Class Description
A lot of novelists write good sentences, but few write consistently great ones. Members of this club tend to be authors of some notoriety, and the purpose of this class is to get participants closer to that level as they prepare for a final pass on their novels. Great sentences sing their meaning, and late revision can make the difference between serviceable prose and soaring music. In this craft-based seminar, we'll break down a selection of great sentences in an attempt to decipher why they work and what makes them fly. Then we'll spend some time applying what we've learned to passages from our own novels-in-progress. Bring an excerpt of your novel to class—preferably an important moment in the story such as the opening, ending, or a climactic scene—that you feel is good, but not yet great.
Part of GrubStreet's Novel Revision Series, led by Tim Weed and designed for those who have either finished or are nearing completion of a novel draft. Take every class in the series or simply choose the craft topics that are relevant to the revision challenges you face with your novel in progress. Classes include:
- Novel Revision Series: Killer Openings & Symphonic Endings
- Novel Revision Series: Sentence-Level Music
- Novel Revision Series: Zeroing in on Genre and Theme
- Novel Revision Series: Dramatic Structure & Narrative Drive
- Novel Revision Series: Descriptive Writing & Image Systems
- Novel Revision Series: Interiority, Backstory & Flashback
- Novel Revision Series: Point of View & Psychic Distance
- Novel Revision Series: Dialogue & the Scene
- Novel Revision Series: Minor & Supporting Characters
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. Please visit the Resources tab to access the video-conference link.
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!