Class Description
First drafts of novels can be messy, amorphous, and daunting. And in speculative fiction, it's not just the story you're developing as you go, but also the world! You've got the basics of craft down, but you need support, guidance, and accountability to keep writing towards the finish line. This class will push you to learn more about the craft of novel-writing in the best way you can: by doing. Each week, you'll be challenged to write or revise 10 double-spaced pages outside of class so that by the end of this class, you will have written and/or edited 100 pages of your novel and also created a working synopsis.
Over the course of the class we'll read a published novel together and take inspiration from how it works—or doesn't. We'll do writing exercises in class and read short scenes from each others' work in order to provide feedback that keeps you on track and excited to return to the page. We'll discuss craft issues like identifying (or clarifying) the true heart of your novel, deepening character, developing a plot with strong internal logic, and balancing pacing and scene, with a focus on how your story and world can establish their own rules and expectations as you go along—and what happens when you decide to break them!
Class Format
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!
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.
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.