LLWRC 768 - Get Serious: Craft Effective Characters

The ability to evoke memorable and resonant characters on the page is a critical skill for writers of both fiction and nonfiction. This workshop will draw on a number of unusual sources, including psychologists, screenwriters, and soothsayers (!), in order to develop a body of practical techniques for creating effective characterizations. We'll be exploring a range of character and narrator portrayals in a variety of presentations including short stories and personal essays, movies, and memoirs. Through close reading, discussion, and writing assignments, we'll learn how to get under the skins of our characters and hence, perhaps, our own.