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Writing Short Stories
Writing Skills

Writing Short Stories

Learn how to shape a complete piece of short fiction from first idea to final draft. This study guide explains how to find a story worth telling, create believable characters, handle point of view, build tension within a limited word count, write natural dialogue and craft endings that stay with the reader after the last line.

Levels
4
Starting from
215 credits
Category
Writing Skills
Choose a level

About this study guide

A short story has little room to waste, which makes every choice matter. This material walks through the building blocks of short fiction, from generating ideas and choosing a moment of change to deciding who tells the story and how much the reader should know at each stage.

Further chapters look closely at scene and summary, dialogue, setting, pacing and the use of small, precise details to suggest a larger world. Revision is treated as a craft of its own, with guidance on cutting, tightening and reading your draft as a stranger would. The guide is organised into four levels, Beginner through Expert, so the ideas build steadily.

Examples from different genres, including literary, speculative and crime fiction, show how the same techniques work in varied settings.
Each level is unlocked separately

Choose a level

Compare the levels below and add the one that suits you to your cart

01
Level 1

Beginner

215 credits

What this level includes

  • Covered in this level

    Here the guide covers finding and testing story ideas, the basic elements of character, setting, conflict and resolution, and the difference between first and third person. It also looks at writing a simple scene, keeping to a word limit, and finishing a first draft.

  • Suited to

    This level suits anyone who has always wanted to write fiction but has never finished a story. It is a gentle starting point for readers who love short stories and want to understand how they are built from the inside.

  • What you will be able to apply

    You will be able to develop a small idea into a complete short story with a clear central character, a conflict and an ending, and you should feel more comfortable carrying a first draft through to its final line.

02
Level 2

Intermediate

415 credits

What this level includes

  • Covered in this level

    The material explores showing rather than telling, building characters through action and desire, writing natural dialogue, and controlling pace. It also covers creating tension within a limited word count, choosing where a story should begin, and revising a draft to strengthen its ending.

  • Suited to

    This stage is for writers who have finished a few stories and sense that something is missing, perhaps tension, believable dialogue or a satisfying ending. It suits anyone who wants their fiction to feel more vivid on the page.

  • What you will be able to apply

    After this level you should be able to write dialogue that sounds natural, reveal character through action, start a story closer to its central conflict, and revise an ending so it feels earned rather than abrupt.

03
Level 3

Advanced

715 credits

What this level includes

  • Covered in this level

    This stage examines close and distant point of view, unreliable narrators, subtext in dialogue, non-linear structure and the use of symbol and image. It also looks at compression, deciding what to leave unsaid, and revising a story through several careful drafts.

  • Suited to

    The Advanced level suits practised fiction writers who want more control over subtle effects. It is for those experimenting with point of view, structure and subtext, and who want stories that linger in the reader's mind.

  • What you will be able to apply

    You will be able to choose a point of view deliberately, let meaning rest in subtext, experiment with structure without confusing readers, and revise a story across multiple drafts until each scene contributes to its overall effect.

04
Level 4

Expert

1,015 credits

What this level includes

  • Covered in this level

    The deepest level explores developing a personal voice, the balance between ambiguity and clarity, sentence-level style and rhythm, and linked stories or collections. It also covers reading your own work critically, knowing when a story is finished, and making difficult structural cuts.

  • Suited to

    Expert is intended for dedicated short fiction writers seeking a distinctive voice and greater artistic confidence. It suits people building a body of work who want to understand their own style and push their stories further.

  • What you will be able to apply

    You should feel ready to write stories with a recognisable voice, make confident choices about ambiguity and style, judge your drafts with a cool critical eye, and shape a group of stories into a coherent collection.

Levels are unlocked with credits from your balance. You can add more credits at any time.