August 8th, 2011

Grub Street News

Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene brought to you every Monday from the cooler full of whoopie pies at Grub Street's world headquarters. This week, we take a break from our regularly scheduled format to bring you an urgent fundraising appeal. As always, if you are receiving this email in horror, please advance to the bottom of the page to unsubscribe yourself.

Dear Writer,

Just the other week, Borders filed for bankruptcy and announced that it is closing two hundred bookstores. Add that to the 1,000+ other bookstores that have closed across the nation since 2000, and it’s easy to see that this is a challenging time for books—and the authors who write them. It’s uncertain what the future holds for books and literature, but what’s clear is that writers and readers need community more than ever before.

Luckily, community is what Grub Street is all about. We are proud that this year we were voted “Best Literary Gang” by Boston Phoenix readers, and that we’re reaching more students than ever before. We’re proud that students like Stephanie Gayle feel that “Grub Street has formed an open literary community in the greater Boston area that is the envy of other cities.” Nothing makes us happier than hearing from our students and members that Grub Street has helped them finish a novel, find a writing group, or discover the transformative power of creative expression. It’s why we’re here, and we think that Grub Street makes Boston a very special place to be a writer.

If you care about writing, books, and literature—if you care about having a thriving literary community in Boston—we need your support.

This year, we created a new level of Grub Street membership: Sustaining Membership. For only $10 a month, you can help us sustain our work and deepen our mission. Your support will help us create jobs for writers, cultivate literary talent in Boston, and expand our free programming and scholarship opportunities for adults and teens.

Ten bucks a month—you’d spend that on coffee, so why not put that money towards something more important: sustaining a home for literature in the city you love. Plus, becoming a Sustaining Member gets you lots of benefits, too, including one free seminar (a $65 value!), discounts on all our classes, invitations to members-only events, and discounts at your favorite independent bookstores. In order to be the home that writers need in today’s world, we need your help.

Support Grub Street today and keep our literary community growing and thriving!

With thanks from your friends at Grub Street,

Eve, Chris, Whitney, Sonya and Rowan

Grub Events

In addition to our ongoing workshops, Grub Street offers numerous writing-related events around town. See our website for a long-term view of all we do.

WEEKLONG INTENSIVE: Tuesday, August 9th - Friday, August 12th, 1:00pm-4:00pm, Crash Course in Writing for Kids
Spend a fun and challenging week turning that great idea for a young adult or middle-grade novel into the actual beginnings of an actual book. Over four days we will cover everything that makes compelling kid lit: from the zing-pow opening to the unique and relatable lead character to obstacles, conflicts ‘n’ stakes. Each day will be a busy mix of mini-lectures, reading and discussing excerpts, and in-class writing. Prepare to work hard, and to emerge with a full outline, a solid set of characters, and a marvelous opening squence for your soon-to-be classic.
Instructor: Ben H. Winters
$205/$185 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

4-WEEK WORSKHOP: 4 Tuesdays, 3:00pm-6:00pm, beginning August 9th, Imagine This
Too often, students long to write, but fear they don't have anything to write about. Others have a story they want to tell, and no idea how to get started. Through exercises, class discussion, and personal observation, this class will focus on seeing and imagination--the fundamental what's that about? What's behind it? What does my character want/need, and what matters? that is the source of story. Six weeks of observing, wondering, and writing will lead to a portfolio of story ideas and a renewed connection to the writer's imagination.
Instructor: Kate Flora
*SOLD OUT* Grub Street HQ. Click here to join wait list.

LEGAL ADVICE: Tuesday, August 9th, 2:30pm-5:30pm, Members-Only Offering: Free Legal Consultations for Writers
If you've been working on your manuscript for a long time, you probably have a million questions about the next steps to getting published and/or protecting your work. Maybe you want clarification on confusing clauses in publishing contracts, advice on whether to register the copyright in your latest piece, or a few basic tips on what legal issues exist for budding writers. While he may not be able to answer every question you have, Attorney Mitchell Bragg of Ascentage Law, PLLC, will be offering free 30-minute consultations to help explain the law as it applies to aspiring, emerging, and established writers. This is meant to provide writers at all stages in their career with basic answers to legal questions and issues they may be facing. All sessions are by appointment only; to reserve a slot please email mab@ascentagelaw.com. Be sure to arrive early to your appointment and be prepared with specific questions. Only active Grub Street members may participate.
Instructor: Mitchell Bragg
FREE, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

