Building a Better Beginning

This 3-hour seminar is dedicated to helping find your story’s best beginning. The best beginnings draw the reader in quickly and clearly, then don’t let them go until the end. Through discussion and writing exercises we’ll practice various ways to begin your narrative, experiment with various tenses, POVs, timelines, and starting points, break down the pros and cons of character-centric vs. action packed vs. world exploration beginnings, and ensure you’re centering what makes your story unique and engaging. This course is best suited for longform fiction writers, though all are welcome. 

It doesn’t matter if you have a first draft or a fresh idea, this course will allow you to explore and draft your new (or refreshed) beginnings. 

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