How to Create Compelling Characters That Drive Your Story | 4-Week Online Writing Workshop

Great stories begin with unforgettable characters, but to write unforgettable characters, you have to know them better than anyone else. In this dynamic, hands-on class, writers will learn how to move beyond surface-level traits and develop a deep understanding of who their characters are at their core. Whether you're working on a novel, short story, or screenplay, this course will help you build complex, believable characters with depth, motivation, and emotional resonance. We’ll explore essential elements of character development including" backstory, goals and stakes, personality psychology, relationships, and character motivation. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to uncover what drives your characters including their fears, desires, contradictions, wounds, and beliefs so their choices feel authentic rather than convenient to the plot. By the end of the class, you’ll understand how deeply knowing your character shapes plot, tension, and transformation and how to design characters whose decisions naturally and powerfully propel your story forward. Writers of all levels are welcome. 4 class sessions Thursdays, October 15-November 5 8p-10p ET 5p-7p PT 7p-9p CT All class meetings will be held via Zoom. For more information on how to download or use Zoom, please click here. Please note: At this time, to protect the confidentiality of the space and sharing of students' work, classes are not recorded.