Wednesdays, April 26th - June 14th | To build a strong foundation for our writing, we must understand the basic elements of our craft. In this eight-week course, we will read contemporary short stories and consider how and why they work so successfully. For the first six weeks, we will take a deep look at a different element of craft each class and the skills that bring them to life: character, setting, plot, point of view, conflict, and theme. Through discussions and writing prompts, we will learn how to employ these skills and heighten these craft elements in our own writing. For the final two weeks, students will workshop their own stories, employing what they have learned. In our workshops, we will consider each submission with a thoughtful and open mind. By approaching every submission on its own terms, we will help our fellow writers hone their skills and deepen the impact of their stories. Finally, by sharing work, students will grow as editors and readers as well.

This course is for anyone who would like to write and would like to better understand the foundations of the craft. Through prompts and in-class activities, students will also generate the seeds for new work. By the end, students will leave this course with at least one complete short story and the skills and confidence for future writing.

Doug Henderson is the author of The Cleveland Heights LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Role Playing Club, and a winner of the PEN/Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. His work has appeared in the Iowa Review, Short Editions, and elsewhere. Originally from Cleveland, he received his MFA from the University of San Francisco. He lives in the Castro District with his husband and two children.

Scheduled class sessions will take place at The Writers Grotto at 1663 Mission Street, Suite 602 San Francisco, CA 94103. We ask that all students be masked.