I am told there are still a few in-person slots available for the workshop my friend, the incredibly talented author (and literally the most well read person I’ve ever met) Rafe Posey and I will be leading at the end of the month through Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network.

The subject is the writing, picking, and submitting of short-form genre fiction. Writers of all experience levels, and ages 14 and up, are welcome. Both in-person and virtual participation is an option. Registration is open now — and seats are limited.

For this workshop, Rafe and I have designed a curriculum that will take participants from generating ideas, to revising a finished short story, to submitting their polished work to appropriate markets. 

Here’s the official description: 

“Over the course of seven weeks, you’ll generate ideas for an original piece of short-form genre fiction (mystery, horror, romance, historical, experimental, etc.) of 1,500-6,000 words, based on provided prompts. You’ll workshop that piece to prepare it for being submitted for publication. You’ll also learn about the contemporary marketplace for short genre fiction and how to select the best venues for your story.

“Each of the first four weeks are dedicated to a different specific aspect of genre writing (worldbuilding, point of view, voice, writing within constraints, homage, and style). You’ll read examples of each, engage in class discussions, and then write a short piece (800-1,200 words) with an emphasis on that week’s central topic.

“Week five will be a thorough discussion of the contemporary short fiction marketplace with regards to genre work specifically, best submission and querying practices, and lessons to take away from rejections. You’ll research five potential marketplaces to which you could submit your work after completing the course.

“Meanwhile, you’ll complete your final assignment — choosing one of the initial four “mini-assignments” as a starting point, write a complete short story between 1,200 and 6,000 words long in your chosen genre. The last two weeks will focus on group critiques and workshopping those stories.”

Between us, Rafe and I have practical first-hand experience in essentially every possible aspect of writing and publishing fiction. And I think this class is going to be a huge success. If you are interested to learn more, check out the course listing in the BARN catalogue here.