The General Schedule & Timeline
7 Class Sessions
The year-long program will follow this arc: Phase 1, during which we’ll cover a general overview of memoir elements; Phase 2, during which we’ll explore more narrow craft techniques that address each writer’s unique interests and challenges; and Phase 3, during which we’ll fill in any remaining topical gaps.
We will meet as a class for workshops and craft talks every other Wednesday. Our first class will set the stage for the rest of the year. We’ll begin building our tight-knit community, quell any nerves and imposter syndrome, cover the ins and outs of our syllabus, and discuss workshopping logistics.
We will then devote the rest of Phase 1 to breaking down the fundamentals of the memoir. Topics will include structure, POV, writing characters based on real people, beginnings and endings, and scene vs. exposition. We’ll analyze excerpts from published memoirs that exemplify masterful craft. To hone our own skills, writers will be assigned short writing exercises. An underlying goal of these craft talks is for each writer to clarify and strengthen the “heart of their story”: the juicy essence of what they are trying to say about their life, and how to cultivate its emotional resonance on the page.
During each class of Phase 1, two writers will also lead intensive workshops of their manuscripts. On the Wednesdays when we do not meet as a class, each writer who workshopped their manuscripts the week prior will meet one-on-one with the instructor for an hour to discuss their workshop sample and any lingering questions. Writers can also discuss their short writing exercises with the instructor in their one-on-one meetings.
The final class of Phase 1 will cover how to strategize revision, blending workshop feedback and everything we learned in our craft talks into their project plans. By the end of Phase 1, writers will not only have a solid grasp of the essential parts of a memoir, but also clear visions for how to integrate their newfound understanding of the form with their individual manuscripts.
Writers will have a four-week break after Phase 1. During this break, writers will focus on drafting new manuscript pages that will be workshopped during Phase 2. Each writer will also select and read a mentor text (a published memoir that is thematically, structurally, and/or stylistically similar to their own project).
6 Class Sessions
While Phase 1 was about establishing a strong foundation, Phase 2 is about innovation. The goal of Phase 2 is to empower each writer to take ownership of the memoir form, experiment with what’s possible on the page, and sharpen their literary voice. We’ll begin with an exploration of non-traditional memoir forms and how unconventional elements might just be the “missing pieces” in our manuscripts.
After this initial class, the students will become the teacher — literally! Every class week, two writers will select short excerpts of their mentor texts that demonstrate craft techniques they’ve found helpful in drafting their own manuscripts. The rest of the class will read the excerpts for homework. During class, the writer-teachers will lead craft discussions of the excerpts and facilitate quick “emulation exercises” in which writers mimic a particular technique. By leading craft conversations, writers will develop their ability to dissect model texts – a skill they will need for collecting inspiration and guidance on their own following the Incubator program. Through these student-led classes, writers as a group will also be able to sample a broad variety of published memoirs and styles, which will in turn help writers develop their own voices.
Each writer will also have two opportunities to workshop smaller segments of their manuscripts over this period. As with Phase 1, each writer will meet with the instructor individually following each of their workshops. Instructor attention will be focused on spurring each student towards a complete manuscript draft. At the end of Phase 2, writers may adapt their project plans according to their recent feedback.
The aim of Phase 2 is for each writer to feel like they are contributing something special and original to the historical landscape of memoir. With this reassurance, writers can revitalize their creativity and motivation.
Writers will have a second four-week break after Phase 2. During this month off, writers have two responsibilities: drafting new manuscript pages and taking an intentional break from their projects to rest and recenter.
6 Class Sessions
During our final phase, we will turn toward the horizon and make sure that each writer has what they need to continue their projects beyond the Incubator.
The first class of Phase 3 will be dedicated to reviewing everyone’s progress and solidifying our project plans. Each of the remaining classes will follow this structure: two writers will lead intensive workshops of their full manuscripts, then a guest speaker from the literary industry will join us to give a talk and Q&A. These guest speakers will fill in topical gaps, including navigating the publishing landscape, and provide fresh and insightful encouragement.