WEEKLONG INTENSIVE: Monday, August 15th - Friday, August 19th, 3:00-6:00pm, Developing the TV Series
In this short class, we'll examine how TV series work. How does one go from a germ of an idea, to a pilot, to a 100 episode run? Students will get to develop their own series idea, which includes an OUTLINE of the pilot episode and a SERIES BIBLE. We will work together to answer the two most important questions about a TV series. 'Why do we care?' and 'What happens each week?'
Instructor: Aviv Rubinstien
$255/$230.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

LUNCHTIME WRITING: Wednesday, August 17th, 12:30-1:15pm, Brown Bag Lunch SeriesDo you work downtown and want to fit some writing into your day? Or do you have a schedule that gives you free afternoons instead of evenings? Bring your lunch and come on over to Grub Street for a Brown Bag Writing Workshop – a series recently profiled in the Boston Globe. For 45 minutes, you’ll meet fellow writers and get your creative juices flowing with some cool writing exercises. Led by one of our award-winning instructors or ambassadors. Best of all, you’ll leave lunch with some new ideas to ponder for the rest of your day, and beyond. No need to RSVP-- just come!
Instructor: Jennifer Elmore
FREE, Grub Street HQ.

LEGAL ADVICE: Wednesday, August 17th, 2:30pm-5:30pm, Members-Only Offering: Free Legal Consultations for Writers
If you've been working on your manuscript for a long time, you probably have a million questions about the next steps to getting published and/or protecting your work. Maybe you want clarification on confusing clauses in publishing contracts, advice on whether to register the copyright in your latest piece, or a few basic tips on what legal issues exist for budding writers. While he may not be able to answer every question you have, Attorney Mitchell Bragg of Ascentage Law, PLLC, will be offering free 30-minute consultations to help explain the law as it applies to aspiring, emerging, and established writers. This is meant to provide writers at all stages in their career with basic answers to legal questions and issues they may be facing. All sessions are by appointment only; to reserve a slot please email mab@ascentagelaw.com. Be sure to arrive early to your appointment and be prepared with specific questions. Only active Grub Street members may participate.
Instructor: Mitchell Bragg
FREE, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

WEEKLONG INTENSIVE: Monday, August 22nd - Friday, August 26th, 11:00am-2:00pm, Weeklong Revision Clinic
Though it's often said that revising is the key to publishable writing, revision is a process that many fiction writers find frustrating. Once you have a first draft, what happens next? How do you follow through on the ideas your workshop suggested? How do you add depth to characters? How do you make the structure more direct? This week-long intensive course will teach the crucial concepts of revision that will allow you to address these issues. Students will bring a story or novel chapter they wish to revise to class, receive workshop feedback on it, then take the piece through a full revision during the course of the week. Whether it's exploring the possibilities of an initial draft or adding the final touches, revision is a process no successful writer can do without.
Instructor: Cam Terwilliger
$255/$230.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

WEEKLONG INTENSIVE: Monday, August 22nd - Friday, August 26th, 11:00am-2:00pm, 5 Days, 5 Stories
Many writers have a hard time working during the summer months, and as fall approaches, guilt at their misspent time creeps in. Starting new work can seem daunting at this-- or any-- time. In this intensive, always-sold-out workshop, you will write five brand-new complete stories ranging from 300 to 1500 words or brand-new beginnings of longer stories. Using instructor prompts and published examples, the class explores ways to write plot, character, setting, and language; you will get quick on-the-spot feedback on what you write from both the instructor and fellow students. Lectures and exercises will focus on plot/structure, language and dialogue, character, revision, and submitting stories. The goal is to leave the class with new beginnings, a few complete short-shorts, and an understanding of how to proceed with revision.
Instructor: James Scott
$255/$230.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

LEGAL ADVICE: Thursday, August 25th, 2:30pm-5:30pm, Members-Only Offering: Free Legal Consultations for Writers
If you've been working on your manuscript for a long time, you probably have a million questions about the next steps to getting published and/or protecting your work. Maybe you want clarification on confusing clauses in publishing contracts, advice on whether to register the copyright in your latest piece, or a few basic tips on what legal issues exist for budding writers. While he may not be able to answer every question you have, Attorney Mitchell Bragg of Ascentage Law, PLLC, will be offering free 30-minute consultations to help explain the law as it applies to aspiring, emerging, and established writers. This is meant to provide writers at all stages in their career with basic answers to legal questions and issues they may be facing. All sessions are by appointment only; to reserve a slot please email mab@ascentagelaw.com. Be sure to arrive early to your appointment and be prepared with specific questions. Only active Grub Street members may participate.
Instructor: Mitchell Bragg
FREE, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

