Short Story Course with Désirée Reynolds Online – SOLD OUT

Online Short Story Course with Désirée Reynolds, online, 13 May–22 July 2021, from £75 - Book now

Désirée Reynolds is an author and DJ who has gained popularity through her film scripts, poetry and work in the short story form. She has a particular interest in documenting the lived experience of contemporary British people in fictionalised worlds. She’s also a highly experienced facilitator, making her an excellent coach for budding writers wanting to grasp the key to writing gripping and compelling short stories.

Over the course of 6 workshops, you’ll get a handle on the predominant narrative structures and techniques used by short story writers, and implement them in your own work, including how to improve the characterisation, dialogue, and narrative voice. You’ll discuss exemplary short stories selected by Désirée, and discuss as a group, as well as being set tasks and prompts to encourage and inspire you to write between sessions. Comma Press, one of the UK’s leading publisher of short fiction, is always looking for new voices in short fiction and it’s hoped that this course will unearth and develop contenders for one of their showcases of new writers.

You don’t necessarily need any practical experience of writing stories, nor of supervised creative writing of any kind, but it’s important that you have an interest in, and enthusiasm for, the short story form. To get the most from the course Comma Press recommends that you should be prepared do some background reading, undertake writing tasks between sessions, read the work of others on the course prior to each session, offer tactful – yet frank – feedback, and receive constructive criticism on your own work. The course isn’t geared towards any particular sub-genre within the short story form – be it literary fiction, sci-fi, or horror – they’ll be looking at techniques applicable to all genres.