WRITING THE SMART PAGE-TURNER:
A 10-Week class in Genre Writing at Boston’s Grub Street


The Class:
Exciting plots and larger-than-life characters are the cornerstones of so-called “popular” or “genre” fiction, but in an era when Michael Chabon wins science fiction’s Nebula Award and Cormac McCarthy wins the Pulitzer for the apocalyptic novel The Road, the lines between genre and literary fiction are blurrier than ever. Whether you’re writing romance, mystery, science fiction, erotica, supernatural or suspense, the principles of writing popular fiction – clear prose, characters we can empathize with, and a story that moves – are key, and in this course, you’ll learn ways to do that while developing a distinct literary “voice”. Classes will entail the work-shopping of your stories and novel chapters, exploring the terrain of the genres, the use of writing and idea-generating exercises, and discussion of the magazines and publishers looking for your sort of fiction. The goal is to give you a solid grounding in the demands of popular fiction, and a better understanding of literary potential of your favorite genres.


• 10 Weekly Sessions Sundays in Downtown Boston (by Park Street Station) begin *April 19*.
• Registration Deadline is April 15th.*
• Scholarships are available for reduced tuition.*


The Instructor:
Mike Marano is a nationally syndicated pop culture critic on Public Radio and a multi-award-winning science fiction, suspense and horror writer with years of experience as a writing coach and teacher. He’s currently also Fiction Editor of the award-winning dark fiction publication Chiaroscuro. (www.chizine.com)


“I’ve enjoyed Michael Marano’s work for many, many years. He can be deadly serious, he can be very funny. But no matter what his mood, very few know the writing game as well as Marano. That’s why we call him ‘Professor Mike’.”
— F. Paul Wilson, New York Times Bestselling Author of _The Keep_ and _Sims_, creator of the “Repairman Jack” series


“Michael Marano is one of the best creative writing instructors I’ve ever had. His teaching and critiquing draw on a wealth of writing, editing, and publishing industry experience. His feedback on my manuscript was detailed and insightful. It gave me an understanding of my strengths and weaknesses that might have taken me months or years to figure out on my own. Michael Marano’s teaching aims at bringing out the unique voice and literary quality of students’ work. He encourages his students to write great fiction that transcends the label of ‘genre.’”
— Testimonial from a “Smart Page-Turner” alum.

FOR MORE INFORMATION or for enrollment, call Grub Street at 617-695-0075 or contact Sonya Larson, Program Manager at sonya@grubstreet.org


SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE FOR REDUCED TUITION


To learn more about Grub Street: http://www.grubstreet.org