Class Description
For all writers currently working on the first draft of a middle grade or young adult novel. First drafts can be messy, amorphous, and daunting. Some writers feel that extensive critical feedback can be counterproductive before the first draft is finished yet find themselves losing focus without support and guidance. In this class, there will be no manuscripts to read and critique outside of class; all the work will be devoted to one's own writing. In class, writers will discuss craft issues, engage in writing exercises, share frustrations and inspiration, and read short scenes (5 pages) aloud. They will receive feedback in an environment that recognizes the challenges of the novel in progress as well as the unique considerations those writing for young audiences face. Participants may examine the work of such authors as:
- Rita Williams-Garcia
- Rainbow Powell
- Linda Sue Park
- Marcus Sedgwick
- Kate DiCamillo
- Amy Timberlake
At the conclusion of the course, all writers will be invited to hand in excerpts of their novels to receive a written critique from the instructor. Please bring the first 500 words of your novel to the first 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.