Online Short Story Writing Courses

Develop your craft and tell the stories you're burning to tell, in our online short story writing courses.

You’ll get personal weekly instructor feedback on your work, ongoing collaboration with other writers, and a supportive course structure that will help you set and meet your writing goals.

Learn from published short story writers who have spent decades perfecting their craft and are dedicated to supporting you and your work.

Our online short story classes are filling fast. Find yours today!

online short story writing courses

Upcoming Online Short Story Writing Courses




March Courses

How to Firm Up the “Mushy Middle” of Any Story

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March 29 | 5 Weeks | $345

Ensure a strong middle throughline for any story. Say goodbye to the "mushy middle," and hello to stories that work.

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April Courses

Untie the Tropes: Write In-Depth YA Protagonists

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April 5 | 5 Weeks | $345

Do you want to write YA, but you're terrified of teenagers? Learn how to write authentic teen characters without tropes in this generative YA course.

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Writing with Consistency and Courage

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April 8 | Single-Day Webinar | $115

What makes a successful writer? It's not talent, craft, or even the right connections—it's consistency and courage.

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Getting Started Marketing Your Work

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April 12 | 4 Weeks | $295

Only 3 seats left!

Solve the mystery of marketing and get your work out there in front of readers in this 4-week online class taught by Instructor Gloria Kempton.

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A Writerly Life: Develop a Writing Routine that Works for You

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April 19 | 5 Weeks | $345

What does a writer's life look like? Build a productive writing habit in this course for writers of all backgrounds.

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Growing Smaller: The Art of Micro- and Short Fiction

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April 19 | 4 Weeks | $295

Less is more. Learn the ropes of flash and micro-fiction in this 4-week course and hone the art of the short-short story.

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Observing What’s Vivid in Prose and Poetry

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April 19 | 4 Weeks | $295

Learn how to spotlight beauty through fresh, vivid, and surprising language, in this four week mindfulness writing course.

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Overcome Writing Anxiety: Boost Your Storytelling Confidence in Four Short Weeks!

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April 26 | 4 Weeks | $295

"Who are you to want to write?" Someone great, that's who! Politely ask Mr. or Ms. Fear to step aside while you sign up for this fun, freeing and functional adventure.

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May Courses

The Watching Eye/Thinking Mind: Writing Flash Fiction

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May 24 | 10 Weeks | $595

In this ten-week workshop with poet and novelist Barbara Henning, write tiny fictions while experimenting with first and third person points of view and analyzing how point of view affects the craft of fiction writing. Barbara will provide practical instruction and assignments, suggestions for revision, and lectures and and articles.

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June Courses

Scene Study: Strengthen Your Writing with Compelling Scenes

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June 1 | 5 Weeks | $345

Great stories are constructed with great scenes. Immerse your reader in your stories by learning the ropes of scene development.

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Get It Done: Create the Scaffolding to Start (and Finish) a Writing Project

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June 4 | 2 Single-Day Webinars | $195

Get your butt in the chair, your mind roaming freely, and your creative juices flowing in this motivational, all-genres writing class.

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In Bloom: Nature Writing Workshop

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June 7 | 6 Weeks | $395

Want to write about nature like Robert Frost, Henry David Thoreau, or Annie Dillard? Join us for this six-week nature writing course.

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Story Lab: Story Structure 101

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June 21 | 5 Weeks | $295

Structure is essential to great storytelling. Learn how to roadmap any story in this comprehensive story structure class.

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July Courses

Starting to Write

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July 12 | 8 Weeks | $495

For those who want to kick start their writing into high gear.

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Unscheduled Courses

These online writing classes don’t currently have a next session on our calendar, but will soon. If you see a course you’re interested in, use the “I’m Interested” button to let us know, and we’ll follow up with you when the course is on our calendar next.

Want to reach us or our instructors with questions about our online writing courses? Contact us at writers@writers.com, or visit the contact form.

(Live Workshop) Get Clear on Your Story and Voice

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

What is your story about? What is your voice? Whether you write poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, hone your writing in this 3 hour workshop.

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(Live Workshop) The Art of Love Stories: A Flash Fiction Workshop

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

How do you distill love into 1,500 words or less? Zining Mok explains in this love stories flash fiction workshop.

