Class Description
Writing a novel can be like going on a joyride. You've stolen the time to take the journey, and now you're out on the streets, honking wildly, enjoying the rush. Who knew there was so much to see, so many places to visit? And the power of that engine! But suddenly you're running out of gas, going slower and slower, until finally you're rolling into the breakdown lane and just waiting to get locked up.
This class is designed to help you get out of novel jail. We will discuss strategies for maintaining the energy, both in content and form. We also will explore the structural elements of the middle pages and related midpoint issues such as conflict, complication, and chapter function. Ultimately, we will discover not only how to approach the middle, but how to find our ways through it if we're struggling to get out. With the proper tools, the middle can be a journey of increasing excitement, not a slog of repetition that feels like a prison sentence.
Each student will be able to workshop up to 50 pages of their novel, in two submissions of up to 25 pages.
Recommended for three types of students: those with a full first draft of a novel; those without a full first draft who prefer to outline either before or as they write; and those who are ready for a more detailed workshopping of their middle pages. Students should already have taken an introductory novel class, at GrubStreet or elsewhere, before taking this class.
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.