Class Description
This session is part of GrubStreet's Manuscript Month, a programming deep dive into the publishing journey. Learn more about Manuscript Month here!
Do you have trouble knowing what should happen next in your novel? Perhaps you have an instinctive or exploratory approach to writing; maybe your characters tend to pull you in different directions, your central conflict isn’t always clear, or the notion of an outline feels overwhelming and constricting.
As someone who has struggled with plot for years—okay, decades—Steve Almond has had to work hard to feel inspired, rather than trapped, by plot mechanics. This has required him to learn about a number of concepts that eluded him: a chain of consequence, the mechanics of rising action, the artful arrangement of incidents, and how to make sure your scenes are driving the plot forward.
In this session, Steve will demystify plot and share practical strategies you can apply directly to your own manuscript, whether you’re stuck in the middle, circling the beginning, or unsure how to shape what you already have.
You’ll leave with a clearer, more flexible understanding of plot, and renewed momentum to move your novel forward.
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 detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.