Online Class: Writing the Great American Short Story

no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
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7Lessons
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13Exams &
Assignments -
829Students
have taken this course -
5Hours
average time -
0.5CEUs
Course Description
Crafting the Quintessential American Short Story
The allure of a riveting short story remains timeless. As you sit before a blank canvas, with fingers poised over the keyboard, there's a palpable desire to craft a narrative that reverberates through the annals of American literature. The legacies of Poe, Cheever, and Welty serve as a testament to the power of this genre. Yet, the question remains: Can you pen a story that leaves an indelible mark on its readers?
Introducing our comprehensive course, designed for budding writers like you, yearning to weave tales that resonate deeply and linger long after they've been consumed.
Why Choose This Course?
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Vast Literary Exploration: Delve into a myriad of genres, analyzing the nuances that distinguish each one, thereby equipping you with the versatility to maneuver seamlessly across different narrative styles.
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Master-Class Techniques: Engage in an immersive study of literary giants, dissecting the elements of plot, style, flow, voice, and tone that made their stories stand out, and learning how to infuse these into your own writing.
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Practical Application: Writing is as much about practice as it is about theory. Our course ensures you get ample opportunities to pen your thoughts, revise, and learn to handle feedback constructively.
Course Overview:
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The Short Story Landscape in America: Gain a historical and contemporary overview of American short stories. Understand the cultural and societal nuances that have shaped this literary form over the decades.
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Answering to the Muse: Every writer has a unique muse. This module helps you tap into your inner inspirations, fostering a deeper connection with your creative self.
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Developing a Main Character: Characters drive narratives. Learn the art of creating compelling characters, ensuring they're multifaceted, relatable, and capable of evoking empathy.
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Telling the Story: Structure and Plot: A good story isn't just about what is told, but how it's told. Delve deep into crafting intricate plots and maintaining a consistent narrative structure to keep readers engaged from start to finish.
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Styling the Words You Write: The choice of words, sentence structures, and linguistic devices can profoundly impact a story's tone and mood. Master the stylistic tools that elevate prose from ordinary to extraordinary.
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End Your Story Like a Master: A story's ending can make or break its impact. Learn the techniques of concluding your tales in a manner that leaves readers yearning for more.
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Revising Your Writing: Writing is rewriting. Understand the significance of revision, refining your drafts to perfection, and ensuring every word serves a purpose.
Conclusion:
Behind every remarkable story is a writer who dared to dream, dared to write, and dared to revise. With our course, you don't just learn to write; you learn to narrate tales that have the potential to become classics. Your stories harbor the promise of reaching countless hearts and minds. It's time to unlock that potential.
If you've ever felt the pull of the written word, if tales dance in your mind waiting to be told, then this course might just be the key to setting them free. Enroll today and set forth on a transformative literary journey.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- Printable Lessons
- Full HD Video
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1. Writing Short Stories: Mastery and Innovation
America's short story tradition, with icons like Poe and Hemingway, reflects diverse voices and societal norms, mirrored by contemporary authors who continue to adapt the form. These writers challenge expectations by infusing their stories with unique perspectives, showcasing the dynamic evolution of the short story genre.Lesson 2. Everyday Life: Your Unseen Muse
In the absence of the muse, storytellers turn to the world around them, invoking sensory experiences to ignite creativity and fuel narrative exploration. This process mirrors piecing together a puzzle, where fragments of observation grow into robust stories, capturing the magic of life hidden in plain sight.Lesson 3. Crafting Characters: The Heart of Storytelling
Characters are the soul of fiction, illustrating internal and external battles that mirror the human condition. As they evolve, so do reader insights, drawing them closer to the story's heart and the writer's hidden truths.Lesson 4. Crafting a Captivating Story: Mastery of Structure and Plot
A disheartened writer reinvents his narrative technique by starting with the ending, leading to a rejuvenated storytelling approach and his debut publication. This lesson investigates the importance of plot devices, character portrayal, and the impactful use of dialogue in compelling writing.Lesson 5. The Dynamic Art of Personalizing Prose
Just as a symphony requires variation to breathe life into its melodies, prose needs style to infuse soul into its characters and scenes. Through language choices, writers like Stephen King and Danielle Steel create immersive experiences that draw readers into their worlds.Lesson 6. Narratives That Endure: Techniques for Impactful Conclusions
A captivating story conclusion hinges on its power to provide closure while offering profound emotional resonance. Authors navigate classic resolutions like ‘All Is Well’ or innovative reveals, influencing how narratives linger within the reader's psyche.Lesson 7. The Craft of Refinement: Mastering the Art of Revision
Literature often ignites the writer within, prompting aspiring authors to move beyond familiar tales and explore complex storytelling. Revisiting past works offers fresh insights into personal growth, highlighting both the promise and imperfections of early drafts.
Learning Outcomes
- Define the core elements of a compelling short story by analyzing plot structure, character development, and language usage.
- Demonstrate the ability to craft a short story by integrating diverse plot, character, and stylistic elements inspired by American literary traditions.
- Define the role of a muse in storytelling by identifying examples of everyday sources of inspiration.
- Demonstrate the ability to craft a narrative using multisensory experiences by incorporating visual, auditory, or tactile elements.
- Define the key motivations and desires of a main character to guide their developmental arc within a story framework.
- Demonstrate the use of backstory creation and dynamic relationships to enhance the depth and relatability of a protagonist.
- Construct a concise narrative using the hero's journey framework, incorporating conflict, climax, and resolution, and evaluate its effectiveness in character development.
- Define the concept of the Iceberg Theory in storytelling and illustrate its use by identifying a passage from a provided text that demonstrates implied meaning.
- Define and describe the concept of a unique writing style, highlighting how it differentiates one author's work from another.
- Identify and analyze the stylistic elements used by different authors, demonstrating an understanding of how language choice influences narrative voice.
- Demonstrate the ability to craft captivating story conclusions by employing classic and modern approaches to maximize audience engagement.
- Recognize the impact of different story ending techniques by analyzing their emotional resonance and narrative closure.
- Define and illustrate the revision process as a strategic tool to refine writing, enhancing narrative depth and clarity after initial drafts.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

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Includes CEUs | X |
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Time to complete | 6 months |
No. of courses | 1 course |
Certificate & CEUs
This course only
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Includes CEUs |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 6 months |
No. of courses | 1 course |
Certificates & CEUs
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Includes CEUs |
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Time to complete | 12 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Certificates & CEUs
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Includes CEUs |
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Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 24 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Student Testimonials
- "Precise information and easy to read format. Instructor is very prompt and responsive." -- Siewleng T.
- "I've had the pleasure of having this instructor before, she's GREAT!!" -- Joy K.
- "Great Course. Great Instructor." -- Kyle B.
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