The Character-Driven Novel Plot - Remote!

In creating stories, many writers focus on what happens without enough consideration as to the why. Storytelling at its best functions on two levels: the outside story, i.e., the story beats, the plot, the action, and the inside story, i.e., the character’s emotional journey. The most successful stories intertwine the two to achieve not just a satisfying conclusion but one that stays with the reader long past the final page. This intensive focuses on techniques to create characters who feel real, with motivations, desires, wants, and needs. Through examples and readings, students will explore how characters are actually a novel-writing secret weapon and how to wield them for the most effective results in their stories. Students will be developing their characters in class with the opportunity for feedback from the instructors and classmates. Students will leave with a key understanding: characters drive the plot, not the other way around.

This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! 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 via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:

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.