Characters are the beating heart of most stories – but what makes some characters more compelling than others? How do you create a unique voice for your narrator or protagonist?
This day-long workshop will introduce a variety of strategies that can be used to create well-developed, complex characters. We will cover the initial stages of generating ideas, to developing back story, motives, voice and personality, and will also discuss and practice a variety of devices – including dialogue, point of view, character interaction, description and narration – that can be used to avoid exposition.
Through a series of dynamic writing exercises, personal feedback and key insights into the creative practice, this workshop is designed for those hoping to create authentic and unforgettable characters.
Please bring your laptop or a writing pad – and come prepared for day of intensive writing, reflection and discussion, led by two experienced writers and industry professionals.
About the teachers
Hannah Kent is the co-founder and publishing director of Kill Your Darlings. Her debut novel, Burial Rites (Picador; Little, Brown), has been translated into twenty-three languages and was shortlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Guardian First Book Award. It won the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year, the Indie Awards Debut Fiction Book of the Year and the Victorian Premier’s People’s Choice Award, and has most recently been shortlisted for the 2015 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Hannah is currently working on her second novel.
Rebecca Starford is the co-founder and publishing director of Kill Your Darlings. She is also an editor at Text Publishing and a former deputy editor at Australian Book Review. She was a founding member of the Stella Prize steering committee, and her writing has appeared in the Guardian, Age, and Weekend Australian. Her debut memoir, Bad Behaviour, was published by Allen & Unwin in March 2015.
Where: Fitzroy Library, 128 Moor Street, Fitzroy 3065
When: Saturday, 4 July 2015
Time: 10am to 4pm
Price: $175 for KYD subscribers; $195 for non-subscribers
All bookings are made through TryBooking. Book here.
You might also be interested in:
Plot – Saturday, 8 August 2015
Polishing Your Draft – Saturday, 12 September 2015
This is a day-long workshop. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided, and there is a 45-minute break for lunch. Fitzroy Library is close to public transport, and there is parking nearby. All participants also receive a goodie bag of books and resource material to keep you motivated long after the workshop has concluded. For further information, please email: [email protected]
