Novel Incubator | Details
What the Program Includes
- 120 Hours of Instruction
For most of the 12-month program, students meet in three-hour workshops on Monday evenings at Grub Street HQ. Workshops are led by instructor Michelle Hoover, who also provides written feedback and offers prepared lectures on various elements of the craft of novel-writing. These classes also include analysis of published novels and impromptu discussions about the novel-writing process. Guest speakers are invited at various points in the year to address topics that merit extra attention or a different voice.
The workshop schedule includes scheduled breaks to allow for vacation time, especially in the summer and over the holidays. Because workshop participation is crucial, the full 12-month schedule will be available to students at the time students are notified of acceptance into the program. This should allow plenty of time to (re-)schedule any trips or other commitments over the course of the Incubator. - 7 hours of individual consultations with the instructor
Meetings with lead instructor Michelle Hoover will be scheduled at mutually-agreeable times and held at Grub Street HQ. In these meetings, Michelle will discuss individualized assignments, including a craft essay and outside reading, as well as the novel itself. These hours are student-directed and project-focused, designed to augment the curriculum with instruction that is particular to each student's specific projects and goals. - Additional full novel consultation and meeting with established author
As part of the third phase of the year, students receive detailed written feedback on their revised novel as well as a face-to-face or phone/Skype discussion with an established author who will act as a second reader. The program considers this outside voice vital in providing a well-rounded response to the novel as a whole. - Full weekend tuition at the 2013 and 2014 Muse and the Marketplace literary conference, including one Manuscript Mart appointment
The Muse and the Marketplace has become one of most successful literary conferences in the country. In this three-day symposium, participants choose from over 100 sessions on various writing-related topics. Sessions are led by established authors from Boston and beyond, top-notch editors and literary agents, and members of the Grub Street faculty. The Manuscript Mart is an opportunity to have 20 pages of the student's manuscript read by an agent or editor, who will meet with the student for twenty minutes at the conference to provide critical feedback. - 4 Grub Street one-night seminars
Each student receives vouchers that can be redeemed at any time for seminars on any topic. We see this as an opportunity for students to create their own self-designed mini-curriculum by choosing from the hundreds of seminars Grub Street offers each year. Recent seminar topics include writing effective dialogue, creating dynamic scenes, the "rules" behind historical fiction, the poetry of prose, using social media to establish your author platform, "the writer as marketer," time management, and character development. Credits for these seminars extend to December 31st, 2014 to allow students time to use them after the Incubator ends, if necessary. - 4 Grub Street weekend seminars
As with seminars, students receive vouchers that can be redeemed at any time for one-day weekend workshops. These workshops tend to be more in-depth than three-hour seminars and often include built-in writing time. Recent topics include line-editing, "How to Plan, Write and Develop a Book," perfecting the first five pages of your novel, the e-book revolution, and "Jumpstart Your Writing." Credits for these seminars extend to December 31st, 2014 to allow students time to use them after the Incubator ends, if necessary.
Tuition
The entire cost of the program is $7,995. Tuition is payable in two installments, the first before May 1, 2013; the second before December 15th, 2013.Two scholarships of 50% tuition are available and based on a combination of merit and financial need. The scholarship application is included in our application form, available on our submission guidelines page.
Timeline
Application Reading Period is from January 1st, 2013 – February 28th, 2013. Accepted students will be notified on or before March 15th, 2013. We strongly encourage students to apply as early as possible, as applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Enrollment Deadline is April 1st, 2013.