Ace the Opening

The opening of your book is make or break: agents and editors often stop reading after just a single page. 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—but when you’re so close to the material, it’s often hard to know if you’ve pulled that off.

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. Through in-depth analysis, 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? 

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

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.