Short Fiction Writing Certificate Program


interlochen online short fiction writing certificate program

Explore the essential techniques of great storytelling while developing your unique voice. Through analysis, practice, and workshopping, you'll refine your craft and leave with stories that captivate readers.

Taught by a world-class faculty of writers and educators, our Short Fiction Writing certificate program offers a unique opportunity to deepen your craft, earn a valuable credential, and receive credit from Interlochen. This program is designed for both adults and teens and consists of three four-week courses that can be taken in any order.

Introduction to Creative Writing

Write well-crafted fiction
Sketch characters with wants and fears that propel the narrative of your story
Write dialogue that develops your characters
Create vivid settings with details that are significant and support the characters
Write metaphors that are thematically linked to your characters and settings

Short Fiction Writing: Improving Structure

Analyze short stories through premise lines, exploring how to structure your own work effectively
Identify and apply key strategies for crafting compelling beginnings, middles, and endings in short stories
Develop well-rounded characters and create scenes that advance plot and heighten emotional stakes
Explore new directions for short fiction and how to adapt and reinvent the genre in modern literary contexts

Short Fiction Writing: Making Stories More Vivid

Create vivid settings that draw readers in through both straightforward description and defamiliarizing techniques
Create complex, memorable characters with just a few well-chosen details
Craft dynamic, high-energy dialogue that reveals character and builds tension
Use the texture and rhythm of language to elevate your writing and create stories that resonate with readers
Expert guidance
Receive direct, personalized feedback from a professional artist.
Collaborate
Work with your instructor and peers through messaging or optional real-time weekly classes.
Learn on your own schedule
Explore meaningful instruction in about five hours a week per course.
Real growth
Develop skills and projects that are important to your artistic and professional growth.
For all students:

✔ A respected credential from Interlochen Online
✔ Physical and shareable digital certificate upon completion
✔ A portfolio of completed, polished projects
✔ A strengthened résumé, college application, or LinkedIn profile

For middle school and high school students:

✔ An official transcript awarding high school credit
✔ Accreditation by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)

No, course sections are designed for their respective age groups, either for adults (students 18 and older) or young people (students under 18).

Yes, there are eight sessions of courses per year. View the academic calendar for more session dates.

Meet the Faculty

Our faculty of seasoned fiction authors brings a wealth of expertise and passion to guide aspiring writers on the journey of creativity and self-discovery. With our faculty’s mentorship, students unlock their potential and refine their craft in a dynamic environment.

Jeni McFarland

Jeni McFarland

Instructor of Creative Writing

Sam Dunnington

Sam Dunnington

Instructor of Creative Writing

Jake Bienvenue

Jake Bienvenue

Instructor of Creative Writing

Questions? Speak with an Advisor.

Email: online@interlochen.org 

Phone: 231.276.5990 

You can also schedule an appointment.

Prevent Writer's Block

Get access to How Published Authors Stay Unstuck, an exclusive guide developed by Interlochen Online faculty.

Creative writing student