Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers
“I loved getting to be in a space with other queer folks and the opportunity to workshop with others in the LGBTQ+ community. The material shared was thoughtful, the discussions were fun and insightful, and it really invigorated my writing practice.”
-Student from Novel Writing Workshop for Queer, Trans, and/or Nonbinary Writers
In a Nutshell
For LGBTQ+ writers, a lack of queer-focused guidance, support, and community in writing workshops can stifle or even stall progress for novels. Taking place over nine months, the Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers is a program uniquely designed to fill this void and help queer writers complete or make significant progress towards completing a draft of their novel in a supportive community. LGBTQ+ writers will leave this immersive with a finished and/or more polished draft, a trajectory for getting published (including support for applying to higher-level GrubStreet programs, such as the Novel Incubator), and a supportive queer writing community that they can hold onto long after the program is over.
Open House & Info Session
Overview and Goals
Taking place online over Zoom, the Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers is a nine-month online program for queer writers to complete or make significant progress towards completing a draft of their novel in a supportive community.
Capped at ten students, the program is divided into three phases prioritizing craft lectures, workshopping, and community building. In addition to classic lectures on craft topics such as point of view, tension, and characterization, this program will also include craft lectures related to socio-cultural struggles, such as relatability, believability, inviting in outsiders, and navigating the publishing industry as a marginalized author.
Workshopping will be conducted in the non-silencing format that allows for participation from authors. The intensive will also include guest speakers with a focus on intersectionality to ensure that queer writers from all walks of life feel represented and heard.
Students who enter this program should be queer writers who are at least halfway through their novel draft but have since stalled, or have finished their rough draft but haven’t taken further steps towards revision. All genres of the novel are welcome and the content of the writing itself does not have to be specifically queer. Though the course was designed with students who are somewhere between the Novel Generator and the Novel Incubator in mind, applicants do not need experience with either program. The Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers serves the most common needs of the queer writing community, whether or not they've taken previous GrubStreet classes, ultimately apply for the Novel Incubator, or pursue other revision strategies.
Queer writers will leave this intensive with a finished draft (if not a more polished one), a trajectory for getting published, and a supportive queer writing community.
Testimonials From Instructor Milo Todd's Former Novel Students
“This class was wonderful. My main takeaway was a feeling of community and togetherness with other queer writers, which was really valuable for me (especially during a pandemic). This class helped me work through lingering impostor syndrome, both as a writer and as a queer person without a solid queer community.” — Isaac Kozukhin"Writing about queer characters as a queer writer seems like it'd be simple. However, it can be difficult confronting and embracing fears of doing what's true to self while being comfortable outside the mainstream. Being in a LGBTQ+ program at GrubStreet has made the journey feel possible and compelling." — Tiffany Hoyt
“Milo was incredible and really good at moderating workshop discussions in a way that everyone felt safe to express their opinions and/or discomfort if something felt off.” —Dharani Persaud
"The class was great! Milo and all of the participants were all smart, talented, creative, and generous with their feedback." — Patrick Hackett
Class Format
The 2023-2024 Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers will be held online via Zoom for the duration of the program. Queer, transgender, and/or nonbinary writers everywhere are encouraged to apply.
Important Dates
- Applications for the 2023-2024 Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers are now closed!
Applications for the 2023-2024 Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers are now closed. Please note that the upcoming round of the Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers, which begins in June 2023, will take place online via Zoom.