
Needless Things
ByEla, a recent immigrant to the U.S., finds herself in charge of a stranger’s runaway child at a shopping mall—a situation that not only jeopardizes Ela’s low-wage job but also threatens to upend her precarious new life.
ONE STORY publishes one great short story at a time. We bring people together through reading, writing, and learning about short fiction.
Ela, a recent immigrant to the U.S., finds herself in charge of a stranger’s runaway child at a shopping mall—a situation that not only jeopardizes Ela’s low-wage job but also threatens to upend her precarious new life.
An icepick. A death-defying high. Sex-crazed, loose-moral’d teens in a cabin in the woods. What could possibly go wrong? Find out in our harrowing new issue, Owen Egerton’s “Tripping Dead.”
In this reading group, suited for fiction enthusiasts and writers at any stage, we’ll read and discuss range of short stories that depict motherhood.
Reading Group
Mondays, Sept 15-Oct 6
7:30 to 9:30 PM ET on Zoom
One Story arrives in your mailbox in an envelope like a letter from a friend. Each chapbook-sized story introduces you to a new author. No ads, no images, just a great read.
One great short story
in the mail every month
$10 for six months
One Story is an independent literary magazine. We are not supported by a larger organization or backed by a single funder. Instead, we rely on a a wide group of supporters who give large and small gifts year-round. With NEA funding at risk, your support is incredibly necessary this year.
Make One Story
a part of Your
Story in 2025
In this six-week workshop with Rita Chang-Eppig each participant will workshop a short story or novel excerpt. This is designed for writers without extensive workshop experience.
Thursdays, Sept 11-Oct 16
On Zoom
Open Enrollment
Christine and two other teens are halfway across Lake Passamoonshine, trying to earn their summer camp swim badges, when things take a harrowing turn. Why? Because they aren’t alone in the lake. Check out “Something’s in the Water,” by Teen Writing Contest-winning author Eliza Shannon.
Hone your craft in 2025 with eight lectures from One Story authors on the craft of fiction. In our next lecture Therese Svoboda will explore fight scenes. Expect a lively discussion and two writing exercises.
Next Lecture:
Saturday, September 13
4-5:15pm ET on Zoom
Learn tips and techniques for revising in this self-guided class. You’ll get five in-depth revision techniques to sharpen your work. By the end of the course you’ll have new skills, a helpful to-do list, and pages of new material to move your revision in the right direction.
Self Guided Class
One Story has been publishing since 2002. Our backlist contains names you may know, and some you may not. Browse our backlist and order for summer reading.
They will re-open in the fall.
One Story’s editor-in-chief leads this self-guided class on putting together a cohesive collection of your fiction.
One Story provides a free, open-source submission management system to other publishers at no cost.