Novel Revision Series: Sentence-Level Music

A lot of novelists write good sentences, but few write consistently great ones. Members of this club tend to be authors of some notoriety, and the purpose of this class is to get participants closer to that level as they prepare for a final pass on their novels. Great sentences sing their meaning, and late revision can make the difference between serviceable prose and soaring music. In this craft-based seminar, we'll break down a selection of great sentences in an attempt to decipher why they work and what makes them fly. Then we'll spend some time applying what we've learned to passages from our own novels-in-progress. Bring an excerpt of your novel to class—preferably an important moment in the story such as the opening, ending, or a climactic scene—that you feel is good, but not yet great.

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