Class

The First 10 Pages: A Revision Workshop

The first pages of a book create the entryway into the story. They’re what readers first encounter and, often, where they form their expectations of the book as a whole. These pages are also what you will initially send to agents and publishers once your novel is ready for submission.

In this workshop, participants will focus on revising the first 10 pages of a book-length manuscript of fiction or creative nonfiction/memoir. Though you do not have to have a completed manuscript to take this workshop, it will be most useful to you if you are at least some way into an initial draft. We’ll workshop and revise these pages twice over six weeks while studying the first pages of books by authors like Celeste Ng, Claire Messud, Toni Morrison, and Ocean Vuong.

By the end of these weeks, you’ll have a greater understanding of the beginning of your book and a honed and polished first 10 pages.

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at [email protected] or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.