Class Description
In this class, we will dive headfirst into the tumultuous waters of family dynamics. From long-buried resentments to deep desires for reconciliation, from awkward encounters to grief of what-once-was, students will practice blending joy, conflict, and nuance within inter-character relations on the page in any genre. After all, these stories are not just about dysfunction and drama: at their heart, these stories are about underlying love and lineage.
Every week, we’ll explore a new entry point into these messy family stories. These entry points include scenario-based stories (ie, the reunion story), different narrative containers (ie, the epistolary story), and themes (ie, food). We’ll read works by writers including Frankie Concepcion and Monique Quintana. Then, through a series of guided writing exercises, students will hone their skills for crafting tension and explosion. We will also focus on how to create vivid and memorable portraits of family members, as well as the dynamics that bind them together. Finally, students will practice the art of showing nuance through what is spoken versus unspoken. In the final class, students will have the opportunity to read and workshop their new stories with the group.
Whether you want to write flash/short stories, personal essays, or scenes for your long-form project, join us as we navigate the choppy waters of family and find the truths of kinship. Fiction and creative non-fiction (including memoirists) writers welcome!
Writing Roadmap: We've created a simple, goal-based writing roadmap to help you find the perfect GrubStreet course for your writing needs.
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.