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  • Seminar
  • Online: Zoom
  • Adult (18+)

Composting for Prose Writers: New Beginnings from "Failed" Pieces

No Longer Enrolling

  • $75.00 Non-Member
  • $65.00 Member

Class Description

We all have those pieces that feel as though they're beyond help—the essay that got bogged down in the details, the story whose ending never quite seems to land right. Good news! In writing, there are rarely failures. Rather than throwing up our hands and tossing these pieces in the recycling bin, we can use them as compost, creating fertile ground for new ideas. 

In this generative three-hour class, that's exactly what we'll do, leveraging seminar discussion and on-the-spot writing exercises to identify new approaches to prose pieces that didn't quite work out. Each writer should come prepared with a piece ready to "compost," and we'll use our time together to mastermind no fewer than three new avenues for radical revision. (We'll strategize, too, about occasions when it might be best to cut our losses and move on to greener pastures of prose.) The goal: leave class re-energized and ready to start again, with a battery of techniques designed to fan that elusive flicker of potential into a blazing fire of new work.

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. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Zoom Participation:

Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.

Zoom Accessibility:

We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!