Class

Developing Authentic Characters

What do your characters do when you're not looking? How do they interact with each other off the page? What goes through their minds that they might not be saying? What are they obsessed with? All of these questions feed into the work of creating a truly memorable character. While plot, tension, and setting all work to power a story forward, there are only so many stories you can tell and so many places a story can take place. But there are infinite characters to create. This class will focus on one main character to start with but will expand out to include a small cast of characters who will make your work unforgettable.

Class will be highly generative. We'll spend most of our time writing, and you'll have chances to share your writing with classmates, both as a whole group and in small groups. Not every writing exercise will end up in your final project, but each one is meant to help your character feel more real, both to you and on the page. We'll take screen breaks as needed. There will be time at the end for a Q&A with the teaching artist.

All Classes listed on the Loft website take place in Central Time (CT); please adjust to your own time zone accordingly.

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.