Novel Revision Series: Descriptive Writing

Good descriptive writing—setting, landscape, imagery, a sense of place—is more central to a gripping novel than many aspiring authors appreciate. Done well, it has the power to transform the abstraction of letters on a page into what John Gardner called the “vivid, continuous dream” of fiction. It has to be done well, however. Much depends on the skill with which a writer can imagine the sensory world of the story and set it down on the page in a way that will harness the uncanny power of the human imagination. In this seminar, we’ll look at numerous examples of well-executed imagistic description in order to derive techniques we can use in our own work to create more immersive fictional narratives.

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.