The Writers' HQ Write A Short Story Festival

Write. Create. Celebrate. Your next great story starts here!

Wednesday 1 – Thursday 30 April 2026

Workshops, write-alongs and the best community - join the fun!

Join Sarah, Team WHQ and a specially curated gang of super awesome, award-winning short story writers for a month of short story workshops, masterclasses and write-a-longs designed to get you writing or to elevate your craft from good to great.

Throughout April, the Writers’ HQ Write A Short Story Festival will give you the opportunity to explore everything you need to know about the short form, from starting, middling and ending. We’ll go deep into the craft of short story writing and help you get the best from your words.

You can start at the beginning and write a story alongside other festival writers, or you can drop in and out depending on where you are with your writing.

Plus, through regular write-a-longs we’ll help you stay on track and build a writing practice that fits into your life and goals.

Also! The best writing community this side of the internet. Aww yeah! It’s gonna be a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

Here's what's on

(More workshops being added soon!)

Wednesday 01 April,
 7:00 pm GMT
Break fiction down into different levels of a 'literary dig site'. Create and build a new piece of intentionally layered fiction which future readers can excavate for clues.
Monday 06 April,
 7:00 pm GMT
Start your week the right way with a gorgeous hour of communal writing.
Monday 13 April,
 10:00 am GMT
Start your week the right way with a gorgeous hour of communal writing.
Wednesday 15 April,
 7:00 pm GMT
What if, on another path, you made a different choice? There are powerful storytelling possibilities that exist in the space between chance and choice. Explore the compelling concept of parallel lives, roads not taken, and how we craft narratives that ask "what if?".
Thursday 16 April,
 7:00 pm GMT
Bring us your writerly questions, issues and confusions and we will troubleshoot the shit out of them
Monday 20 April,
 7:00 pm GMT
Start your week the right way with a gorgeous hour of communal writing.
Wednesday 22 April,
 7:00 pm GMT
From adding layers of rich detail to trimming the fat, walk through how to go from a messy idea to a meticulously crafted short story.
Saturday 25 April,
 10:00 am GMT
Write thousands of words from where ever you are in the world.
Monday 27 April,
 10:00 am GMT
Start your week the right way with a gorgeous hour of communal writing.
Wednesday 29 April,
 7:00 pm GMT
A step-by-step walk through of everything you need to know about sending your lovely storybabies into the big wide world, and how to give them every possible chance of being published.

Plus! Also! Too! As well!

These awesome bonus things...

When you get on board for the Write A Short Story Festival, you will also have access to:

Every event from the 2025 and 2024 festival!

Including workshops from Leone Ross, Lindz McLeod, Gwen E Kirby, Matt Kendrick, Alison Woodhouse, Kathy Hoyle and more!

Writing Short Fiction

Our mammoth short fiction course!

Full of practical techniques for developing your writing skills and producing stellar short stories

Three Other Awesome Short Story Courses

  • Create A Short Story Collection
    Learn how to turn your short stories into a collection!

  • Short Fiction Mini Masterclass
    A quick intro to big little stories

  • The Writers' HQ Guide to Flash Fiction
    Conjure teeny flashy stories out of thin air

The Amazing Writers' HQ Community

Writing is a team sport and there’s no better place to find your writing team than Writers’ HQ. Many of our students have gone on to form close friendships and trusted critiquing partnerships. Introverted? Don’t worry! We’re all awkward writer-types here

“WHQ is sweary, witty, and incredibly good for your writing. I learned more in their six-week Writing Short Fiction course than I did in literally years of in-person courses with an instructor near me. Inspiration, pep, knowledge, swears, support, encouragement, hilarious gifs – WHQ is the best!” 

– Mary T

You ready? Let’s gooooooo!

The Write A Short Story Festival 2026 is available exclusively for Writers’ HQ Gold Star Members. Click the buttons and secure your spot.

Freebie
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Get started for naught!

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Monthly
Gold Star Membership

£20/month

Get writerly superpowers

Sign up

Annual
Gold Star Membership

£190

The full shebang for a one-off fee

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Writer dashboard
Flash Face Off
Guide to Productivity & Write A Tiny Novel
The Get Me Writing Department, including Couch to 5k Words
The Write a Novel Section, including Plotstormers
The Short Story Frond
The Flash Fiction Area
The Writing as Resistance Syndicate
Weekly write-alongs and accountability
Monthly support group Q&As and online retreats
Access to every festival and writing challenge
Library of workshops, writing exercises and prompts
15% discount on real life writing retreat tickets
No recurring fees
Save £50 a year
Freebie
Membership
£0
Get started for naught!

Sign up

Monthly
Gold Star Membership
£20/month
Get writerly superpowers

Sign up

Annual
Gold Star Membership
£190
The full shebang for a one-off fee

Sign up

Writer dashboard
Flash Face Off
Guide to Productivity & Write A Tiny Novel
The Get Me Writing Department
The Write a Novel Section, including Plotstormers
The Flash Fiction Area
The Writing as Resistance Syndicate
Weekly write-alongs and accountability
Monthly support group Q&As and online retreats
Access to every festival and writing challenge
Library of workshops, writing exercises and prompts
15% discount on real life writing retreat tickets
No recurring fees
Save £50 a year
Let's gooooooo!

All prices in UK Pounds

Secure
checkout

Satisfaction
guaranteed

Secure
checkout

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Read this before going to the forum!

The widget that lets you sign into the forum with your WHQ login has given up. 

We are trying to coax it back into existence. So far neither bribery, begging or crying has worked. We are currently trying shaking our fists at the sky and going ‘grrrr’.

You can still get to the forum though! Do this:

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  2. On the forum login page, click reset password USING THE SAME EMAIL YOU USE FOR WHQ
  3. Click the link in the email and reset your password

IMPORTANT: This means you will have TWO (2) passwords/logins. One for the WHQ main site and one for the forum. It’s a pain in the arse. We’re sorry. It is temporary, but at least you can dick about on the forum again. OKAY BYE. 

Once you hit the button, you’ll get a confirmation email, and we’ll send you the Zoom link an hour before the event. 

Check your inbox for details. 

If you don’t get an email, check your spam fist and then wang us a line on he**@**********co.uk and we’ll leap into action with keenness and speed. 

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