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

The Novel Series: Taming the Unruly First Draft

No Longer Enrolling

  • $130.00 Non-Member
  • $110.00 Member

Class Description

There are two main types of novel writers: first, those who write a short, skeletal first draft and must then flesh it out and second, those who write a sprawling, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink draft and must then excavate the story from within a mass of extraneous pages. Through examples, exercises, and in-class structural assignments, this seminar will provide strategies for both types of writers to tame their unruly beasts, be they stubborn, skinny drafts or the extra-wide, expansive variety. Please bring a copy of your novel draft to class (either on a laptop or, if you prefer, hard copy), as you will need to refer to it for some of the exercises.

Part of GrubStreet's Novel Series, a series of classes dedicated to the craft and process of novel writing. To see more of our Novel Series offerings, click here.

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!