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Find Your Next Writing Course Today!
Discover Free Creative Writing Courses, Learning For All Levels Of Writers, Self-Paced Writing Classes, And Online Writing Courses Taught By Published Authors.
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Here are 27 online short story writing courses giving lessons, tips and guidance on how to write a short story and improve fiction writing. These are short story courses online for beginner and intermediate writers or advanced writers wanting to hone their skills.
The following online short story writing courses include short story writing workshops and short story writing classes that are free as well as those requiring a fee. Find instant access, self-paced courses or enrol onto a short story writing course online with set course dates. If you want to find a short story creative writing course to learn how to write short stories, check out these 27 top online short story writing courses free and paid. 
Find your next free short story writing course:
1. Starting to Write – FREE 10 Lesson Course on Writing Short Stories✔ FREE ✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED ✔ NO SIGN-UP REQUIRED A free short story writing course from Toby Litt, an English author who teaches creative writing at Birkbeck College, London. His published works include Wrestliana, Lilian's Spell Book, and Patience. Whether you are beginner or a writer who wishes to improve their craft, this 10-lesson course provides the basics of writing short stories. Each lesson takes approx. an hour, and all lesson are available via Toby’s website with no sign-up required. If your aim is to write better stories, this free short story course could benefit you. View course: Starting to Write – A Free 10 Lesson Course on Writing Short Stories
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2. How to Craft a Killer Short Story [FREE] – Reedsy✔ FREE ✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED On this free short story course you will learn the different skill set required to write short stories and how to apply these skills to your writing. This writing course has an emphasis on submitting to short story magazines. The lessons on this course include an introduction to short story writing, building characters, embracing the restrictions of a short story, editing your work, researching literary magazines, submitting your work, and more. View course: How to Craft a Killer Short Story 3. FREE Short Story Writing Course – Christopher Fielden✔ FREE ✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED This free short story course “focuses on the art of the short story and flash fiction writing, with a strong emphasis on getting your work published”. For both beginner and intermediate writers, this course is ideal if you want to develop your fiction writing and see your work published. The video lessons on this course include key short story writing tips, common mistakes that short story writers make, details on an opportunity that guarantees publication, and more. The course instructor is Christopher Fielden who is an award-winning and Amazon bestseller. He was an award-winning finalist in the Fiction: Short Story category of the International Book Awards in 2019. This is a self-paced course with unlimited access, so you can take as long as you like to complete the lessons. As the website states, you have nothing to lose, so give it a go! View course: Free Short Story Writing Course 4. How to Show and Not Tell in Short Stories [FREE] – Writers Write✔ FREE ✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED This free writing course highlights the importance of “show, don’t tell”, which is even more essential when writing a short story due to the limited word count. There are 9 lessons, which include exercises, examples and theory, and they are self-paced and can be accessed at any time. This course was created by Mia Botha, who founded the 12 Short Stories in 12 Months and the 12 Poems in 12 Months challenges. She is also the author of Write the Crap Out of It and Other Short Story Writing Advice. Since becoming a teacher, she has been guiding and sharing her knowledge for nearly 10 years. View course: How to Show and Not Tell in Short Stories 5. Creative Writing Course [FREE] – The Crafty Writer✔ FREE ✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED ✔ NO SIGN-UP REQUIRED This free creative writing course has been created by Fiona Veitch Smith, who is an author, freelance journalist, editor, playwright, screenwriter and writing teacher. This eight-session course provides an "introduction to the basic elements of creative writing", including how to write a short story: “A look at how writing a short story differs from writing a novel, and some tips on short story structure”.
View course: Creative Writing Course
Find your next short story writing course (require a fee):
6. Joyce Carol Oates Teaches the Art of the Short Story✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS An online short story writing course from Joyce Carol Oates, the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of We Were the Mulvaneys, Blonde, and The Falls. On this MasterClass course you will "find ideas from your own experiences and perceptions, experiment with structure, and improve your craft, one sentence at a time". The 14 video lessons cover the principles of writing short fiction, observation techniques, structure and form, writing and revision workshops, and much more. From beginner to advanced writers, this online short story writing course teaches you how to harness your own storytelling skills and flair. Check out Joyce Carol Oates Teaches the Art of the Short Story 7. Writing Short Stories – Curtis Brown Creative✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 6-WEEK COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS On this course, participants will “write and edit a complete short story and learn essential fiction-writing techniques on our course from award-winning short story-writer Cynan Jones”. Whether you’re just starting on your creative writing journey or you’d like to learn how to write clearly, briefly and succinctly – the writing style that lends itself to creating short stories. On this 6-week online writing course, students will go through the practice of writing and editing a complete story while being given the tools required to create a unique and successful story. As well as the weekly writing tasks, there are also videos and exercises set by the tutor, and students receive a short piece of feedback on one of the writing tasks.
