The Short Fiction Workshop meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at 6:00 pm at The Community Library. This recurring program for teens (16+) and adults features writing prompts, exercises, and moderated feedback sessions where authors working on short fiction can practice their craft, develop new skills, and get constructive input from other writers. No registration is required and writers with all levels of experience are welcome.
In addition to our regularly-scheduled workshop sessions, the Short Fiction Workshop has hosted writing competitions (including a Drabble competition in Summer 2023 and a Flash Fiction competition in February 2024) and an Evening of Short Fiction featuring public readings of stories written and read by members of our group.
February Flash ’24
The Community Library in Cobleskill invited patrons of the 14 member libraries in the Mohawk Valley Library System to submit short stories of no more than 1000 words to our February Flash Fiction competition. We were pleased to receive submissions from patrons representing seven libraries in our region.
Identifying information (e.g. authors’ names and home libraries) was removed from stories before they were given to our judging panel for review. The judges were library staff members affiliated with the writing programs hosted by three different libraries in our system:
- Jacob Trahan of Fort Plain Free Library
- Bailey Darling of Gloversville Public Library
- Jennie Mosher of Schoharie Free Library
Visit the February Flash ’24 page to see the winners and honorable mentions, as well as to read the winning stories.
An Evening of Short Fiction by Local Authors
The Community Library welcomed members of the community to An Evening of Short Fiction by Local Authors on February 22, 2024. Seven of the regular members of our Short Fiction Workshop read original short stories they developed in our writing group. Participating authors were Nathan Davis, Mitzi Dorton, Jason Gagnon, Katie Horn, Chris Keefer, Pete Lindemann, and Julia Walter.
2023 Summer Drabble Competition
In the summer of 2023, The Community Library invited patrons from the four Schoharie County libraries (The Community Library, Middleburgh Public Library, Schoharie Free Library, and Sharon Springs Free Library) to submit stories of exactly 100 words. This short-short story format, known as a “drabble,” forces authors to write a concise, evocative, complete story that makes every word count. The winning stories are listed below.
Youth Division
- Winner: “Coyote Attack” by Kelsey Barbato of Summit
Adult Division
- Third Place: “The Moment” by Yajaira Lopez of Schoharie
- Second Place: “A Boy and a Bear” by Jack Nanuq of Delanson
- First Place: “Birth Order” by Chris Keefer of Central Bridge
