Novel Revision Series: Killer Openings and Symphonic Endings

A compelling, carefully crafted opening is critical for any successful novel. It’s what will decide whether editors and agents—not to mention readers—will read on or abandon the story for good. Similarly, the closing passages are what create a reader’s final, and lasting, impression of the book. The opening and ending of a novel are intricately linked, and one must flow from the other. In this craft-oriented class, we’ll break down the openings and endings of numerous classic and contemporary novels to gain a more precise and nuanced understanding of how these crucial elements work together, and what they can and must achieve. In a series of brief writing exercises, we’ll apply what we’ve learned to our own work. Students should bring the first and last several pages of a novel they admire, and, optionally, the first and last several pages of their own novel drafts.

Part of GrubStreet's Novel Revision Series, led by Tim Weed and designed for those who have either finished or are nearing completion of a novel draft. Take every class in the series or simply choose the craft topics that are relevant to the revision challenges you face with your novel in progress. Classes include:

• Novel Revision Series: Killer Openings & Symphonic Endings
• Novel Revision Series: Sentence-Level Music
• Novel Revision Series: Zeroing in on Genre and Theme
• Novel Revision Series: Dramatic Structure & Narrative Drive
• Novel Revision Series: Descriptive Writing & Image Systems
• Novel Revision Series: Interiority, Backstory & Flashback
• Novel Revision Series: Point of View & Psychic Distance
• Novel Revision Series: Dialogue & the Scene
• Novel Revision Series: Minor & Supporting Characters