Class Description
Do you have a great idea for a middle grade or young adult novel but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’re well on your way, but lately, your manuscript has become a flabby mass of pages? Either way, this course will whip that novel into shape. During the five days of class, we will focus on the elements of craft necessary to drive a book-length MG/YA narrative (whether in prose or verse): from characterization to voice, structure to scene, emotion arcs to subplots, and more. We will read excerpts from a range of recently published MG and YA novels, pick them apart as writers, and apply these lessons to our own projects.
The course will include substantial in-class writing time and an optional homework assignment every evening and will culminate in a one-on-one meeting with the instructor to discuss your opening chapter and synopsis. Writing a novel is a long, unpredictable journey, but you will end this course with a new set of tools to navigate your way.
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.