This course helps you sharpen your skills at fiction craft and work toward completion of one or two short stories. Writers often repeat Short Fiction II to continue their projects. Course components:
     Lectures
     Writing exercises
     Workshopping of student projects (each student presenting work two times)

Gotham has two separate tracks for Zoetrope Short Fiction II online. They complement each other, and many students take both tracks, but it makes no difference which one is taken first. If you take one track, then enroll again for Short Fiction II, Gotham will make sure you are placed in the other track.

The topics covered in one track (x):

Week 1
Truth and Lies: Why fiction writers must “lie” (stray from the facts). Tips for making it fictional. The value of bringing “truth” (honesty) to fiction. Tips for finding honesty.

Week 2
Beginnings: The need for a strong beginning. First sentences. Opening paragraphs. The beginning section.

Week 3
Real Characters: Making characters seem real. The drive of desire. Contrast within personality. Specific details. Capability of change. Minor characters.

Week 4
Dialogue Impact: Bringing forth the external with dialogue. Revealing character. Revealing conflict. The value of subtext.

Week 5 
Intriguing POVs: Making point of view intriguing, in first, second, and third person. Altering point of view strategy midstream.

Week 6 
The Essence of Plot: The simple formula underlying most fictional plots. Three types of short story plots—classic, slice of life, passive protagonist.

Week 7 
Emotional Settings: Finding the emotional value of a setting. The “feel” of setting. Character perception of setting. People as setting.

Week 8 
The Sentence: Making every sentence interesting. Choosing the right words. Types of sentences. Sentence structure and rhythm. Sentence progression. Sentence essentials. Sentences merging into paragraphs.

Week 9
Writers Must Read: What writers gain from reading. How to gain insight and skill through reading as a writer.

Week 10
In Print: Facts about getting into print. Exploration of literary magazines. How to target literary magazines. Guidelines for sending out work. Responses, rejection, contests. Gaining an edge.

Week 11
Zoetrope Editor: A visit with Michael Ray, editor of Zoetrope: All-Story

And the topics covered in the other track (y):

Week 1
Dreaming Up a Story: Creating plot through a “dream" sensibility. Finding “hot spots.” Finding the unexpected. Using actual dreamscapes. Imposing order.

Week 2
Description Details: Quality over quantity in description. Telling details. Convincing details. Details that stick.

Week 3
Revealing Characters: The potency of “showing” characters. Revealing layers of characters. Gradual revelation of characters. Playing “fair” with character revelation.

Week 4
Making Scenes: Choosing scenes. Connecting scenes. Scene dynamics—conflict, dialogue, cinematic direction.

Week 5
The Storyteller: The value of an engaging narrator. The narrative voice. Techniques for effective narrators in various points of view. Direct address. Narrator and audience.

Week 6
POV Distance: Point of view review. Psychic distance in point of view. Manipulating the point of view “camera.” Using the distance of time. Using present tense. Handling thoughts.

Week 7 
What’s the Point?: The value of theme. Theme analyzed. Thematic symbols. Hints for discovering theme.

Week 8 
Endings: Finding the effective ending. The “whammy" ending. The “internal change" ending. The “non-ending” ending.

Week 9 
Breaking Free: The flexibility of the short story form. Various ways to break the mold of the conventional short story.

Week 10 
The Process: Wisdom from masters on habits and writing craft.

Week 11
Zoetrope Editor: A visit with Michael Ray, editor of Zoetrope: All-Story

Note: Content may vary among individual classes.