Weekend Writing: What I Learned from Joyce Carol Oates

What does it take to write a really good short fiction story? What does true mastery of the short story even look like? You don't have to buy millions and millions of books on the short story craft. Instead, you can take Joyce Carol Oates's MasterClass, "The Art of the Short Story."

As you might imagine, there's no better person to teach you to write short stories. Throughout her career, Oates has written 58 novels, as well as a number of plays, novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. But I will always associate Oates with her short stories, particularly her most famous story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

Joyce Carol Oates's short story collections (photo/Celestial Timepiece).

Oates knows how to write a story you can't forget. It's been years since I read "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", and I haven't forgotten it. It's a story I will always remember, and it still sends chills down my back. It's that good. So, of course, I wanted to learn how she writes these unforgettable short pieces of fiction.

Joyce Carol Oates (photo/Paris Review).

Oates begins her MasterClass with a profound statement: "If you think you're a writer, you probably are. You just need to work on your craft."

We're writers, but we still need to work on our craft. We need to learn more as writers. We need to get better at our profession. Just because we're wanting to learn more doesn't mean we're not writers. Every writer needs to work on their craft. But we're writers. Don't tell yourself otherwise.

In 14 fairly short lessons, I had the opportunity to listen to Oates and learn her approach to writing short stories. I wanted to learn from her--someone I believe knows fiction better than most.

The class discussed a wide variety of topics, including:

• The definition of a short story
• Main principles of writing short fiction
• Exploring taboo subjects
• The structure and form of short fiction
• The definition of miniature narrative
• How to read short fiction

As a creative writing graduate, I studied these discussion topics in my fiction courses. I knew the principles of short fiction and how to draft a short story. But, did I still learn some valuable information in Oates's class? Absolutely! My grandfather, who lived to be 102 years old, always said, "You never stop learning, no matter how old you are." Well, I will never stop learning something new about writing. I always want to become a better writer. 

I loved listening to Oates's approachable advice. The class was for beginners and intermediate writers. Oates wasn't a "high and almighty" instructor who believes she is better than everyone else. It wasn't an intimidating class. Oates discusses her writing strategies and her experience as a best-selling fiction writer. 

Joyce Carol Oates's MasterClass (photo/MasterClass).

I took some notes during the class because I knew I would write about the experience in a blog post, but also for me to refer to later when I'm attempting to draft a new short story. Below is a list of some of the most important "take-away" inspirational advice from Oates's class. 

• A short story is, in some mysterious way, a story about ourselves. For someday, perhaps, it will be about ourselves. 
• Everyone has a story to tell.
• As a writer, you're an observer watching others and getting a new perspective. This is a constant habit you must embrace. 
• Focus on your critical characters. Know them as real people and make sure the characters are always involved in your story for a reason. 
• Write about the most pivotal events in your story. One important, engaging event can be just one short story. 
• Writing is a process. It's not completed all at once. It can take months and months to have a clean, revised story. 
• Keep a journal. This sharpens your observation of the world and your senses. 
• Write about something you're almost afraid of. Bad things happen and they can be haunting. But if you can confront these issues, there is a great deal of power in your writing. 
• Be bold with your story's form. Do something that is entertaining and different. It keeps readers engaged. 
• Telling a story is a way of embodying history, facts, ancestors, etc.
• Always experiment with your writing and try to get better with each story. 

Oates concludes her class by saying, "Writing should be an exploration and it should be fun. Don't make difficult expectations you can't meet. Only expect the fun and adventure of writing." 

As you can see, I learned a lot from Joyce Carol Oates. It was amazing to listen to her advice and learn from her writing experiences. She offered plenty of fun, engaging assignments for me to consider. I feel more inspired to return to short story writing than I felt before taking her class. 

Joyce Carol Oates's MasterClass (photo/MasterClass).

If you are a fiction writer, I strongly recommend taking this class. You can work at your own pace and there is plenty of material available for you to learn more about short story writing. The class is intended for beginners or intermediate writers, but even if you're an advanced writer, it's nice to be reminded of various writing strategies and advice every now and then. 

Besides, it never hurts to listen to Joyce Carol Oates. She spoke so eloquently...

-KJL-

(photo/Early Bird Books)