The Magic of Short Fiction
A Winter Workshop
We all know when we can’t put a book down—when we are hooked on a character’s journey or enchanted by a writer’s language. But how do great writers pull it off? How do they decide where to begin their story and how to tell it? And most importantly, how do they make us feel something?
Leading a writing workshop in a cafe in New Delhi, India.
In every MFA program in the country, students study short fiction in order to become better writers. This five-week in-person course will show you why short fiction is critical to every writer’s development while helping you discover the joy of the form. We’ll explore character, plot, structure and the power of beginnings and endings in an intimate and non-judgmental small-group setting. The only prerequisite is a hunger to express yourself in writing.
There will be in-class writing exercises with optional sharing, as well as weekly assignments with feedback from your teacher. At the end of the course, you’ll be invited to submit a full draft for feedback (max 3,000 words).
More than anything, this course is a chance to gather with other people who love to read, long to write, and could use a little magic in their lives this winter.
Classes will be held at a private studio in Chevy Chase, DC, on Wednesday evenings from 7pm until 8:30pm, with tea and light snacks provided.
Course dates: Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25 and March 4
Course fee: $395
About Nicole
Nicole’s stories have been published in The New Quarterly, Prairie Fire and the Southern Humanities Review, among others, and in 2018 she won The Pinch Literary Prize for Fiction. She’s taught writing from her living room in New Delhi, as part of a journalism program at the University of Hong Kong, and online with Sarah Selecky Writing School. Born in Canada, Nicole has an MFA from the University of British Columbia and lives in Washington, DC.
Kind words from former students
“This is likely the best writing course I’ve ever taken. Nicole was a fantastic teacher.” – Jesse McQuay
“I loved this class and would highly recommend it to anyone seeking to write their personal stories in a way that is fun, intimate, and creative.” – Candice May
“It was exciting to be part of a group of writers who were so fearless about sharing intensely personal experiences – and I know that our comfort in doing so was a direct result of Nicole’s empathetic and encouraging teaching style.” – Kern Windwraith
To join the class please email Nicole describing your interest in writing: nicole.baute@gmail.com