Is the program the same intensity and quality?
Of course! Each workshop will be both rigorous and supportive, maintaining the program’s integrity and high quality. The change in class schedule goes beyond tuition savings for program participants; it’s a curriculum-based approach in response to feedback over the years from students and instructors regarding the need for more time between classes to review peer work and keep expanding their own individual writing.
Why are you making these changes?
Over the years, participants and instructors have shared consistent feedback about the program’s pace, schedule, and cost. While our Intensives are more affordable than most master’s-level programs and we offer partial scholarships, many talented writers still couldn’t participate due to financial barriers. As operational costs rose, we recognized that simply passing those costs to students would conflict with our mission.
By shifting to a twice-monthly schedule, students and instructors gain more time to thoughtfully review peer work and advance their own manuscripts—while easing the pressure of weekly attendance. This change supports both teaching and personal writing growth, aligning with GrubStreet’s mission to help all writers move their work forward.
The reduced number of sessions also lowers tuition, allowing scholarships to stretch further and making the program more accessible. Workshops will remain as rigorous and submission-focused as ever.
Additionally, class size will be capped at eight writers instead of ten, ensuring more individualized feedback and creating space for deeper engagement with each manuscript.
Students will continue to enjoy benefits such as access to industry events, Manuscript Month, and Manuscript Mart sessions with agents and editors. New this year, alumni can opt into additional support after the program ends—like one-on-one coaching or extra manuscript reviews—with scholarship options available. A majority of proceeds from these add-on sessions will go directly to instructors, helping sustain working artists in our community while keeping tuition affordable for students.
What’s different about the program now?
The biggest updates are in class size and meeting frequency. Workshops will now be capped at eight writers instead of ten, and classes will meet every other week instead of weekly. The program still runs from June to May (12 months, including breaks and individual meetings). These adjustments mean more focused feedback for each writer, fewer pages to read between sessions, and more dedicated time to dive into your own writing.
Core elements of the program—like one-on-one meetings with instructors, access to industry events, and entry to Manuscript Month and Manuscript Mart—remain the same. What’s new is added flexibility: after the program ends, students can opt into à la carte writing support such as extra coaching or manuscript reviews, with scholarships available, of course. These options give writers continued access to advanced guidance when they need it most. Plus, through GrubStreet’s growing Intensives alumni network, Memoir Incubator graduates will continue to receive long-term support and free programming well beyond their program year.
Will all of GrubStreet’s Intensives programs change to this format?
Not necessarily. Each genre and program has its own unique needs, and any future updates will be guided by what best serves that community. That said, it’s likely that the new individualized add-on options will expand to other programs, since they offer immediate benefits for both students and instructors alike.