TEENS: Monday, August 29th - Friday, September 2nd, 11:00am-3:00pmCreative Writing Camp for Teens
We'll have prompts, writing time, guest speakers, outdoor activities to get our sensory descriptions flowing, and workshop. By the end of the week, you'll have your toolbox full of ideas, beginnings, and some drafts to keep you going all fall. We will discuss the submission process/publication opportunities for teens, and end the week with a reading and potluck lunch. Limited to 12 students age 13-18.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Grub Street is happy to be able to offer a limited number of full scholarships for this course. You are eligible for one of these scholarships if you are in a household that receives benefits from Massachusetts SNAP or Massachusetts TANF, if you are a foster child, and/or if your household’s gross income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Guidelines.
To apply for a scholarship, please send an email of no more than 500 words to chris@grubstreet.org describing why you want to take this class and stating that you meet the requirements above. At the end of the email, list the name and email address or phone number of one teacher or other non-relative adult whom we could contact for a recommendation. Please put "Fall Teen Scholarship" in the Subject line of the email. Deadline is Wednesday, August 31st at 5pm.
Instructor: Jennifer De Leon
$330/$305 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, So You Want to Be a Writer?
In this seminar, we’ll examine, discuss and debunk the myths, dreams and tough realities of becoming a writer and then map out realistic action plans for making the leap to a full or part-time commitment to writing. We’ll look at concrete strategies, such as: creating short (one to two year) and long-term (three to ten year) series of goals; understanding the sacrifices necessary to build a career and the importance of working on multiple projects in different genres; tackling psychological issues such as writer's block and rejection; and grasping the value of networking and “putting yourself out there.” For beginners or anyone looking to re-inspire or re-commit themselves as writers.
Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Writing the Graphic Novel
Slowly but steadily, graphic novels have escaped the dimly lit confines of comic shops and found critical acclaim under the soft fluorescents of mainstream bookstores. Blending a static art form with compelling narrative and dialog, the graphic novel gives fans an engaging reading experience while presenting the writer with a unique set of creative challenges. How do you write with the human eye in mind? How do you write for two different types of audience-- the reader and the artist (your collaborator)? With graphic novels like Gene Yang's American Born Chinese being considered as a finalist in the 2007 National Book Awards, now may be the perfect time to give the comic medium another look and discover just how much it has grown. In this course, you will learn the basics of how to write a graphic novel, and get feedback on your drafts.
Instructor: Jorge Vega
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Obsessive Writing
Most good writing -- whether fiction or non-fiction -- arises from a writer's obsessions. In this session, we'll discuss how to explore our obsessions on the page, without falling pray to self-absorption or sentiment. We'll start by looking at the work of Nick Hornby, Calvin Trillin, and other obsessive writers, and proceed to a broader discussion of passionate attachment.
Instructor: Steve Almond
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, From Anecdote to Character
A well-deployed anecdote, even if incidental to the overall plot of your story or memoir, can help define your characters in action and give them a reality and history that extends beyond the page. We’ll look closely at examples of character definition through anecdote in both memoir and fiction, and will practice brainstorming and writing anecdotes that will help define our own characters in vivid detail.
Instructor: Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Provoking Thought: Selling and Writing A Book of Ideas
There's a burgeoning market for nonfiction books of ideas, and fortunately they're much easier to sell than fiction or memoirs. All you need is a great idea--and a great proposal. In this seminar, you'll learn everything you need to know to market your science, medical, or idea book to a publisher. You'll learn about the state of the nonfiction publishing industry, what editors are looking for, what readers are looking for, how to find the best agent for your project, and how to craft a winning proposal. We'll analyze successful and failed books of ideas published in the past few years, giving special attention to the different styles of Malcolm Gladwell (author of Outliers) and Steven Pinker (author of Blank Slate). You'll also learn what to expect when you do sell your book--and the challenges you'll face when you must actually get the research and writing done by a deadline. We might also address special topics such as e-books, Amazon, and endorsements.
Instructor: Ogi Ogas
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

Be sure to check out our website for a comprehensive view of upcoming events.

Spreading the Love

Grub Street wants to promote YOU! Please send events for consideration to whitney@grubstreet.org. Bonus points and undying gratitude for submitting your event info in the same format as the events below. Our apologies in advance if we cannot fit you in. Please note that we do the best we can to evaluate requests, and do privilege requests from members, but cannot be held responsible for the quality of these events and programs or the legitimacy of contests. We expect that readers will do their own due diligence before sending their work or their money to any individual or organization.

Spreading the Love takes a summer break this week and will return on August 15th!