Historical Fiction: Research Intensive (Online)

Are you writing a historical fiction novel, but find yourself either drowning in research material, or with no idea how to go about finding it? Well, good news: this course is designed to help writers navigate the overwhelming world of research. We’ll cover everything how to find both primary and secondary sources relevant to your projects, to how to know which facts and details to retain from these sources, and finally, how to incorporate your research into scenes in a seamless, fresh, and interesting way. Each week, we will go over a different aspect of research as it related to historical fiction, choose and share sources, and read examples of spectacularly researched fiction (authors may include Colson Whitehead, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Sebastian Japrisot, Geraldine Brooks, Toni Morrison, and Sarah Waters, among others). Over the course of the class, we will write three scenes together: 1. Exposition, 2. Fictionalized Historic Event, and 3. Scene in a Public Place, and you will have the opportunity to receive feedback on one of these scenes.

By the end of class, you will have a game plan for your own novel research, a list of sources to mine, and three scene drafts you can use to continue building your novel in progress.

*NOTE that while our handy dandy "Schedule" tab states a 6-7pm class time, there are actually no live meetings for this class! Weekly lessons and assignments open each Wednesday. Students will receive an invitation to Wet Ink, our online class platform, before 5pm on the first day of class.

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.