Ace the Opening - Remote!

Agents and editors often stop reading after just one page. But it’s so difficult to know how best to start your book. Whether you're writing novels, short stories or memoir, you must bring your audience into the unique world of your story with confidence and creativity.

Using examples from each genre, we will contrast discarded openings with their final published versions, examining the behind-the-scenes editing process and highlighting the choices the writer made in order to both ground the narrative and propel it forward. We'll look closely at the critical elements of the first sentence, paragraph, and page. How do writers introduce theme, character, setting and plot without an information dump? This class will be helpful for writers at all stages of the process. Submit the first page of your work before our session and we'll discuss them, time permitting.

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.