Class Description
Do you have so many ideas on the page but struggle with how to arrange them? What does it mean to have a well-structured story or essay? In this class, we will go over the essentials of structure for fiction and nonfiction. We'll talk about the narrative arc: inciting incident, the climax, the resolution. We'll discuss the importance of the first paragraph and of the last paragraph. We'll talk about what to do with backstory and with subplots, and how to know if they belong in your story/essay or if they should be chopped. We'll also learn a new trick about structure that involves a chicken, a mouse, and a snake -- this trick will help your story or essay stay well-structured while remaining a living, breathing thing. Please bring paper and pen or a laptop to class.
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!