In the Spring batch of this beginner-friendly writing course taught by short story writer Bhavika Govil, you will learn to read, love and write short stories of your own. You will learn to identify the traits of a good story—what makes them addictive, and unforgettable? You will learn practical tips on how to kickstart your imagination and spark ideas so you are never stuck with an intimidating blank page. And once there is an idea you wish to pursue, you will play with text and structure on how to start strong, where to end, and what to do with the middle.

Together, we will read and dissect stories by writers as varied and wonderful as Lydia Davis and George Saunders, Jhumpa Lahiri and Sandra Cisneros (and even a short story about Taylor Swift!), and learn how these writers bring us into their world and keep us there. The most central part of story is character, and you will learn tools to write memorable characters. In the last session, you will surprise yourself by writing stories that are experimental, and push the boundaries of the short story form as you know it. Hosted in collaboration with Aditi Rao’s The Make Space, this writing course combine discussion, craft, writing exercises and tips from Bhavika’s own writing experience in writing and publishing short stories.

Lesson 1: Introduction to short stories and generating your own ideas

Lesson 2: Building a short story: Beginnings, endings, and the darned middle

Lesson 3: Writing character and voice

Lesson 4: The Strange & the Wonderful: Writing experimental short stories

When: Saturdays, March 8, 15, 29, and April 5 2025. No class on March 22.

Time: 4pm to 6.45pm India time (10.30am to 1.15pm GMT)

Where: Online on Zoom

Fee: INR 11,000 (or £110) for four comprehensive sessions

What will you get?

• Plenty of original writing tasks and dedicated time to write

• Pre-class reading materials and a hotlist of recommended stories and essays

• A glossary of helpful craft terms compiled by Bhavika

• Tools to generate ideas right off the bat and have fun with your writing

• And a community to stay in touch with after the course

About the facilitator:
Bhavika Govil is an award-winning writer whose debut literary fiction novel, Hot Water, is forthcoming with HarperCollins India in April 2025. A portion of the manuscript won the Pontas & JJ Bola Emerging Writers Prize and the DHA New Writers’ Open Week. Bhavika’s short stories have won the Bound Short Story Prize, been shortlisted for the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, longlisted for the TFA Awards for Creative Writing, and mentioned as a notable contender for the Bristol Short Story Prize. She has a Master’s in creative writing from the University of Edinburgh. When she isn’t writing, she teaches creative writing workshops online and in person.

You can read her published stories ‘Eggs keep falling from the fourth floor’ here and ‘Curdled’ here.