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Literary Short Story

Date:  1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 4/6

Format:  Online via Zoom

Time:  10 AM - Noon

Class Size:  10  
Grade Level: High School; 9-12 grades

The best literary short stories tell tales which are as rich and complex as any novel but in condensed form packed with emotional resonance.  And studying extraordinary works of short fiction is the best way for aspiring prose writers to strengthen their own work.

In this nine-week hybrid form course students will read and discuss a diverse collection of excellent short stories, analyze the craft of their construction and apply lessons learned to the process of drafting and revising their own stories.

Each student will be coached one-on-one through the process of constructing and revising at least one complete work of short fiction.

These two-hour long workshops will meet online via Zoom to discuss a short story and have individual conferences. Classes will meet for two hours starting Jan 27 through March 16.

After spring-break we will meet one last time – on Saturday April 6, 2024—to celebrate the students’ accomplishments!

Enrollment for this accelerated fiction workshop is limited to 10.  

About: Karin Killian

Karin Killian is a prose writer from Northern Minnesota. A former Peace Corps volunteer with undergraduate degrees in International Studies and Spanish, Karin directed a variety of nonprofit and social enterprise projects before earning her Master of Fine Arts in Fiction from the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. She is especially fascinated by the role stories play in the formation of societal structures—and vice versa!

Karin’s prose has appeared or is forthcoming in Creative Nonfiction, Sweet, Hobart, Bayou, South Carolina Review and Fiction Writers Review, among other places. Killian’s work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and supported by a Carol Houck Smith Scholarship, a Bread Loaf Scholarships, and residencies, fellowships and scholarships from a variety of organizations including the Tofte Lake Center and Writing by Writers.  She lives in Traverse City with her two teenage daughters, and has taught writing and literature to a wide array of students, ranging in age from 8 to 102.

Registration Form

All NWS Programs are offered free to students. If you'd like to make a donation to help us support our programs, it is greatly appreciated!