Skip to Content

Welcome!

If this is your first time logging in on our new website, please first!

Log-In

Forgot your password?

Don't have a Grub profile?

Enter your email and we'll send you directions on setting (or resetting) your password.

Submit

Wait, I remembered! Let me .

Enter your your details to create a new account. To finish activating your account, please check your email for an activation link before you log-in.

Create your account here. Later you can fill out your full profile.

Sign-Up

Nevermind. I just need to .

  • Workshop
  • Online: Zoom
  • Adult (18+)
  • 7 Weeks

Writing Fiction from Real Life

No Longer Enrolling

  • $370.00 Non-Member
  • $355.00 Member

Class Description

For writers who feel overwhelmed by the notion of starting a story from nothing, the real world can provide a useful gateway into the fictional world. Plus, the art of shaping credible fiction often means that we look to the actual world around us for ideas and cues.


This six-week class will use personal experiences and observations to craft compelling fiction and characters. The first two classes will focus on in-class exercises, explorations, and low-key mini workshops of student work. The last four classes will focus on workshopping one longer work (up to 15 pages) by each student, along with in-class exercises and readings, as time allows. By the end of the course, students will have built several scenes and story starters along with one fuller draft ready for revision. They will also have a toolkit of practical approaches for translating real-life elements into fuel for their fiction.

Please note: Class does not meet July 13th.

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.

Scholarships Format/Location

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.