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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 […]

August

Plot Your Novel
With

Jack Smith

August 12, 2020

$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.

The Hero's Journey For Storytellers
With

Gloria Kempton

August 12, 2020

$360 | 10 Weeks

Structure your story and give it meaning with Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey.

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

Margo Perin

August 19, 2020

$350 | 8 Weeks

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

Creating the Visual Journal
With

Lissa Jensen

August 26, 2020

$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.

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

Susan Vespoli

August 26, 2020

$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.

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

Jeff Lyons

August 26, 2020

$250 | 5 Weeks NEW!

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

September

Crafting Your Collection: Next Steps In Poetic Craft
With

Jonathan J.G. McClure

September 2, 2020

$315 | 8 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.

Flash Fiction: Writing the Short-Short Story
With

Barbara Henning

September 2, 2020

$360 | 10 Weeks

Write 1–3-page flash fiction in this online course with Barbara Henning, drawing on classic, poetic & experimental elements. Read the form’s masters.

Manuscript Workshop: Writing For Children
With

Sarah Aronson

September 9, 2020

$430 | 10 weeks

Author Sarah Aronson leads this intermediate/advanced workshop on writing for children. It offers support, structure and detailed feedback on manuscripts.

No More Excuses! Four Weeks to Finish and Submit Your Personal Essay or Short Memoir
With

Giulietta Nardone

September 9, 2020

$250 | 4 Weeks

Join us for this insightful four-week “get the writing done” program, give and receive thoughtful comments from your fellow writers and the instructor, and enjoy heaps of encouragement and writing wisdom along the way.

Plan On It: Essential Novel Planning Workshop
With

Dennis Foley

September 9, 2020

$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

September 9, 2020

$215 | 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.

The Art of Storytelling
With

Gloria Kempton

September 9, 2020

$315 | 8 Weeks

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

But What Is Your Story Really About? Finding the Core of Your Short Memoir, Story, or Personal Essay
With

Giulietta Nardone

September 16, 2020

$250 | 4 Weeks

Take a four-week writing adventure deep into the core of your story, to find the true theme of your personal essay, short story, or short memoir.

The Watching Eye: Writing Flash Fiction
With

Barbara Henning

September 16, 2020

$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.

Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack
With

Jack Smith

September 23, 2020

$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!

Writing Mindfulness: Sensual World/Poetry Mind
With

Marc Olmsted

September 23, 2020

$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.

Mastering the Elements of Fiction
With

Jack Smith

September 30, 2020

$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.

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

Gloria Kempton

September 30, 2020

$315 | 8 Weeks

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

October

Experiments in Genre: Finding Creative Inspiration by Messing Up the Rules
With

Jonathan J.G. McClure

October 7, 2020

$260 | 6 Weeks

Can you translate the movement of a dance into a poem? What happens when you write a story in the form of a multiple-choice quiz? Learn to take your work in rich and unexpected new directions by subverting and blending genre conventions.

Poetic Prose: The Prose Poem
With

Barbara Henning

October 7, 2020

$360 | 10 Weeks

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

Writing Circle Workshop: Writing for Happiness, Healing, and Health
With

Susan Vespoli

October 7, 2020

$315 | 8 Weeks

Expressive writing can be a powerful elixir for what ails you. Learn and practice tools for writing expressively, including two virtual writing circles each week, and come away with a better understanding of how writing can lead toward wellness.

The Ongoing Fiction Workshop
With

Shelley Singer

October 14, 2020

$360 | 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.

The Soundtrack of Your Life: Writing About Music, Memories and Mix Tapes
With

Giulietta Nardone

October 14, 2020

$215 | 5 Weeks

In a song inspired class, write several essays about the music that has moved you through life: the emotions, the relationships, the events, the outcomes.

Writing Autobiographical Fiction
With

Jack Smith

October 14, 2020

$315 | 8 Weeks

Learn to depart from “what really happened,” and write compelling fiction from your own life experiences.

The First Fifty Pages of the Novel
With

Sandra Novack

October 21, 2020

$415 | 10 Weeks

The first 50 pages sets up plot, characters, and voice. Fail here and the reader is gone. Receive feedback on your book’s start from novelist Sandra Novack.

November

The Craft of Poetry
With

Jonathan J.G. McClure

November 4, 2020

$315 | 8 Weeks

Poetry is alive and well. Contemporary poets can be touching, terrifying, and laugh-out-loud funny. Join us for an exploration of writing and reading poems.

The Thinking Mind: Writing Flash Fiction
With

Barbara Henning

November 4, 2020

$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

November 11, 2020

$360 | 10 Weeks

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

Accessing Your Writer’s Voice
With

Gloria Kempton

November 18, 2020

$155 | 3 Weeks

Voice: What is it and how do you find yours? Instructor Gloria Kempton offers feedback on assignments in this 3-week online class.

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