What constitutes short fiction? Is it simply a story that is short? Is it more to do with the succinctness of the telling, the ability to get a thought and a tale told with clarity and exactness, or is it a story that can be read in a single sitting? It is all of that and more.

In this workshop we will discuss the elements of good writing and how they apply to short fiction, generally described as 1k-7k words. We will read and discuss three short stories by authors who have dealt with short fiction differently. You will then write your own pieces incorporating the points we’ve discussed, and we’ll do exercises that will address our stories and how to improve them.

All levels are invited. Discussion and feedback will be expected.

Writing is work. But it can also be fun. We’ll be doing both.

Clif Travers is a visual artist and writer living in Portland, Maine. He did his graduate work in painting at the Massachusetts College of Art, and received his MFA in creative writing from Stonecoast. His interactive sculptures and paintings have been shown throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Peru, Italy, and Cuba. His writing has appeared in Dime Show Review, Underwood Press, Crack the Spine Anthology, The Bell Coffin Journal, and Freeze Frame Fiction. His collection of linked short fiction is being published by Down East Books in 2023. His next project, Evidence of Angels, is to be a YA novel with artwork. His website is here Clif Travers.