Name: 30-Day Short Story Workshop
SKU: 10791
Availability: InStock

30-Day Short Story Workshop

$50.00

Hosted by Crystal Lake Publisher and CEO Joe Mynhardt—with special guest to be announced.

Turn your short story from a rough draft into something submission-ready—with a complete pre-recorded craft curriculum, a live guest workshop, and the option to have your story personally edited by Joe.

Running throughout September, 2026.

Here’s What’s Included:

10 Pre-Recorded Video Lessons
Work through the full curriculum at your own pace, available the moment the workshop opens. Watch, pause, rewatch—no need to be online at a set time to get the full course.

Story Goal, Theme, Structure, and Tone—find the heart of your story before you fix anything else
Formatting & Story Structure—fix pacing issues, get your formatting right, and clean up scene transitions
Dialogue That Flows—make your characters sound real, cut filler, and learn how great dialogue drives story
Sentence-Level Craft—strengthen sentence-level writing, remove distractions, and enhance readability
Public Reading & Performance Tips—learn how to read your story aloud with impact, for panels, podcasts, or live events
The Dreaded Ending—how to land it
Editing Your Own Work—the tools and mindset for self-editing before you submit

Bonus Lessons:

How to research markets that align with your story’s tone, genre, and theme
Understanding that just because a market is open doesn’t mean it’s the right fit
Tools and sites for submission tracking (Duotrope, Submission Grinder, and more)
Red flags to avoid: predatory publishers, no-pay markets, and shady anthologies
Tips for building a submission plan that works long-term

One Live Group Workshop with Special Guest to be announced
A live Zoom session with author ( ? ) , joining Joe to share his own perspective on short fiction craft. Replay available for anyone who can’t attend live.

Want Joe to Personally Edit Your Story?

Upgrade your workshop for an additional $130 (check for the add-on in Checkout, or just follow this link and add it to your cart) and Joe will personally edit your short story—line-level craft feedback focused on pacing, flow, emotion, and word choice, in the same style he’s used to mentor authors published alongside Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Joe R. Lansdale.

This Workshop Is For:

Writers with a short story draft they want to polish
Anyone struggling with clarity, pacing, or reader impact
Writers who want a complete, self-paced craft curriculum they can revisit any time
Short story writers who want to break through to the next level
Writers who want to become better at live readings on panels, podcasts, or live events

Pricing:

$50—Full workshop: 10 pre-recorded lessons + bonus lessons + live session with Kevin Lucia
+$130 upgrade (check for the add-on in Checkout or just follow this link and add it to your cart)—Personal story edit from Joe Mynhardt

Description

About Joe:

Joe Mynhardt stands as a paragon in the horror literary world, a Bram Stoker Award-winning South African publisher, editor, author, story coach, and mentor with over a decade of experience. As the founder and CEO of Crystal Lake, Joe has transformed a humble 2012 startup into a multifaceted Intellectual Property powerhouse.

With a track record of working with and publishing works by luminaries such as Clive Barker, Stephen King, Charlaine Harris, Ramsey Campbell, John Connolly, Jack Ketchum, Jonathan Maberry, Christopher Golden, Graham Masterton, Damien Angelica Walters, Adam Nevill, Lisa Morton, Elizabeth Massie, Joe R. Lansdale, Edward Lee, Paul Tremblay, and Wes Craven, Joe is the quintessential mentor for aspiring authors. His deep industry insights and extensive network place him in a unique position to guide both new and seasoned writers in the genre.

Joe is also the author of the Shadows & Ink series, a guide to horror writing and publishing.

Joe’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering author careers is at the heart of Crystal Lake Publishing’s ethos. His approach is not just about publishing books; it’s about building a community, sharing knowledge, and being a beacon of friendship and guidance in the often-intimidating world of horror writing.

Since leaving his day job in 2016 to focus full-time on his passion, Joe has also excelled as a work-from-home dad, a role he embraced in 2018. His daughter, Cayleigh, named after his childhood influences Bruce Lee and Stan Lee, is a testament to his belief in the power of storytelling across all mediums. Joe’s love for great narratives extends beyond literature, encompassing comics, games, film, and television, with favorites ranging from Poe, Doyle, and Lovecraft to King, Connolly, and Hill.

Joe Mynhardt isn’t just a figure in the horror industry—he’s a driving force behind it, leading a successful online business that goes beyond the traditional boundaries of publishing. Discover more about Joe’s journey and Crystal Lake’s offerings at www.crystallakepub.com or connect with him on Facebook or Patreon (includes author tiers and a 7-day free trial), where he continues to inspire and lead the next generation of storytellers.