How to Write Your Best Short Story
Join the longtime editor of "The Best American Short Stories" for an inside look at everything that goes into making a short work of fiction sing.
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Cost: $185
Student Limit: 15
Writers who are new to fiction usually start with short stories, but this classic form is not as simple as it may appear. Every word matters in the short story. Every narrative choice is more visible and impactful than in longer forms. Great short stories come from intentionality when formulating structure, point of view, narrative distance, and characterization.
Bestselling fiction writer Heidi Pitlor was the longtime series editor of the perennial bestseller, The Best American Short Stories, for two decades, and she has worked with many of the most well-known names in contemporary fiction. In this intimate three-hour seminar, Heidi will offer a rare look inside a beloved American genre, guiding writers in exploring how to make informed decisions in order to write stories that ultimately engage, transport and move readers.
Through discussion, examining samples of successful short stories, and Q&A, Heidi will help students understand the foundational elements of short story writing and cultivate their own individual processes, as well as come to more fully own their own voices on the page. Heidi will discuss what she and her guest editors looked for during her eighteen years at the helm of The Best American Short Stories, and what all writers can learn from this.
This class is right for you ifâŠ
Youâre a memoir writer, essayist or journalist and you want to make the jump to fiction.
Youâve tried your hand at short stories and want guidance on how to make each piece as compelling as possible.
You want to develop an understanding of this form, whether your ultimate goal is writing short stories, novels or even memoir.
After this class youâll be ready toâŠ
Start writing short stories that will resonate with readers and editors alike.
This class takes place on Thursday, January 22 from 6pm to 9pm ET. All Narratively Academy classes are conducted online and accessible to students anywhere in the world. This class will be recorded and shared with all enrolled students, but live attendance and participation is strongly encouraged.
Your Instructor: Heidi Pitlor was the series editor of the annual bestselling anthology The Best American Short Stories from 2007-2024. Before that, she was a senior editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for ten years. She is the editorial director of Plympton, a literary studio who seeks to bridge literature and technology. In 2022, she founded Heidi Pitlor Editorial, a small firm that provides editorial support to authors, agents, and publishers. She has worked with Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Cheryl Strayed, Min Jin Lee, Andrew Sean Greer, Jennifer Egan, Elizabeth Strout, Richard Russo, Lee Child, Anthony Doerr, B. A. Paris, Rainbow Rowell, Jesmyn Ward, Alix Harrow, Janelle Brown, Angie Kim, Curtis Sittenfeld, and many other writers.
Heidi is also the author of the bestselling novels The Birthdays, a Book Sense Top 20 pick and a Borderâs Original Voices selection; The Daylight Marriage, which was optioned for film, named an Indie Next pick, and featured as a âmust readâ by Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Harperâs Bazaar, Coastal Living Magazine, Family Circle, The Advocate, and Health Magazine; and Impersonation, a Good Morning America Must Read, an Apple Books Best Book, and an Indie Next Great Read. The New York Times Book Review said of Impersonation, âPitlorâs voice is witty and brisk...like sitting down with a refreshingly honest friend who skips the part about how great her life is and dives right into the real stuff. We need more friends like this. Authors, too.â Her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Lit Hub, Ploughshares, The Huffington Post, and elsewhere.
Registration Details: Seats in this class are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Cancellation Policy:
Full refund when canceling 7 or more days before the class start date.
50% refund when canceling less than 7 days before the class start date.
No cancellations after the class start date.
Questions? Email us at academy@narratively.com.
MORE: Check out all of our upcoming Narratively Academy classes here.