Each writer will have another opportunity to meet one-on-one with the instructor following their manuscript workshop. Also during this period, each writer will have developmental consultations with their Second Reader. This Second Reader will offer objective developmental guidance on the draft. The student will then incorporate that feedback into the plans for revision.
From April 14th through May 12th, our class will not meet in order to give writers time to prepare for GrubStreet’s Manuscript Mart. At this annual event, a literary agent will read a writer’s manuscript then meet with them online to provide feedback. During this period, writers will have the option of meeting with the instructor for a final one-on-one – either to prepare for Manuscript Mart or debrief their meeting with the literary agent afterwards.
On May 19th, we will have our final meeting as a class – and writers will be encouraged to invite their friends and family to join as well! We will celebrate all of our progress made over the year and each writer will give a short reading.
At the end of Phase 3, writers will have the tools they need to continue building out their manuscripts, strategic direction, and an abundance of writerly camaraderie and feedback to sustain them along their journey.
Please note that the dates above may shift a week or two in either direction depending on student and instructor availability, as well as the Manuscript Mart, industry events schedule, and deadlines.
Program Details
Class Sessions:
- For most of the 12-month program, students meet for three-hour workshops every other week via online Zoom sessions. Workshops are led by the instructor who also provides written feedback and craft talks on various elements of memoir-writing. These classes will include analysis of published memoirs and impromptu discussions about the memoir-writing process. The workshop schedule includes two longer breaks to allow for vacation time, especially in the summer and over the winter holidays. Because workshop participation is crucial, the full 12-month schedule will be available to students soon after students are notified of acceptance into the program.
- On weeks without official class sessions, students can optionally meet on Zoom to write together. It’s not required but it’s an available option for those who prefer accountability groups.
Individual Consultations with the Instructor:
- After each workshop, students whose manuscripts were workshopped will meet with the instructor individually on a mutually agreed-upon date and time. The goal of these meetings is to allow the writer to synthesize the multiple perspectives students have heard at the workshop meetings, as well as strategize more specific plans for their work. Each writer will receive a minimum of 6 hours of individual consultation, scheduled after each workshop, amid breaks, and after the writer’s editorial consultation with the Second Reader (see below), as well as after their Manuscript Mart meeting. These hours are student-directed and project-focused, designed to augment the curriculum with instruction that is particular to each student's specific projects and goals, and help the writer to come up with a concrete plan for next steps.
Weekly Word Count Check-Ins:
- To ensure that your manuscript develops, you will turn in 2000 words of rough draft or 3000 words of revised material every week the Incubator is in session. These words will not be workshopped, but everyone will be required to complete them. The more you write, the easier it is to write!
Additional Full Memoir Consultation and Meeting with Established Author:
- As part of the course, students receive written feedback on their revised memoir draft as well as a one hour face-to-face or phone/Zoom discussion with an established author who will act as a Second Reader. This meeting is typically scheduled to occur during the third phase of the class, depending on readers’ availability. The program considers this outside voice vital in providing a well-rounded response to the memoir as a whole.
Manuscript Mart Appointment and Invitations to Exclusive Events with Industry Professionals:
- The Manuscript Mart is an opportunity to have five pages of the student's manuscript read by an agent or editor, who will meet with the student for twenty minutes to provide critical feedback. GrubStreet also holds various events (either in-person or online) that connect our Intensives students with key industry professionals.
Growing Alumni Program:
- GrubStreet’s Intensives alumni have always taken the initiative to maintain a sense of community and connection upon conclusion of the program. Now GrubStreet has launched a formal Intensives alumni program to build upon those efforts. This program will feature a mix of multi-week workshops designed specifically for Intensives-level students, additional industry mixer events, craft sessions, mentorship, retreats, and writing groups–all geared specifically for Intensives graduates. A large portion of these programs will be free, and for tuition-based programs scholarships will also be available.
Tell-All Boston Reading Series:
- Students are invited to submit to Tell-All Boston, a seasonal nonfiction reading series run by graduates of the Memoir and Essay Incubator Programs. After graduating from the Memoir Incubator students may join the Tell-All committee or work on other alumni initiatives. Graduates of the program also join a supportive community of alumni, who share and celebrate one another's publishing successes, discuss writing in social groups, and help curate post-program activities.