Comma Press Short Story Course with Karline Smith at Hope Mill

Organised by Ancoats-based Comma Press, one of the UK’s leading publishers of short fiction, this course of six workshops, led by Manchester author Karline Smith, will help you get a handle on short story writing.

You’ll develop three short stories to completion under the watchful eye of “hard-boiled female urban noir writer” Karline Smith.

You’ll look at the predominant narrative structures used by short story writers and receive tailored advice on how to shape a story, and how to improve the characterisation, dialogue and narrative voice in your own work. Completing set writing tasks between workshops, and receiving structured, peer-driven feedback, you’ll develop three short stories to completion under the watchful eye of “hard-boiled female urban noir writer” Karline Smith – for the purpose of this course you will be looking at stories of up to 5,000 words.

While the course isn’t geared towards any particular sub-genre within the short story form – be it literary fiction, sci-fi or horror – you’ll be looking at techniques applicable to all these genres. The workshops are held monthly at Hope Mill, on a Wednesday evening (6-8pm), to enable you to complete writing (and background reading!) assignments. The dates are: 15 December, 12 January, 16 February, 16 March, 13 April and 11 May.

Born to Jamaican parents who arrived in Britain in the 1960s, Karline Smith was one of the first black female crime writers to deal with the subject of drug gangs in inner-city Britain. She is the author of three novels, Moss Side Massive, which was dramatised by Liverpool’s Unity Theatre, Full Crew, and Goosebumps and Butterflies are Fairy Tales (published by Black Sapphire Press). She is also the author of several short stories, variously published in The City Life Book of Manchester Short Stories (Penguin), M.O.: Crimes of Practice, and Resist (Comma). She is currently working on her fourth novel.