Class Description
Part of the fun of writing a novel is creating a whole world -- elaborate characters studies, histories and geographies. But once we’ve done all that work, where does the real story begin? How can we immerse a reader in the world we’ve envisioned without alienating? This class is for writers who have completed a draft of a novel, but who are unsure of their opening chapters. Through a series of summary, structure and revision exercises, this class will help you reshuffle to locate the right point of entry for your novel -- one that grabs the reader’s interest and leaves them wanting more. We’ll read the masterful beginnings of several different recent novels for inspiration. Here’s to new beginnings!
Possible readings:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
Pretend I’m Dead by Jennifer Beagin
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
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!