In a Nutshell
The application period for the 2024-2025 Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers is now closed. The application deadline was March 26, 2024. All applicants can expect to hear from us by April 2024. Stay tuned for next year's cycle that typically opens in January.
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.
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.
Program 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.
Class Format & Tuition
The 2024-2025 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. The tuition is $2495 with scholarships available through a simple application right at the end of the general application. More information can be found on the How to Apply page.
Important Dates
- The application is now closed.
- The application deadline was March 26, 2024, by 11:59PM ET.
- All applicants will be notified in late April, 2024.
- The Program will run from June 4, 2024 to February 25, 2025.
- To apply next year, stay tuned for the next application cycle that typically opens every January.
Being in a LGBTQ+ program at GrubStreet has made the journey feel possible and compelling.
Testimonials From Instructor Milo Todd's Former Novel Students
“The writing world was not built for us; the Novel Immersive was. Having a queer space to
explore my own novel and learn from my peers has been tremendous in my growth as a writer.
Beyond what I have learned of craft and narrative, the most significant gift this program has
given me is community. Having a cohort of other queer writers from diverse backgrounds,
united in our love of the word and our insistence that our stories matter, has given me the
space and confidence I need to pursue novel writing seriously.” – Cat G.
“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
“I was hesitant to apply because I had never participated in a program like this and do not have
a background in creative writing. Having been in the Immersive now, I am so glad I applied and would encourage anyone who is interested to do the same! I have learned so much from Milo and by reading and critiquing other writers that I never could have hoped to duplicate without access to a program like this one.” – Kenneth C.
“Milo's course shines a light through the complexities of the writing world (both craft-wise and the business side) by creating a genuinely enjoyable, open community where queer folks can kick off their shoes and get some good work done. I cherish the connections I have made through this offering and will miss it when it's done!” – Caitlin A.
“This class created a joyful and safe space for me to grow as a writer. The structure of the
immersive allowed us to build a strong sense of community in the first ten weeks before we
started workshopping. The feedback I received both from Milo and the other class members
was always supportive, actionable and insightful. I highly recommend this immersive to
any queer writing looking to improve their craft and be part of a supportive literary
community.” – Anna
Questions?
If you have specific questions about the Novel Incubator program, email [email protected] or call the office anytime at 617.695.0075.