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Character Development Advice: 5 Tips for Creating Characters that Breathe and Move and Can’t Stop Talking

February 19, 2020 by Gloria Kempton 1 Comment

Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles (first here) on the fundamentals of character development written for Writers.com by our instructor Gloria Kempton, in support of a full character development course she’s developing. In this article, Gloria answers a number of commonsense questions about character development. 1. What makes a character relatable? Vulnerability. […]

10 Character Development Questions to Ask Your Characters

November 26, 2019 by Meghan Christie 1 Comment

Good characters have depth, experience growth, have flaws—they’re real people. Asking yourself a defined set of character development questions is one way to develop these kinds of characters, who jump off the page with realistic and compelling personalities. In this article, we’ve rounded up many helpful character development exercises into a list of ten questions […]

January

Creative Nonfiction and the Personal Essay
With

Gretchen Clark

January 20, 2021

$360 | 10 Weeks

Gretchen Clark pick axes her way into the volcanic marriage of real life and fiction. Weekly writing with incisive feedback.

Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack
With

Jack Smith

January 20, 2021

$360 | 10 Weeks

Get a good start on a novel in just ten weeks, or revise a novel you’ve already written. Free your imagination, move steadily ahead and count the pages!

In Your Own Words: Transforming Life Into Memoir and Fiction
With

Margo Perin

January 27, 2021

$350 | 8 Weeks

Learn how to draw inspiration and material from your life experiences or those of people you know, or want to know, to craft compelling, publishable memoirs, personal essays, autobiographical novels and short stories, and/or narrative poetry.

Plot Your Novel
With

Jack Smith

January 27, 2021

$315 | 8 Weeks

Over eight weeks, you’ll develop a solid basis in the fictional elements—protagonist, setting, secondary characters, point of view, plot, and theme—while you develop the outline of your novel. You’ll receive feedback at all stages from your fellow writers and your instructor.

Writing for Children: Create A Picture Book!
With

Kelly Bingham

January 27, 2021

$260 | 6 Weeks NEW!

Picture books have changed greatly over the last few decades, and the market is wide open for fresh ideas. Join us in this six-week intensive where we’ll take that idea of yours and turn it into a manuscript!

February

Creating the Visual Journal
With

Lissa Jensen

February 3, 2021

$315 | 8 Weeks

Go beyond narrow definitions of “journaling” to include visual images and let writing give what is seen a new voice. Surprise yourself.

Poetic Prose: The Prose Poem
With

Barbara Henning

February 3, 2021

$430 | 10 weeks

Explore the border between prose poetry and flash fiction. For writers of fiction, poetry, essay and memoir.

Next-Level Creative Nonfiction: Elevating Essays, Memoir, Travel Writing & Literary Journalism
With

Wendy Call

February 10, 2021

$360 | 10 Weeks

Elevate your memoir, travel writing, literary journalism, & lyric and personal essays.

The Ongoing Fiction Workshop
With

Shelley Singer

February 10, 2021

$415 | 10 Weeks

Many students have attended this 10-week online fiction workshop with Shelley Singer multiple times, completed novels, and come back to finish more books.

Essentials of Character Development: How to Create Characters that Move and Breathe and Can't Stop Talking
With

Gloria Kempton

February 10, 2021

$315 | 8 Weeks

Bring your characters to life in this in-depth character development class with Gloria Kempton.

How to Firm Up the “Mushy Middle” of Any Story
With

Jeff Lyons

February 17, 2021

$250 | 5 Weeks

Ensure a strong middle throughline for any story. Say goodbye to the “mushy middle,” and hello to stories that work.

Mastering the Elements of Fiction
With

Jack Smith

February 17, 2021

$360 | 10 Weeks

In this course, you’ll work with the basic elements of fiction–the fundamentals that drive the story and determine the quality of the work.

Using Bullet Journaling to Achieve Writing Goals
With

Rudri Patel

February 17, 2021

$155 | 3 weeks New!

Looking to keep your writing goals organized? Make it happen in our bullet journaling course. Learn the art of the BuJo with Rudri Patel!

Plan On It: Essential Novel Planning Workshop
With

Dennis Foley

February 24, 2021

$260 | 6 Weeks NEW!

Set your novel up for success! In this six-week workshop, instructor Dennis Foley will help you craft a plan to handle the essential demands and choices you’ll face as you write your novel.

The "I've Always Wanted To Write Fiction" Workshop
With

Shelley Singer

February 24, 2021

$250 | 5 Weeks

Learn the basics of fiction writing and submit weekly writing for feedback from Shelley Singer, author of 13 novels. It’s time to start.

March

Crafting Your Collection: Next Steps In Poetic Craft
With

Jonathan J.G. McClure

March 3, 2021

$360 | 10 Weeks

Hone your poetic craft by writing 6-7 new poems and combining them with previously-written poems to create a chapbook, or short poetry collection.

The Art of Storytelling
With

Gloria Kempton

March 3, 2021

$315 | 8 Weeks

It’s an age-old art form—storytelling—and you can learn the craft.

Plumbing the Past: Turning Life Experience into Poetry, Flash and Creative Non-Fiction
With

Tina Barry

March 10, 2021

$250 | 4 Weeks

Dig deep into personal ritual while studying narrative poets, short fiction and non-fiction authors, and food writers.

Writing Mindfulness: Sensual World/Poetry Mind
With

Marc Olmsted

March 10, 2021

$250 | 4 Weeks

A four week class, melding the language mind with the sensual: How to turn detailed observation into a poem. With Marc Olmsted.

Crafting the Poetry Novel for Young Adults
With

Kelly Bingham

March 17, 2021

$300 | 5 Weeks

Even if you’ve never written poetry before, you can begin the rewarding process of crafting a poetry novel for Young Adults. Is there a market for novels written in verse? Are they well received? Yes, there is, and yes, they are!

From Writing Circle to Finished Poem: Turn Raw Writing into Poetry
With

Susan Vespoli

March 17, 2021

$260 | 6 Weeks

Gather together in a virtual writing circle, hit the mute button on your internal editor, and uncover inspiration to shape into poetry.

Let’s Get Personal: The Art and Craft of the Personal Essay
With

Margo Perin

March 17, 2021

$350 | 8 Weeks

Draw inspiration and material from your life experiences or “real life” people you know to craft compelling, publishable personal essays. With author Margo Perin.

The Next Fifty Pages of the Novel
With

Sandra Novack

March 24, 2021

$415 | 10 Weeks

So now that you have your opening novel pages, what next? Get detailed, constructive feedback on your work-in-progress, wherever you’re at in writing it.

The Watching Eye: Writing Flash Fiction
With

Barbara Henning

March 24, 2021

$285 | 5 Weeks

Write tiny fictions while experimenting with 3rd person point of view and analyzing how that point of view affects the craft of fiction writing. With Barbara Henning.

April

Anatomy of a Premise Line: Story and Premise Development for Writing Success
With

Jeff Lyons

April 14, 2021

$250 | 5 Weeks

The premise line is the only reliable tool that can tell you, BEFORE you start writing, whether or not your story will “work.” In this class participants will learn how to master the process of premise line development—the essential first step in any book or screenplay’s development process.

May

The Thinking Mind: Writing Flash Fiction
With

Barbara Henning

May 5, 2021

$285 | 5 Weeks

Write tiny fictions while experimenting with 1st person point of view and analyzing how that point of view affects the craft of fiction writing.

From Journal To Poem Or Prose: The Chronology Of Mind
With

Barbara Henning

May 12, 2021

$430 | 10 weeks

Gather material through writing and experimenting with journaling, researching and taking notes to develop into poems or prose works.

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