Every avid fiction reader and writer has had the mind-blowing (and possibly frustrating) experience of reading a great short story and wondering, “How did the author do that?” In this class designed for writers of all experience levels, we’ll pursue answers to that question using classic and contemporary stories from the Best American Short Stories series. We’ll explore stories that brilliantly execute the fundamentals of plot and characterization, as well as some that challenge the conventions of structure, voice, and language. Along the way, we’ll hone our ability to evaluate and edit our own work and develop strategies for taking our writing in exciting new directions.
PDFs of all stories will be provided.
• In-Class Writing Lift: Medium
• Homework: Required
• Workshopping Drafts: Optional
Whitney Bryant holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work is forthcoming in Shenandoah and has also appeared in The Georgia Review, One Story, and Chapter 16, and she is the fiction co-editor of the online journal Atlas + Alice: A Magazine of Intersections. In order to support her writing habit, she has taught literature and writing to high school students in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia over the past fifteen years. She has recently completed a novel in stories. She enjoys exploring Nashville's arts scene and outdoor activities.
"Whitney was the perfect blend of encourager and teacher! She is also so skilled in bringing a class together."
"Whitney was fantastic at adapting to all of the different story ideas everyone had. Our group had a wide variety of genres and experience levels and she deftly found a link between every one of them and what we happened to be discussing at the time."
"I really loved Whitney's class! We were constantly encouraged to lead with curiosity, which I'll take with me outside of my creative practice."
