Creative Writing: Short Fiction

Course Description:

This 1-on-1 class is designed for highly motivated students interested in fiction writing and who are motivated to write several high-quality pieces. The goal of the course will be to finalize students’ writing for a personal portfolio that will be self-published and that can be submitted to contests or student journals, such as Scholastic, Bennington Young Writers, and the Middlebury Breadloaf Program.  While students are encouraged to begin the class with some ideas for topics they’d like to write about, their personal tutor will guide them through the brainstorming, writing, and revising process.

The class will be fast-paced, and will involve reading assorted short stories. These readings will serve as models and inspirations for students’ own projects.  Class time will be devoted primarily to developing students’ ideas into tangible narratives with developed characters, compelling plot-lines, and precise language. Students are encouraged to begin the class with some ideas for topics they’d like to write about.  Homework will be assigned and will consist of reading 1-2 stories between each session and writing or editing original work.