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(Live Workshop) Writing Beginnings and Endings

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

How do you write a story that's compelling to start and satisfying to finish? Sarah Aronson explains in this comprehensive one-day workshop.

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*Private Class | Create Story Characters Using the Enneagram

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January 1 | 10 to 14 weeks | $695

In-depth character development using an ancient personality study of human motivation--the Enneagram.

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*Private Class | Shadow Writing

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January 1 | 8 to 12 Weeks | $595

Your unconscious can drive your writing or block it. Gloria Kempton will guide you in coaxing your shadow out of hiding.

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*Private Class | The Anti-Hero’s Journey for Storytellers

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January 1 | 8 to 12 Weeks | $695

Throughout her writing career, Gloria Kempton has met many anti-heroes. In this course, you’ll receive feedback on your story antagonists.

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Accessing Your Writer’s Voice

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3 Weeks | $245

Voice: What is it and how do you find yours? Instructor Gloria Kempton offers feedback on assignments in this 3-week online class.

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Beyond Formula: Writing Love Scenes With Spirit, Passion, Grit And Character Truth

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5 Weeks | $345

Write about love beyond trite sentiment and shallow fictions. Work down to the real thing: deep, powerful, destructive, exalted, fundamental.

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Boost Your Imagination and Reap the Literary Rewards

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4 Weeks | $295

It happens to all of us: life gets in the way and our creativity falters. Get back on track with this four-week creativity boosting class!

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But What Is Your Story Really About? Finding the Core of Your Short Memoir, Story, or Personal Essay

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4 Weeks | $295

Take a four-week writing adventure deep into the core of your story, to find the true theme of your personal essay, short story, or short memoir.

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Claiming Our Stories: Autobiography, Memoir & Autobiographical Fiction

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10 Weeks | $595

Turn your experience into fiction, autobiography, or creative memoir. Bring forward stories with a powerful truth at their core. Instructor Anya Achtenberg.

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Crafting a Story or Novel Chapter Using Forward-Moving Tension

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5 Weeks | $345

How do writers tell stories with tension, action, and emotion? Learn how to write forward-moving tension in this 5 week fiction course.

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De Novo: How to Build Your Own Fantasy or Sci-Fi World

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6 Weeks | $395

Create captivating worlds in this comprehensive worldbuilding course. You'll come away with fantastic settings that make your stories mesmerizing, believable, and real.

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Deepening and Organizing Our Stories: Memoir/Creative Nonfiction and Autobiographical Fiction

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10 Weeks | $595

For writers of memoir, creative nonfiction and fiction, with some experience. Particularly helpful to writers in the midst of a longer work.

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Discover Your Writing Niche

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8 Weeks | $495

Only 3 seats left!

Fiction or nonfiction? Article, short story, or how-to book? Do you want to write for children, teens, adults? There is a type of writing that is best suited for you, and the discovery process can be an adventure.

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Drafty in Here: Write Your Novella in Ten Weeks

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10 Weeks | $595

Write the entire first draft of a novella-length story, with plenty of feedback from stage to stage, and finish with a plan for revising toward a publishable manuscript.

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Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity

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6 Weeks | $395

Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.

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Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work

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6 Weeks | $395

Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.

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Find Your Brave: Publishing As An Act Of Courage

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4 Weeks | $295

In this fun, transformative four-week program, get tips and techniques to bring out your courage to publish a story in print or online.

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Finding the Real Story: Essential Elements of Story in Fiction and Memoir

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10 Weeks | $595

Address the larger issues of writing story through a look at the essential elements of narrative in fiction and memoir.

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Finish Your Manuscript: Next-Level Picture Book Mentorship

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6 Weeks | $415

During this six week program, you will work closely one-on-one with Kelly to finalize, refine, and polish your picture book into a manuscript ready to submit for publication or representation.

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Flash Fiction: Writing the Short-Short Story

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10 Weeks | $595

Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.

Write 1–3-page flash fiction in this online course with Barbara Henning, drawing on classic, poetic & experimental elements. Read the form’s masters.

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Free Panel Discussion: Romance Reader to Writer

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1-Day Free Panel Discussion | $0

Join us for a free Zoom panel discussion with three industry experts in the field of Romance writing!

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How to Write Character-Driven Stories

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6 Weeks | $395

Characters don't just drive the story, they are the story. Learn how to craft character-centered fiction and give life to the people on your page.

