diagnosis, with some suggestions on how to fix those key areas. ($79.99) value)
How to Write Effective Endings for Short Fiction (OnDemand Webinar) Many writers, even those who begin beautifully, struggle with endings. Yet, we all know a brilliant ending when we read one. A brilliant ending compels you to say whoa. Then reread. And say whoa again. It can be poignant, messed up, surprising, gorgeous, tragic. But it should punch you in the gut or the heart–and it should leave a mark. It should echo off the page and haunt you all day long. In this class we’ll play with several strategies to rethink and uplevel your endings. You’ve already come this far–you’ve written the breathtaking opening, the humming middle… now it’s time to land the ending. And drop the mic. ($79.99 value)
How to Do Character in 5,000 Words or Less (OnDemand Webinar) Short stories are just that—short. Which makes everything harder, because you don’t have infinite words and pages to flesh out every aspect of your story. Character work is one of the biggest challenges, because you have to find ways to establish your characters and make them feel real with just a few lines. There are some specific strategies you can use to accomplish this quickly: 1. Noodle incidents; 2. Illustrative moments; 3. Phrasing!; 4. The Artful Use of Telling. ($79.99 value)
Making the Most of the Inciting Incident (OnDemand Webinar) Where does your story really begin? In this session, award-winning author and creative writing professor Ran Walker will explore the inciting incident (that point of transition between the exposition and the rising action) and how to recognize and make the most of this element in your own writing, whether you are writing short stories, flash fiction, or microfiction. ($79.99 value)
Writer's Digest January/February 2025 (Digital Edition) Whether you want to write personal essays that grab the attention of editors, write in a new genre, or simply generate more story ideas, this issue has it all.
Features include:
+ The WD Interview: Pat Barker: The Booker Prize winning author of Regeneration shares the role characters play in developing novel ideas, explains what appeals to her about reimagining mythology, and discusses the newest novel in her Women of Troy series, The Voyage Home. By Amy Jones
+ The Idea Factory: Tired of staring at an empty screen? Unlock your inner fiction generator with these surprising inspiration techniques. By Ryan G. Van Cleave
+ Seinfeld Was Right; That’s a Story: Use mundane moments from everyday life to create stories that pack a punch. By Jeff Somers
+ “You’ll be a great essay.” How to write six types of personal essays by finding the funny in your life. By Elissa Bassist
+ The Shortest Distance Between Two Points: 10 tips for writing a novel using 100-word stories. By Ran Walker
and more. ($79.99 value)
