The Paros Story Studio
The Paros Story Studio
Fiction Writing Courses in Paros, Greece
Fiction Writing Courses in Paros, Greece
The Paros Story Studio Presents
About Paros
The Paros Story Studio Presents
An October Writing Series in Paros, Greece
October 4-16, 2026
This October, the Paros Story Studio will host a two-week series of courses for writers who wish to deepen their understanding of story and engage more seriously with their craft.
The series begins with the Creative Writing Intensive, a structured exploration of the principles that shape effective storytelling. The following week offers two additional courses: Reading for Writers, which examines the inner workings of participants' favorite stories, and the Fiction Writing Workshop, where participants share, discuss and develop their own work.
Set on the island of Paros at the tail end of the tourist season, when the crowds have thinned but the weather is still warm, the program offers writers a rare combination of focused study and an inspiring setting.
Schedule
Participants may enroll in individual courses or take part in the full series.
Week 1
October 4-9, 2026
-Creative Writing Intensive
Week 2
October 12-16, 2026
-Reading for Writers: The Stories We Love
-Fiction Writing Workshop
Course Descriptions
October 4-16, 2026
Creative Writing Intensive
October 4-9, 2026
For many developing writers, story writing comes with a low-grade frustration: the sense that something isn’t quite working, but without a clear understanding of why. This is partly because the mechanisms that shape effective stories aren’t always obvious, even to attentive readers.
This fun yet structured alternative to the traditional writing workshop brings story mechanisms into view. Participants work with each element directly, building practical familiarity with how stories take shape-- and why they sometimes fall apart.
Through guided discussions and intuitive exercises, participants will explore a variety of topics, including:
--how to find an idea that works
--shaping and sustaining a story’s central conflict
--making the most of every scene
--the generative power of subtext
--plotting a story from start to finish
By the end of the course, writers will gain clarity, practical skills, and the confidence to shape their stories intentionally, reducing the guesswork and subtle anxieties that hinder creative flow.
Details: The intensive runs six days, each consisting of a 2.5 hour morning session, a leisurely lunch break, and a 2.5 hour afternoon session. Classes conclude at 4:30 pm each afternoon, giving participants the rest of the day to explore, relax, or write.
Suitable for storytellers of all kinds, whether working on novels, short fiction, screenplays or other narrative forms.
Tuition: €1200 (Does not include travel, accommodation or meals.)
Reading for Writers: The Stories We Love
October 12-16, 2026
Have you ever wondered how your favorite stories were created? In this course, we return to the stories we love and examine them with a writer’s eye. Looking closely at how they work—how they build tension, shape character, and create meaning—we begin to uncover the craft behind their magic. For developing writers, few exercises are more valuable.
The syllabus will be shaped by the participants themselves. Before the course begins, each writer will suggest a few favorite works they’d like the group to consider. From these suggestions, the group will vote to select the final list, while ensuring that each participant has at least one of their chosen works included. To keep the course load manageable—and to broaden the range of storytelling traditions we explore—participants may draw from both fiction and film.
Details: This five-day seminar will meet each morning from 10 AM to 12:30 PM.
Tuition: €600 (Does not include travel, accommodation or meals.)
UPDATE August 21, 2026: The final list of titles has now been selected by currently enrolled participants. Applications to this course remain open, and new participants are very welcome to join. However, as the voting process is now complete, new applicants will not be able to vote or nominate works for this session.
Fiction Writing Workshop
October 12-16, 2026
In the Fiction Writing Workshop, participants bring their own work to the table. Writers submit pages in advance, and together the group explores how each piece is functioning on the page.
Rather than focusing solely on general impressions, the workshop encourages careful attention to the elements that shape a story and how these forces are operating within each piece.
Participants who attended the Creative Writing Intensive will bring with them the shared vocabulary and tools explored during the previous week, enriching the conversation for the entire group. Writers joining the workshop independently are equally welcome and will quickly become part of the discussion.