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How to Write Great Stories

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6 Weeks | $395

Learn how to combine character, setting, plot, and other elements of fiction to write powerful, compelling stories.

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Humor Is The New Black!

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4 Weeks | $295

Ready to add a splash of fun to your writing life? Join us for a four-week humor writing class. We’ll read. We’ll laugh. We’ll write. We’ll experiment.

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I’ve Drunk Your Poisoned Nectar: Writing with the Goddess

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8 Weeks | $495

Dig deep into the rich mythology of South Asian goddesses to find new inspiration for your work in this generative, open-genre writing class.

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In Your Own Words: Transforming Life Into Memoir and Fiction

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8 Weeks | $495

Learn how to draw inspiration and material from your life experiences or those of people you know, or want to know, to craft compelling, publishable memoirs, personal essays, autobiographical novels and short stories, and/or narrative poetry.

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Intro to Fiction Writing

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8 Weeks | $495

What makes a good fiction story? Learn how to write compelling stories in this eight-week intro to fiction course, with Donna Levin.

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Introduction to Writing Genre Fiction

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10 Weeks | $595

Take the whirlwind tour! Learn the conventions of eight major fiction genres, try them out, and figure out your niche.

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Let It Rip: The Art of Writing Fiery Prose

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6 Weeks | $395

Only 2 seats left!

You'll write prose that gets folks so hot and bothered they won't be able to put it down, even if it isn't about sex.

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Make Your Prose Sing

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

Enrich your prose with techniques from poetry. Bring paper and pens; leave with a better ear and lots of ideas about how to make your prose sing.

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Manuscript Review for Children’s Writers: Summer Edition

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5 Weeks | $345

Instructor Sarah Aronson welcomes all writers who are working on manuscripts for kids and teens. This advanced workshop will focus entirely on the participants' own work in progress.

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Manuscript Workshop: Writing For Young Readers

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8 Weeks | $495

Author Denise Santomauro leads this intermediate/advanced workshop on writing for children. It offers support, structure and detailed feedback on manuscripts.

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Mastering the Elements of Fiction

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10 Weeks | $595

In this course, you’ll work with the basic elements of fiction--the fundamentals that drive the story and determine the quality of the work.

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Plumbing the Past: Turning Life Experience into Poetry, Flash and Creative Non-Fiction

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4 Weeks | $295

Dig deep into personal ritual while studying narrative poets, short fiction and non-fiction authors, and food writers.

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Poetic Prose: The Prose Poem

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10 Weeks | $595

Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.

Explore the border between prose poetry and flash fiction. For writers of fiction, poetry, essay and memoir.

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Rapid Story Development: A Master Plan for Building Stories That Work

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10 Weeks | $595

Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.

In this 10 week story writing class, Jeff Lyons pairs the Enneagram with story development techniques to revolutionize your writing practice.

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Roads Into Writing: Opening New Terrain In Your Work

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6 Weeks | $395

Write like mad, read brilliant books & deepen your craft while exploring new paths to inspiration. With novelist and poet Anya Achtenberg, .

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Suspense Sells! Power Up Your Writing With Conflict, Tension and Emotion

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4 Weeks | $295

Inject suspense into your stories to keep readers turning pages. For writers of all kinds of fiction: thrillers, mysteries, romance, humor, literary and memoir. A four week class with Giulietta Nardone.

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Techwashed!: Writing with AI, Data, and Surveillance

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2 Saturday Workshops | $205

Raise a mirror against society's relationship to technology in this two part workshop series where we will learn how to write about tech.

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Ten Steps to Creating Interesting, In-Depth Characters

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

How do you write about people convincingly? Empower your character development in this workshop filled with exercises and character discussion.

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The Chronology of Mind: From Journal to Poem or Prose

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10 Weeks | $595

Gather material through writing and experimenting with journaling, researching and taking notes to develop into poems or prose works.

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The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy

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10 Weeks | $595

Create fantastical worlds with mythical beings in this comprehensive introduction to fantasy and science fiction.

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The Five Ws (and One H) of Drafting Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels

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8 Weeks | $495

Asking yourself these six questions will give you the scaffolding for your next young adult or middle grade novel.

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The Micro-obstacles/Flow Technique

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3 Weeks | $245

Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.

