On this course, award-winning short story writer and journal editor Ruby Cowling will guide you through the process of writing your way to the treasure. Each week you will write 2,000 words against the clock, no matter your mood or how ‘good’ the words are. Ruby’s assignments will help you mine those words and discover the glints of promise for the next stage of your story.
During the course, you will join live writing sessions with Ruby via Zoom to help you get the words down. Turning up, connecting with your fellow writers and being accountable can really help with motivation, and support the formation of good writing habits beyond the course.
While you write energetically and uncritically, the assignment exercises and set reading will guide you toward more coherent drafts as you prospect for the best material in terms of ideas, characters, plot and theme. Towards the end of the course, you will be able to pull together an advanced draft of up to 2,500 words and submit it to Ruby for detailed feedback.
Energetically getting words down can work like dynamite, blasting away any procrastination or perfectionism that stands between you and your treasure.
This course is aimed at all writers who want to get the words down and work towards a finished short story. You can read some feedback from writers on Ruby’s previous courses here.
Course outline
- Four assignments, each designed to help you reshape, extend and keep believing in your story draft
- Intensive writing periods to help you hit your word count target, supported by live Zoom writing sessions (recommended but not compulsory)
- Detailed feedback from Ruby on a final submission of up to 2,500 words
- Peer feedback from a fellow writer on the course
- An online writing community, lasting beyond the end of the course
This course is seven weeks long and asynchronous (so you can log in and add to the discussion whenever you want). During the course, you will write 2,000 words per week for the first four weeks. Ruby will provide assignments each week to guide you as you revisit and extend your work, discovering and building in meaning. The assignments will include brief reading material to discuss, and lessons focusing on ideas, character, plot and theme. There will also be optional live writing sessions, to help you get pen to paper/fingers to keyboard.
In week 6 of the course, you will submit a piece up to 2,500 words long; you’ll receive detailed written feedback on this from Ruby, as well as peer feedback from a fellow writer on the course, in week 7.
Course timetable and content
Week 1 (10th April) – Assignment 1: “Where do you get your ideas from?” – what’s original and what isn’t? How do you know what’s a good idea? Plus: write 2,000 words
Week 2 (17th April) – Assignment 2: “Who’s this then?” – get to know your main character, their voice, the other forces acting on them. Plus: write 2,000 words
Week 3 (24th April) – Assignment 3: “Tough enough?” – make your story compelling by giving your protagonist a hard time. Plus: write 2,000 words
Week 4 (1st May) – Assignment 4: “Why did this seem like a good idea?” – bring the meaning and themes of your story to the surface. Plus: write 2,000 words
Week 5 (8th May) – break week to work on a piece for submission
Week 6 (15th May) – submit a final piece up to 2,500 words for feedback
Week 7 (22nd May) – receive detailed written feedback from Ruby; give and receive peer feedback on final submissions
Zoom Live Writing Sessions
We highly recommend you join Ruby for as many of these as you like. They will help motivate you to write fast, in the company of your course mates. However, they’re not compulsory, and if you prefer to write without them, you can. It will be at Ruby’s discretion to add further sessions if these times and dates don’t work for you – just let us know.
Sun 14th April 11am-12noon
Sun 21st April 11am-12noon
Fri 26th April 7.30pm-8.30pm
Thu 2nd May 7.30pm-8.30pm
Fri 10th May 10am-11am
Learning Online
The course will take place online, in a closed group on a platform called Slack. You’ll need to have internet access, but not at any set times (except for the live Zoom writing sessions) – you can pick and choose when you log in. Slack is easy to use, and we’ll provide you with full instructions and guidance before the course starts. On Slack, we won’t have scheduled live chats, but there will be plenty of opportunity to interact with Ruby and the other course participants in discussion threads, throughout the seven weeks.
Time Commitment
You should allow up to 6 hours per week for this course, for reading, writing and assignments.