Details: The workshop will meet every afternoon from 1:30 PM to 4 PM
Tuition: €600 (Does not include travel, accommodation or meals.)
*Those attending all three courses will receive a 20% tuition discount.
A deposit is required to reserve your place in all programs. For information on payments, cancellations and refunds, please click here.
Additional Details
Location: The program is based in the old town of Parikia. Classes meet in a charming, centuries-old residence on a quiet, pedestrian street.
Class sizes: Between five and ten participants, depending on the course.
Accommodation & Meals: Participants are responsible for arranging their housing and meals, allowing for flexibility and keeping program costs low. For convenience and ease of access, it is strongly recommended students arrange housing in Parikia. We’re happy to offer guidance or suggestions.
Arrival Dates: Because Paros is an island, participants will have to arrive the day before their course begins, due to ferry and flight schedules (October 3 for first week participants, Oct 11 for second week participants).
Travel info: Paros is easily reached via Athens, with short daily flights (approximately 30 minutes) as well as regular ferry service (around 3–4 hours).
About the Instructor
Stella Skordalellis is a story coach based in Paros, Greece, and the creator of The Paros Story Studio. Her teaching seeks to illuminate the underlying principles of story, making the creative process less mysterious and more accessible for writers at all stages.
She is especially attuned to the experience of the developing writer who is deeply drawn to storytelling but is unsure how to translate observations, ideas, and lived experiences into compelling narrative. Her teaching offers practical frameworks that support clarity while still honoring each writer’s unique voice.
Her classrooms are lively, supportive, and accessible spaces where writers feel safe to experiment. She believes that with the right tools and environment, every writer can move closer to the stories they’ve always wanted to tell.
She holds a BA in English from Cornell University and an MFA in Fiction from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast Program.
About the Instructor
Additional Details
An October Writing Series
Responses to Stella's Teaching
in Paros, Greece
After working intuitively for many years, I have finally found a writing coach who is guiding me through the essential building blocks of fiction vital to writing a successful story. Stella is charming, meticulous, thorough, with a great sense of humour. I highly recommend attending her writing course in order to acquire a solid structure for your work.
-Reva Mann, author of The Rabbi’s Daughter
Your approach has been providing me with the contextual framework and understanding that I've been lacking for years. I feel like all the things I've been learning about in a piecemeal fashion for well over a decade are now clicking into place. Finally, I feel like I'm REALLY beginning to understand. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me.
-William
Clear, eloquent, vivid and simply put. Thank you!
-Tom
Never before have I heard subtext discussed so clearly. Your teaching skills are top-tier.
-Sidney
I am already a published author, have an MA in Creative Writing, and even teach creative writing, and even with all that, I have never learned/known these concepts to be so well-explained and shared. Thank you SO much.
-T
Your teaching is full of useful and pragmatic advice. You have a real gift for breaking down the "nuts and bolts" of story mechanics.
-J.P.
About Paros
Paros has long been one of the most beloved Greek islands, drawing visitors from around the world with its natural beauty, charming villages and easy way of life. The program is based in the seaside town of Parikia, the island’s historic capital and main port, full of shops, cafes and open-air restaurants. The island’s long history is especially visible here, in the Church of 100 Doors, the archaeological museum, the Venetian Castro, and the many historic homes woven throughout the old settlement.
During free hours, participants are encouraged to explore beyond Parikia, as each of the island's villages has its own special character. For those who wish to extend their travels either before or after the program, ferries connect easily to neighboring destinations.
However participants spend their time in and around Paros, they’ll find a warm, welcoming setting for study and the quiet, alluring work of putting stories into words...
...or visit the blog for insights into the writing process:
The Problem with Show Don't Tell
On Setting, Worldbuilding and Subtext
Writing Better Dialogue: What it Really Takes
... or visit the blog for insights into the writing process:
The Problem with Show Don't Tell
On Setting, Worldbuilding and Subtext
Writing Better Dialogue: What it Really Takes
