Learn how to write powerful, emotional, and compelling short form fiction where every word counts, with author and journal editor Laura E. Goodin.

Get ready to unleash your inner storyteller in this workshop designed to help you master the concept of ‘every word has to do something’.

Laura has served as one of the editors-in-chief for the World Fantasy Award-winning academic journal Fafnir – The Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research, and is an editorial advisor for the journal Science Fiction: A Review of Speculative Literature. During this workshop, Laura will cover the essentials of fitting plot, characterisation, world-building, and dialogue into flash fiction (anywhere up to about 1,000 words) and short stories (about 1,000 to 9,000 words).

She will also cover how to format your manuscript and submit your work to publishers. The workshop includes plenty of chances to write and ask questions. All experience levels and genres are welcome (including, but not limited to, fan-fic, romance, literary, speculative, humour, and creative non-fiction).

Participants will learn to:

• Apply principles of plotting, characterisation, and world-building to writing works of short fiction
• Write clear, effective dialogue that supports and enhances plotting, characterisation, and world-building
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of works of short fiction (including their own)
• Format story manuscripts for submission to publishing markets
• Identify potential markets to which to submit their stories.

About Laura E. Goodin

Laura E. Goodin has been writing professionally for 40 years. She attended the 2007 Clarion South workshop, and has a PhD in creative writing from the University of Western Australia. Her novels are available from Odyssey Books; her stories have appeared in numerous print and online publications; and her poetry, plays, and libretti have been performed on three continents. She has taught writing in Australia and internationally to writers of all ages, from children to postgraduate students and community-based writers. She has served as one of the editors-in-chief for the World Fantasy Award-winning academic journal Fafnir – The Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research, and is an editorial advisor for the journal Science Fiction: A Review of Speculative Literature.

(Photo by Margaret Dunleavy)

Members $88 / Non-members $140

This workshop will be delivered via Zoom. Instructions will be emailed to you, please check your spam/junk folders. A recording will be available to registered participants for two weeks after the event.

—Not a Writers SA member? Members receive more than 30% off the full price of this workshop, you’ll also get a free 20 minute consult, expert advice about your career and your work, and join a community of like-minded creatives. Join now for as little as $60! 

—Writers SA members must be logged in to receive the member discount. If you would like to use a workshop credit to book in, please contact [email protected] at least five working days before the workshop commencement date. Our staff don’t work full time and we don’t want you to miss out!

—If you are a member of another state based writers centre, SCBWI SA or Editors SA, please contact [email protected] at least five working days before the program commencement date to get a code for the member price.