View course: Writing Short Stories 8. Writing Short Fiction – Writers' HQ✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 6-WEEK COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS A 6-week online short story course packed with progressive exercises, guidance and advice on story structure, characterization, narrative voice, editing and redrafting, as well as submitting stories to magazines and competitions. Students will receive weekly inspiration, writing prompts, plenty of theory, top tips for authors and story examples to use. There is also a forum to discuss techniques and ideas, and receive advice from fellow students. The aim for students is to “finish the course with at least one short story and a number of transferrable exercises and processes for your continued writing”. Lessons include structure, tense and perspective; building character; redrafting; and more. View course: Writing Short Fiction 9. Writing Short Stories – Faber Academy✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 5-DAY COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS Enroll on to this intensive 5-day online course to learn the craft of writing short stories whether you're a new writer or if you need to kick-start your writing process. The course states “this creative and inspiring examination of the art of the short story examines the form from a writer’s perspective. It is also a hands-on experience, turning theory into practical effect as each participant is nurtured and guided towards the completion of a story from beginning to end". By studying a masterpiece of short fiction, which you will read in advance, students will explore the literary and historical context. Essential elements of fiction such as characterisation, setting, and narrative structure are also looked at, with the aim to incorporate theory with practice. The course is delivered over five consecutive days. Each morning session is three-and-a-half-hours and includes formal teaching and group discussion; in the afternoon there is optional writing time. There is a set course start date with a set number of places available. View course: Writing Short Stories 10. Short Story Course – Writers Online✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ 8-MODULE COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS This online short story writing course “will teach you to create credible plots and structure your story before showing you how to present your work ready for publication”. The course modules teach the skills and disciplines required to write short stories, how to shape your story using construction and pace, adding characters, structuring the narrative and dialogue, developing your plot, and also researching the various markets where you can submit short stories for publication. If you want to sharpen your creative skills and create short stories for publication, this online writing course could benefit you. View course: Short Story Course 11. Short Story Writing – City, University of London✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 10-WEEK COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS This is the ideal online writing course for anyone looking to learn the techniques and skills of writing an engaging and creative short story, and students will also receive advice and tips on submitting their work for publication. Whether you're a new or proficient writer, this course will enable “writers to gain confidence in exploring and developing their creativity through short story writing, reading and group discussion". Upon completion of the course, participants will have written two short stories between 2000-5000 words each. For recreational writers or those wanting to have a writing career, the lessons cover character and dialogue, plot and structure, setting and descriptive writing, narrative and point of view, genre and style, submitting your work, and much more. The course aims to develop students' skills through writing exercises and receiving professional feedback on short stories written. The lessons are conducted online for 2-hour evening sessions each week at set times. There are set course start dates which follow the academic year, and there are a certain number of places available. View course: Short Story Writing 12. How to Write an Original Short Story – Udemy✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS ✔ CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION This online short story writing course will benefit writers who want to start writing fiction but don't know where to begin, would like help to finish writing their story, want to develop their writing to improve their skills, or need strategies for overcoming writers' block. Students of this course will receive step-by-step guidance "to writing fiction from an idea to a complete draft". On this course you will understand reader expectations for fiction, how to show not tell, the skills required to create dramatic tension in your storytelling, how to develop believable characters, tips on writing effective opening and closing scenes, how to write dialogue, and much more, and more. The course comprises 3 hours video lessons, 19 downloadable resources, and a certificate of completion. This is a self-paced course and accessible at any time. View course: How to Write an Original Short Story 13. Online Short Story Course – Comma Press✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 6-WORKSHOP COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS An online short story course with Michelle Green who is an acclaimed author and works with both beginner and experienced writers in short fiction, narrative non-fiction and poetry. The course comprises 6 workshops which are held fortnightly via Zoom. The booking deadline is a week before the due start date. On this course "you’ll discover both technical and aesthetic elements of short story writing". The key lessons taught are characterization, dialogue, narrative voice, plot, and creating dramatic tension in your fiction writing. View course: Online Short Story Course 14. Short Story Writing For Beginners – Udemy✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS ✔ CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION This online course offers guidance to writers who don't know how to begin writing a short story, who want to become a skilled fiction writer, would like to find their writing style, and want to learn how to take an idea to a published story. If you would like to know how to come up with ideas, how to find your voice, strategies to develop a writing habit, and how to publish and market your stories, this short story course could be perfect for you. On this course you will improve your writing skills, and learn how to plot and structure a story, how to write dialogue, characterization, and more. The course comprises 2.5 hours video lessons, 14 articles, and a certificate of completion. This is a self-paced course and accessible at any time. View course: Short Story Writing For Beginners
Discover more short story writing courses (require a fee):
15. How to Write Short Stories That Resonate – Goldsmiths, University of London✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS This short story writing course "is an excellent introduction to the short story, how to decode the best ones and begin to write your own". If you want to learn the discipline of writing a succinct and original short story, this online writing course could be ideal for you.
View course: How to Write Short Stories That Resonate 16. Write a Short Story in a Weekend – City Lit✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 2-DAY COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS This is a 2-day online writing course where "through a series of inspiring exercises you'll be introduced to some key fiction writing techniques and encouraged to draft a short story from beginning to end". If you would like learn how to start your story, create and develop characters, establish mood, themes and subtext, find the right ending, and much more, this course could help you.
