Instructor: Crissy Van Meter
Length: 5 sessions, $450
Online course
This class explores techniques for creating, crafting and polishing a short story and preparing it for publication. We’ll examine and discuss literary elements like setting, plot, dialogue, voice, and character, while reading contemporary and classic short stories. A few authors we'll explore: Benjamin Percy, Louise Erdrich, Claire Vaye Watkins, Raymond Carver, Kelly Link, Junot Diaz, Margaret Atwood, and more.
Students will practice writing short fiction with weekly writing prompts. Each student will receive personalized feedback from the instructor if they choose to submit a short story. The goal of this course is for students to practice writing, and analyze short stories to gain the skill to edit and publish their own short fiction.
We'll focus on writing, editing, polishing, and submitting the short story, while examining literary journals and other outlets for future publication. Writers of all genres and levels are welcome and students are encouraged to come with a working or completed short story for instructor critique.
Crissy Van Meter has an MFA from The New School in New York City. She is the managing editor at Nouvella Books and the founding editor of Five Quarterly, a democratic literary project and magazine in Brooklyn. Her writing has appeared in VICE, Catapult, Guernica, Bustle, ESPN, The Hairpin, Golly, VIDA, and more. She is a volunteer creative writing instructor at the Downtown Women’s Center on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles.
Writing Institute Registration Process:
Step 1 - Registration Information: Complete this registration form in full.
Step 2 - Payment: Once you click submit on this form, a new page will appear in your browser with a payment link. Click on the payment link, complete the required information, and submit your payment.
Payment is required for your registration to be confirmed. If we don’t receive your payment within 48 hours of submission of this form, your registration will automatically be cancelled. You will have to complete the form again if you wish to register for the class.
Step 3 - Confirmation: Once we receive your payment, your registration will be finalized and confirmed with an email. Please keep this email for your records. Details about room assignment, parking, and any other information relevant to the course will be emailed to registered students the week before classes begin.
If you have questions about the registration process, please call us at 914-395-2205 or email writinginstitute@sarahlawrence.edu.
Registration is no longer available because the registration deadline has passed.