Curriculum

The Ubergroup is designed for working professionals who wish to make a lateral switch between fine arts specialties. Examples of current students include WGA screenwriters who wish to write literary fiction, animators who wish to start a podcast, and novelists who wish to branch into playwriting. Most applicants already have an MFA or BFA in a writing-related field. If you do not, completing the prep course and writing several samples can also qualify you to apply for the Ubergroup. If you have work experience in a storytelling-adjacent fine art (dancers, musicians, actors, comedians) or are transferring in from a non-fine-arts career with relevant expertise (former spy writing spy thriller, criminal defense attorney writing crime fiction, elementary school teacher writing children’s books) you may also elect to apply for the main programming of the Ubergroup directly.

Each group of qualified applicants will participate in a three-month course helping them develop a new project in a new area of interest. Coursework is at an undergraduate-equivalent level, but highly condensed, akin to fitting a whole year into a summer intensive, on the assumption that all students are working adults familiar with the general concept of producing artwork as a business. Alumni often choose to retake the course as a structured, high-speed way to develop and road-test new ideas.

In addition to the new project, applicants should bring one complete but unproduced/unpublished full-length work (such as a novel-length manuscript, evening-length play, or feature-length film) or several short works (such as several TV episodes, a collection of short stories, or two children’s books) on which you would like to receive developmental edits. You will be trained to provide format-appropriate feedback for other people’s work, which may be outside your current area of familiarity. All successful graduates of the program will be qualified as entry-level freelance developmental editors.

  • Prerequisites: A degree or work experience in a relevant field, or completion of the preparatory course. At least two or three short writing samples (short fiction, poetry, 10-minute plays, etc.) or one full-length project (feature-length spec script, novel-length manuscript, evening-length play, etc.). A rudimentary familiarity with how to use Discord.
  • Active class time: Average two hours per week (sometimes up to three) to participate in a video call. 9 calls over 12 weeks, scheduled to take global time zones of each incoming class into account.
  • Homework: Approximately two to four hours per week.
  • Completion time: 12 active weeks plus two break weeks (14 weeks total).

Successful graduates of our NUG program who demonstrate attributes others want to work with may be invited to join our alumni network, an ongoing, open-ended membership which offers developmental editing, no-cost table reads of spec scripts with professional actors, professional networking, shared access to otherwise-expensive industry databases, specialized advanced classes in specific topics, and peer support.