Advanced Novel Workshop

Class Description

This class is for novelists who have taken advanced workshops before, are well versed in matters of craft, and who have already made some progress on a first draft. The goals of this workshop are to write or revise at least 80 pages in eight weeks, as well as to identify and correct any shortcomings in craft areas such as characterization, point of view, structure, plot, and scenes. Each class will begin with a brief, novel-specific writing exercise; the rest of the class will be devoted to workshopping. Feedback will be delivered using the novel in progress method: reading your pages (10-11, double-spaced) aloud in class each week and receiving on-the-spot feedback from your fellow novelists and instructor. Each student will have a 20-minute conference with the instructor midway through the course. At the end of class, you can submit up to 30 pages of new or revised scenes for evaluation and critique.

Class size limited to 9 students. See below for directions to apply.

Important dates:

The application is now closed. Applications submitted after May 22nd will not be reviewed.

The payment deadline for admitted students is Monday, May 29th.

To apply, please click the red "SEE DIRECTIONS TO APPLY" button in the top right corner of this page. This application will ask you to detail your workshop experience. It will also ask you to upload a 5-10 page writing sample. Please make sure this writing sample is in Microsoft Word, double-spaced, and in 12-point font. For tracking purposes, your name should appear in the file name (e.g. Smith.Memoir Title.Submission). Decisions will be emailed to applicants approx. 1 week after the deadline. You can also track the status of your application in your Grubstreet profile. Please make sure your application is complete before you finally click "APPLY." If you have any technical difficulties filling out this application, please email [email protected]. You will receive a confirmation email once our system has received your submission.

Class Format

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!

Scholarship Information

Please note: In order to be eligible for acceptance into an advanced class, you must submit an application via the “See Directions to Apply” button above. You can then submit a separate scholarship application via the “Apply for Scholarship” button. We cannot consider applicants who only fill out a scholarship application without applying to the class itself.

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.