Advanced Novel Workshop - Remote!

This class is for novelists who have taken advanced workshops before, are well versed in matters of craft, and who have already made some progress on a first draft. The goals of this workshop are to write or revise at least 100 pages in ten weeks, as well as to identify and correct any shortcomings in craft areas such as characterization, point of view, structure, plot, and scenes. Each class will begin with a brief, novel-specific writing exercise or lesson; the rest of the class will be devoted to workshopping. Feedback will be delivered using the novel-in-progress method: reading your pages (10-11, double-spaced) aloud in class each week and receiving on-the-spot feedback from your fellow novelists and instructor. Each student will have a 20-minute conference with the instructor midway through the course. At the end of class, you will have a choice of submitting 20 pages of new or revised scenes for evaluation or having a 1-hour meeting with the instructor, where you will present a revised scene and discuss overall strategies for finishing or revising the novel. Class size is limited to 9 students. See below for directions to apply.

Important dates:

This application deadline is Monday, January 4th. 

The payment deadline for admitted students is Monday, January 11th.

To apply, please click the red "SEE DIRECTIONS TO APPLY" button in the top right corner of this page. This application will ask you to detail your workshop experience. It will also ask you to upload a 5-10 page writing sample. Please make sure this writing sample is in Microsoft Word, double-spaced, and in 12-point font. For tracking purposes, your name should appear in the file name (e.g. Smith.Novel Title.Submission). You can also track the status of your application in your Grubstreet profile. Please make sure your application is complete before you finally click "APPLY." If you have any technical difficulties filling out this application, please email [email protected]. You will receive a confirmation email once our system has received your submission.

This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! 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 via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.

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.