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The Sixth Sense: Writing Horror with a Message

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4 Weeks | $295

Looking to write the substance of nightmares? Learn the ropes of horror writing in this spine-chilling fiction course.

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Turn Up the Heat: How to Write Good Sex

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2 Single-Day Webinars | $195

How do you write sex scenes that are both erotic and realistic? Make your reader's heart race in this webinar on writing good sex.

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What to Do When Your Characters Fall in Love: Writing Romance in Any Genre

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5 Weeks | $345

Relationships are an important feature of fiction—and not just romances! If your non-romance work has love involved, learn the ropes in this 5 week course, open to writers of all genres.

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Word Flashes & Eye Snapshots: Sketching Your Life Awake

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8 Weeks | $495

For any writer wanting to root writing in vision and vision in the body: for poetry, fiction, essay, memoir & pleasure.

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Write from the Untamed Mind: Find Your Voice

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6 Weeks | $395

Join Susan in two writing circles each week: intimate spaces for writers to free-write together, saying yes to whatever shows up, followed by group read-arounds. These writing sessions are spontaneous, intimate, freeing, and transformative.

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Write Your Children’s Book!

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8 Weeks | $495

If you’re looking for accountability, support, enthusiasm, feedback, and a chance to make progress on your Children's Book or YA story, then this is the place for you.

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Write Your Picture Book!

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6 Weeks | $395

Picture books have changed greatly over the last few decades, and the market is wide open for fresh ideas. Join us in this six-week intensive where we’ll take that idea of yours and turn it into a manuscript!

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Writing Autobiographical Fiction

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8 Weeks | $495

Learn to depart from "what really happened," and write compelling fiction from your own life experiences.

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Writing Circle Workshop: Writing for Happiness, Healing, and Health (Monday/Friday)

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6 Weeks | $395

Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.

Expressive writing can be a powerful elixir for what ails you. Learn and practice tools for writing expressively, including two virtual writing circles each week, turn raw writing into poetry or prose, and come away with a better understanding of how writing can lead toward wellness.

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Writing Circle Workshop: Writing for Happiness, Healing, and Health (Tuesday/Saturday)

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6 Weeks | $395

Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.

Expressive writing can be a powerful elixir for what ails you. Learn and practice tools for writing expressively, including two virtual writing circles each week, turn raw writing into poetry or prose, and come away with a better understanding of how writing can lead toward wellness.

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Writing Circles: Finding Community, Clarity, Poetry, and Prose

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8 Weeks | $495

Join our writing circle to form a writing community, find clarity in your words, and turn your untamed free-writes into poetry and/or prose.

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Writing Cross Genre

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1-Day Free Panel Discussion | $0

On March 9th at 10 AM, Writers.com instructor Nicole Hardy will lead a workshop on writing cross genre at independent publisher Chin Music Press. Using Chin Music Press’s title, A Commonplace Book Of Pie by Kate Lebo, Nicole will demonstrate how poets can write nonfiction, novelists can tackle screenplays, graphic novelist can compose short stories, or any combination of writing in a…

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Writing for Kids: Entering the World of Children’s Literature

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

Learn the fundamentals of writing for children in this one day workshop, and write the kinds of stories that kids simply can't put down.

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Writing Short Stories with the Empathic Approach

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8 weeks | $495

Great fiction brings deeper understanding. Foster a greater sense of connection and supercharge your stories in this empathy-driven fiction class.

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Writing Spontaneously: How to Let Your Stories Surprise You

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

Some of the best stories don't follow a specific plot structure; they develop organically. Learn how to hone spontaneity in your fiction writing and come away surprised by your work.

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Writing the Absurd

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8 Weeks | $495

If you turn on to the absurd in life—to the ironic, edgy, bizarre, and grotesque—this is the course for you. Learn the key techniques of writing absurdist fiction, dark fiction, and satire.

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Writing the Short Story

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10 Weeks | $595

Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.

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Writing with Tarot

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8 Weeks | $495

Jump-start your creative juices, and explore a world of divination, symbolism, and imagery right at your fingertips: learn short story and novel writing through Tarot.

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Unscheduled Online Short Story Writing Classes

Browse our full short story offerings below. Let us know which online short story writing courses you're interested in, and we'll contact you with dates when we're ready to put them on our calendar.

Articles on Short Story Writing

Why Take an Online Short Story 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 short story 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.
  • Your course instructor will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.