This writing course, Online: Writing Short Stories with Nick Earls will take place online.

What makes the best short stories some of the most compelling writing to read? The writer’s craft and the choices the writer has made. In this course, author Nick Earls focuses on key aspects of short-fiction craft, and how to approach making the kinds of choices that deliver compelling short stories.

Please expect to dedicate a minimum of 3-4 hours to coursework each week. This includes reading, responding to discussions, writing, revising and providing peer feedback.

This online course involves submitting writing exercises. In addition to giving and receiving peer feedback, participants will receive tutor feedback. In weeks one to four, participants will submit short writing exercises, and in weeks 5 and 6 will work toward a draft of a short story.

Week-by-Week Course Breakdown

Week 1: Character
Using the prompts and steps provided, participants will begin to develop a character who might be a protagonist in a short story.

Week 2: Place/setting
Characters exist in a place and engage with it in their own way. This lesson looks at how to develop place, how to reveal it and how to make conscious use of place in delivering their characters on the page.

Week 3: Structure
Working on character leads to story ideas. This lesson focuses on shaping those ideas into a short story, and particularly addresses how to keep the focus on the business of the story, how to contain the story and how to stress test their plan.

Week 4: Detail and writing (i)
Detail can be a powerful tool for revealing character and place, and triggering conversations and action. This lesson looks at how to treat the accumulation and selection of details as a deliberate step. Participants take the tools learned in weeks one to four, apply them to their story plan, and begin to write their story. Participants should submit their first page (300 words approx.) for feedback.

Week 5: Writing (ii)
Guided by peer and tutor feedback on their page and on their own review of their progress, participants write further into their story – to the end of it, if feasible – and submit their work again for peer and tutor feedback. Nick Earls will provide feedback on the first 2000 words (which may be the entire story).

Week 6: Revising and publishing
Participants will engage in peer feedback on their week 5 submissions while learning techniques for revising and researching publication opportunities.

Please note: This is an online instructional course with weekly lessons and some feedback. If you’re looking for a course which provides you in-depth feedback on your short stories, enrol in our upcoming Online Feedback: Short Stories courses, starting later in 2025.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Participants will learn:

1. How to discover and develop story through exploring character
2. How to make deliberate and powerful use of detail as a storytelling tool
3. How to develop, contain and manage ideas when planning and writing a short story

Participant Requirements

Internet access and confidence using basic computer software are essential for this program.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQs>

You do not need to log into the course at a specific time and there are no live meetings. You will receive an email with an invitation link to join the online classroom a week before the course starts.

Lessons open on a weekly basis and you will have the week to work through the content. There will be some writing exercises and the opportunity to provide peer feedback. Both the writing exercises and peer feedback will have weekly deadlines.

More from Writing NSW

Check out our full range of in-person writing courses in Sydney, our online writing courses and our feedback programs to see how we can help you on your writing journey. Find out about our prizes and opportunities, writing spaces, as well as writing groups across NSW, and sign up to our weekly newsletter for writing events, news and giveaways.