Historical Research for Fiction Writing- Remote!

Class Description

You’ve narrowed down the time period and setting for your story, you’ve taken a dive into the research, you’re so excited for all the things you are discovering that you want to put in your story. But when to stop researching? What to include? How to organize it all? In this class, we will discuss how to manage the the process of research and the information you gather. We will explore the relative pros and cons of researching before writing vs. doing them in parallel, and will tackle issues such as where to find material (including some very useful web sites), how (and with what tools) to organize it, and how to decide which elements belong in your story. We will include a discussion of creative ways to convey place and time period in your writing. Students will emerge with a new focus, perspective, and method for their own historical research.

This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! 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 via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:

Scholarship Information

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 more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.