Short Story Cohort

WRITING, COACHING, CRITIQUE, and COMMUNITY

Join Mary Robinette Kowal for a transformative three-month writing experience, designed to help you learn the craft of short stories while also generating new work. You will join a cohort of six writers through an audition process and journey with them, gaining accountability, support, and camaraderie. Each month, you and your peers will have a critique session with MRK as you work to write three short stories and polish them for submission to markets.

This program is a small group experience, and admission is granted through an application process.

For 2026 Mary Robinette will be offering 2 cohorts that will last for three months. Admission is through applications and only for paying attendees.

Upcoming Cohort Dates*

April – June of 2026, 1-3pm Mountain Time on Wednesdays – Applications Open

August – October of 2026

*Dates and times of future cohorts are always subject to change until the applications open.

Next Cohort: What to Expect

On April 1st: you will meet the rest of your cohort and take Mary Robinette’s Short Stories Explained. This is an all-day intensive class focused on how short stories work.

Each month, on Sundays from 9:00am – 11:00am Mountain: Make Me Write. During these sessions, you’ll be given a prompt and ninety-minutes to write the first draft of a short story. Some weeks, you will focus on practicing specific skills like dialogue or setting. Mary Robinette will be writing a story from the same prompt and will share her process after the session with you.

Every week, starting on Wednesday, April 8th from 1pm – 3pm Mountain Time and ending with July 1st, 2026, you will have a two hour session that will either be a Critique, Revision, Theory, or Writing time. The Critique sessions are mandatory attendance and the others are highly recommended if you want to get the full experience of the cohort but we understand that on occasion you may have other urgent life things that will make it difficult to attend every Tuesday. 

You will pick one of the stories you write each month to develop into a story between 2000-4000 words long and bring to the critique group. So be aware that you are committing to read and critique six stories each month.

Based on feedback, you’ll polish the short story. To help with refining your skills, each month you can schedule up to two one-on-ones with Mary Robinette. The goal by the end of the three months is for you to have three stories ready for submission.

What’s Included?

• MRK’s Short Stories Explained, which is an all-day intensive designed to teach you how to find a short story from any idea.
• Monthly live video critique sessions with MRK and six fellow writers on your short stories.
• Weekly sessions to come together to work on revision, brainstorm story problems, and talk about story elements. 
• Monthly writing goal setting to provide accountability for your writing.
• Intimate group of up to 6 total writers; you will be expected to provide critique for your fellow writers each month.
• Weekly two-hour Make Me Write live video session with a short story prompt, during which everyone will write for 90 minutes, then come back together for 30 minutes of show-your-work time where MRK or our guest writer will guide you through their writing process. (Typically at 11:00 AM Eastern on Sundays.)
• One-on-ones with MRK
• MRK’s library of pre-recorded classes on writing craft and career (70 hours of materials and always growing).
• Discord Access to the Lady Astronaut Club, the kindest corner of the internet, and a wonderful community of readers and writers. You’ll have your own private channel within the LAC.
• Monthly large-group Q&A session for any questions you have about your writing journey.
• Monthly live-streamed writing class on craft and career. (Typically at 8:00 PM Eastern on the last Monday of the month.)

Application

The cost of this intimate writing coaching group is $550/month for three months. It is by application only. After the members have been accepted we will ask you to sign up for the Short Story Cohort tier on Patreon (we will tell you the timing of this so you don’t overlap with the current cohort). At the end of the cohort you will be guided through how to leave the tier. 

Applications are due on March 5th by 11:59 pm PST.

Click here to go to the application form.

Schedule

You will be expected to attend the April 1st Intensive, weekly on Wednesdays from 1-3pm Mountain Time, and Make Me Write sessions during the three month period. The Make Me Write sessions are to teach you to build time in your schedule for writing, but we can make accommodations for things like vacations, etc.

There will be three critique times during our weekly meeting and the other sessions will either be a chance to co-work for writing or revisions, an unlocking/brainstorming session, or a social time. 

If you miss a Make Me Write or Cohort non-critique session Mary Robinette will ask you to give her a timeblock you have carved out at another time in the week to make up the writing or revision time.

The other benefits (Classes, Q&As, etc. are optional attendance).

Please note, schedules can be subject to change due to travel or emergencies; we will give as much advanced warning as possible

FAQ