Class Description
Got a spark of an idea—a gem that’s been churning in your mind day and night? Ready to press fingers to keyboard but unsure how to begin? This course will make the blank page less intimidating by giving you a clear, concrete structure to plan your novel.
Each week focuses on a key element of the novel plan, with each new piece building on the last. Step by step, you’ll work through all the components needed to create an outline that will guide your drafting process. We’ll start by refining your premise and digging into who your characters are and what they want. Then, we’ll explore point of view and how to use worldbuilding to enrich your story, no matter the genre.
Next, we’ll dive into plot structure, examining different methods and giving you tools to plot at your own comfort level—whether that’s a brief synopsis or a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline. Each week, you’ll have opportunities to submit work for feedback from both the class and instructor. By the end, you’ll have all the building blocks to complete your novel outline and lay a solid foundation for your manuscript.
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.