The First 10 Pages (Nonfiction) with Julia Scheeres, 2/21 – 3/28

Julia Scheeres

Instructor: Julia Scheeres
Contact: juliascheeres@gmail.com
Number of sessions: 6
Meeting time: 6 pm – 8:30 pm, Thursdays
Dates: February 21 – March 28

Course fee: $385, $100 deposit required to register

Contact the instructor to register. All deposits are nonrefundable.

Description: The first ten pages of your book are arguably the most crucial. In the opening pages you must set up your story, infuse it with drama, and captivate your reader. These are the pages publishers focus on as they consider buying your book. They’re also what book buyers browse online and in bookstores as they debate whether to pull out their wallets and dispense with their hard-earned cash. They must be irresistible.

This six-week class will focus on the opening pages of your narrative nonfiction work, including memoir and literary journalism. Each week, we will workshop students’ manuscripts, searching for the perfect combination of scene, summary and musing/analysis. We will study the openings of successful published books, gaining wisdom and insight from professionals. And we will discuss the craft and limitations of writing narrative nonfiction prose, talk shop about the publishing business, and learn the best way to get an agent.

My goal is to have every student present her or his work twice during the session in a supportive environment. This class is a good fit for you whether you’re just beginning your project, slogging through the middle, or in the revision stage.

Instructor Bio: Julia Scheeres is the author of the New York Times and London Times bestselling memoir “Jesus Land.” Her second book, “A Thousand Lives: the Untold Story of Jonestown,” was named the Best Nonfiction Book of 2012 by the Northern California Bookseller’s Association, and a best book of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle and Boston Globe. She’s published creative nonfiction in the New York Times, Wired, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Guardian and taught narrative nonfiction in San Jose State University’s MFA program. She is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Book Review.