Class Description
Research and Backstory are essential ingredients in fiction–they bring authority, authenticity and depth to a story. But making all those fascinating facts work for you and not against you is tricky. Research can lead down a rabbit hole of ever-more-tantalizing tidbits of information, bogging down both process and product. Backstory is the evil twin of research, occasionally turning into an information dump that can overshadow plot. In this all-day workshop, we will discuss the best approaches for research, and how to distill just enough into our stories to lend authenticity without making them dull. We will also explore and practice ways, through writing exercises, to blend in backstory organically, without weighing down the plot. Students will leave with resources for research (beyond Google) and applications for their writing that will make use of research and backstory without dragging down the plot.
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!