The First Fifteen: How to Open Your Book on the Right Note - Remote!

Class Description

The first fifteen pages are what agents ask for, what editors pore over, and what readers sample on Amazon to see if they want to buy a book. The single biggest issue with most openings is the flow of information. Too much background and you bog down the reader. Too little, and characters feel thin. Ultimately, what we want is to earn the reader's trust—to show that we know how to deploy information at the right time.

We will dissect concrete examples of successful openings and misfires so that we can analyze how to get those first fifteen just right. Students will come away with a better understanding of how the opening of a book should feel, and with a roadmap for how to approach or revise the opening of their works.

About GrubStreet Remote Classes

GrubStreet will be hosting all of our classes remotely from now through the month of April. We’ve decided as a staff that the best thing we can do for our community is to follow the advice of public health experts, and participate in the social distancing that’s recommended to help slow the spread of disease. You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! You’ll receive an email from your instructor on the day your class is scheduled with a link to join the class meeting via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:

Scholarship Information

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 more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.