Fall Novel Generator 2026-2027

Class Description

The Fall Novel Generator is a seven-month program designed to help a small cohort of students complete the first drafts of their novels. It is open to novelists of all genres and divided into three phases, each with its own structure and goals, each a few weeks long.

• Phase One lasts for six weeks and focuses on craft, through a combination of lectures, exercises, and discussion of a common text. Sometime during this phase, students will have an initial one-on-one meeting with the instructor to discuss their project.
• Phase Two the class meets for fourteen weeks of workshopping using the Novel in Progress method—scenes read aloud in class for on-the-spot feedback. Towards the end of Phase 2, students will be divided into small groups for weekly accountability for the remainder of the course. At the end of Phase 2, students will submit 20 pages of revised or new work to the instructor, and will each have a one-on-one meeting with the instructor to discuss those pages, the novel’s structure, and the student’s vision for the book as a whole.
• Phase Three includes three class meetings, with students writing independently as they finish their novel drafts.

As with all of GrubStreet’s programs, writers do not need advanced (or any) degrees to participate. They simply need to be committed to their writing and the broader writing community. Scholarships are also available and applying is simple. Click here for the scholarship application.

Students have entered our Novel Generator programs with as few as 10 pages written and as many as 150. No matter how far along, what matters most is your openness to exploration and revision. Through class discussion and exercises, we’ll help you clarify your concept and strengthen your plot so you can leave with a cohesive first draft.

All the Novel Generators can work as a companion leading up to applying for GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator, but it is not an alternative to it. The Incubator is for students who have completed a strong first draft of a novel; the Generator is designed to push students toward that strong first draft, whether or not they ultimately enroll in the Incubator or pursue other revision strategies.

Please note that there are multiple Novel Generator sessions, each with its own set of application/registration processes and genre explorations. Please review each program to see what suits your current creative needs, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact [email protected].

Key Dates and Information:
 

Location:

• The 2026-2027 Fall Novel Generator will take place on Zoom. Writers everywhere are encouraged to apply.

Program Dates:

• Program Duration: September 2026 - May 2027
• Class Time: Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm EST
• First Day of Class: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Financial Info:

• Tuition Total: $2,600
• Scholarship Info: Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships in the amount of 25% to 75% are available for all GrubStreet classes. Click here to apply for a scholarship. Once scholarships are awarded, students will receive instructions on how to apply their scholarship when they register for the class. Scholarship recipients must register for class by their given deadline in the award email; otherwise, their scholarship spot will be offered to the next student on the waitlist. More information about GrubStreet's Intensives Program scholarships can be found on the Novel Generator page.