Writing and Reading Short Stories OpenCourseWare: A Free Undergraduate Course on Writing Short Stories by MIT

Published Apr 09, 2009

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Aspiring writers can learn more about their craft with this free OpenCourseWare from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 'Writing and Reading Short Stories' contains a wealth of information on the art and process of developing plot and characters for short stories. This course can benefit students working on a Bachelor of Arts in English or anyone looking to improve their writing.

Writing and Reading Short Stories: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Writing and Reading Short Stories: Course Description

Writers have to consider many different elements when crafting a story. This OpenCourseWare from MIT can help guide students through the writing process. The course includes notes from lectures led by instructor Shariann Lewitt that cover the development of plot, setting and characters. The notes discuss information writers should know about their stories before writing, such as a character's motivations or the timeline of events. Other lectures talk about writing stories from real life inspiration and the uses of different points of view in narration. Also included with the course are several short stories written by past students of the class. The free material in this course can help students seeking a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Lecture notes, a list of suggested readings and student short stories are available free online. To view the material, visit the short story writing course page.