View course: Write a Short Story in a Weekend 17. Short Story Writing for Magazines Course – UK Writers College✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED* ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS This is a self-paced online short story course where you can "learn how to write short stories that sell" and receive "all the basics of short story writing in one course". If you would like learn all the different aspects of how to create a short story, write 8 stories and receive feedback on them, write a cover letter to submit your work to magazine editors, and more, this course could be the one for you.
View course: Short Story Writing for Magazines Course 18. Introduction to Writing Short Stories – Unthank School✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 8-WEEK COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS An 8-week online short story course where you will "discover how great stories are crafted" and which "explores the elements of successful short fiction with prize-winning writer and experienced editor, Tom Vowler". Even if you have no experience of writing stories or if you would like productive and informative tips and guidance to improve your writing ready for publication, this course could be the ideal option for you.
View course: Introduction to Writing Short Stories 19. Intro to Writing the Short Story – Lighthouse Writers Workshop✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 8-WEEK COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS This online writing course to craft short stories via Zoom will "introduce you to the short story form, and, more importantly, get you writing". On this 8-week course you will carry out writing exercises for the first half and then workshop each other's stories for the second 4 weeks. For beginners and writers wanting to improve their short story writing skills, if you would like to learn point of view, pacing, setting, dialogue, how to show not tell, and more, this course could benefit you.
View course: Intro to Writing the Short Story 20. Short Story Fundamentals – Writer's Digest University✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 4-WEEK COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS During this 4-week workshop, students will "write and hone an entire short story from beginning to end, and you'll leave with a polished draft of your story". Also, "you will get insider information about what editors are looking for in short stories they choose to publish". Both new and advanced writers will benefit from learning the unique structure when crafting short stories and the difficulties to overcome in this particular medium of writing. If you would like to discover how to ensure your short story opening is strong and your ending has maximum impact, and everything in between, this course could help you.
View course: Short Story Fundamentals 21. Short Story Writing – Australian College✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED* ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS ✔ CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
This online short story course will "teach you about your role as a short story writer, the writing industry in Australia, different forms of writing, how to communicate to a reading audience and how to network and present stories to the market". If you would like to study on a course where you will learn about rhythm, pace, transitions, point of view, characterization, dialogue, use of narrative, story structure, setting, and more, this course could be the ideal option for you.
View course: Short Story Writing 22. Short Story Writing Course – Foxes' Retreat✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 6-WEEK COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS Usually run as a writing retreat, Myszka Matthews is currently offering her short story writing course online via Zoom. This short story course will help you develop your story, characterization, point of view, narrative voice, and much more. Myszka has many years of experience teaching adults and teenagers, and she is working on a short story collection for an anthology as well as a historical novel.
View course: Short Story Writing Course 23. How to Write a Short Story – Universal Class✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS ✔ CERTIFICATE OPTION AVAILABLE On this short story course "if you're a reader and thought you might like to try your hand at short story writing but just don't know how to get started, this course will help". If you would like to learn the correct way to craft a short story, help with the editing and proofreading process, discover new writing techniques and skills, find new ways to express yourself, and much more, this course could benefit you.
View course: How to Write a Short Story 24. Short Story Writing Course – Fish Publishing✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED* ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS This online short story course is "a tailored online program that will not only develop your general writing skills but will explore in depth the potential of the short story genre". If you would like to learn narrative perspective, shape and structure, characterization, and more, and have written a complete piece of short fiction that will be submitted into a short story prize competition, this course could be the ideal option for you.
View course: Short Story Writing Course 25. An Introduction to Short Story Writing – University of Cambridge✔ SET COURSE DATES ✔ 7-WEEK COURSE ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS ✔ CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION* This short story writing course "encourages students to identify how short stories ‘work’ by considering classic examples which, in each class, illustrate a particular aspect of short story composition". If you would like to learn the art of short story writing, understand the various subgenres in this writing medium, take part in practical writing exercises, and apply writing techniques used by other authors, this course could benefit you.
View course: Introduction to Short Story Writing 26. Writing Short Stories – Learn Direct✔ INSTANT ACCESS ✔ SELF-PACED ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS ✔ CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT On this online short story course, students will "learn how to create characters, use description, create a setting and plot a short story with this course in Short Story Writing". Students will master the craft of effective fiction writing, learn engaging and realistic dialogue and action, and discover the techniques used to create suspenseful writing. If you would like to write effective stories, and know how to plan your plot, how to characterize, how to sell short stories, and more, this course could help you.
View course: Writing Short Stories 27. Creative Writing: Short Story – UCLA Extension✔ SET START DATES ✔ 11-WEEK COURSE* ✔ BEGINNER & ADVANCED WRITERS Students will "start writing short stories in this introductory course where they will learn the key elements of powerful fiction and participate in a collaborative writers". The aim is for students to develop three short stories by the end of this course. If you would like to discover the key elements of fiction writing, including characterization, plot, point of view, setting, various story development techniques, together with information on publication markets, this course could be the ideal option for you.
View course: Creative Writing: Short Story Comments are closed.
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