This is an in-person workshop that takes place at Inprint House

The Art of the Glimpse: The Short Story for Absolute Beginners

We all have stories to tell, but for many aspiring writers, the blank page can be daunting, making it hard to get started. If you’ve always wanted to write but haven’t gotten around to it—or if you used to write and want to return to it—this class is for you.

The Irish novelist William Trevor once described the short story as the “art of the glimpse,” an “explosion of truth” dependent on “the total exclusion of meaninglessness.”

Using the short story as a starting point, participants will explore practical techniques for generating ideas, shaping structure, building momentum, and developing fluency on the page. Along the way, we’ll read excellent authors such as Anton Chekhov, Donald Barthelme, Grace Paley, James Baldwin, and Claire Keegan, and we’ll practice reading like writers, noticing the craft choices that make stories work.

By the end of the course, participants will be writing with more confidence and pleasure, discovering new ways to develop their voice, and connecting with a community of writers to share and grow their work.