How to Write Fiction People Will Care About
Have you ever read a book where the characters felt alive to you, where they started to feel like actual people that you cared about?
If readers care about your characters, they'll care about your story. They'll feel afraid when your character's in danger and will rejoice in your character's triumphs. They'll be gripped by suspense to find out what happens to your character, and they won't want to put your story down.
In this 8-week course, you'll learn how to perform the magic that turns fictional characters into living people in the reader's mind.
Since the course is taught by e-mail, you can learn from anywhere, studying when you have time in your schedule.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- Week 1: Introduction to Character Development
Character development is so much more than physical description. Discover 12 aspects of your characters you can develop. Show characters from both the inside and the outside. - Week 2: Multidimensional Characters
Make your characters more interesting and believable by adding complexity and dimension. Learn how to create and use internal conflict. Give characters a life that goes beyond the frame of your story. - Week 3: Main Characters and Secondary Characters Different kinds of characters require different kinds of development. How to introduce a character to your reader for the first time. The dos and don'ts of choosing character names.
- Week 4: Habits, Tastes, and Routines
How to use a character's clothing, environment, and routines for character development, pacing, and plot. How to take advantages of hidden opportunities for character development. - Week 5: Speech and Actions
How to use dialogue to show your character's background, personality, thoughts, relationships, and more. How patterns of behavior can make readers feel that they know your character. - Week 6: Motivations, Thoughts and Feelings
Direct and indirect ways to show a character's thoughts. Character motivation and its central role in plotting a story. - Week 7: Relationships
What you can show about a character from his or her relationships with other characters. How to develop convincing and fascinating antagonists and villains. Using confidants and foils. - Week 8: Character Arc and Change
How to show change and growth in a character -- and the keys to making change believable. How conflict and character change build on each other in a story plot.
Your teacher
| Bringing Characters to Life is taught by Nancy Strauss, the Online Courses Director at Creative Writing Now. Nancy has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan, where she has also taught creative and expository writing. |  |
What you get in the course
Bringing Characters to Life includes:
*Note: With the e-mail support included in the course, you can ask questions about writing in general and get answers from a teacher. But if you would like instead to have a teacher read your writing or comment on it, you will need to sign up for a Feedback Pack (See below).
We guarantee the value of this course. If you change your mind any time during the first 20 days, you can ask for a refund.
Feedback Pack (optional)
Do you want one-on-one feedback from a writing teacher on your weekly assignments?
We know that instructor feedback is a priority for some students, so we have decided to accommodate those students by offering the option of purchasing a Feedback Pack.
If you sign up for the Feedback Pack, you will get everything included in Bringing Characters to Life, plus you'll be able to send up to eight pieces of writing (up to 2000 words each) to a writing teacher and get individual feedback on each one by e-mail. You can use the Feedback Pack during the eight weeks of the course, or for up to one month after you receive the last lesson.
(Your Feedback Pack teacher may be either Nancy or another qualified writing teacher.)
Which course option is right for you?
Bringing Characters to Life contains everything you need to learn quickly. The lessons are very easy to understand, and if you have any questions, you can e-mail one of our teachers.
This course is an exceptional value. You get all of the learning of a college creative writing course with the convenience of being able to study from home.
If you have a specific need for individual feedback, then the Feedback Pack might be your best option.
Feedback on our Courses
"One of my stories, "Bubble", has been published. If I hadn't taken your course I couldn't even imagine that. Many, many thanks for inspiring me."
- Rasheed
"I have to say that this course has been really inspiring and it's given my writing a new lease on life."
- Robin Gott
"I saw that my writing had improved 100%."
- Jill Gairdner
"The writing exercises are intriguing and practically beg you to get started. The lessons themselves are concise and straight-forward, easy to understand and to apply to your own writing.”
- Sally Derby
"Wow! I loved this first lesson. I loved every minute of writing writing writing. I really look forward to my 2nd lesson."
- Sarah
“Loving the course.”
- Wendy
"A great, fun, practical way to get the creative juices flowing and call forth the writer's muse."
- Man Martin
"I find Lesson 4 very interesting, so much so that all the distractions facing me at the moment of writing were not able to actually distract me."
- Linda
"Innovative and stimulating."
- Charles Hartik
“Thanks for this lesson. I used it for one of the characters in my newest WIP and I got a very interesting scene out of it!”
- Carolyn
“Thanks for this awesome learning opportunity.”
- Claire
“It's absolutely perfect! I want more!”
- Amanda
Sign up now
Bringing Characters to Life
Total price - $27
Bringing Characters to Life + Feedback Pack
Total price - $319
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answers to questions you may have about the course:
Q: How/when will I get my lessons?
A: Your answers will be sent to you by e-mail, once a week for eight weeks. Here's how it works: when you purchase the course, you will be asked for an e-mail address. After your purchase is complete, you will normally receive the first lesson within one hour.
Q: How much time will I need to complete the assignments?
A: The lessons are specially designed so that you can read and absorb them quickly. And the writing assignments can also be completed fast. But as with most things, what you get out of this course depends on what you put into it. So we suggest making time to revise your weekly assignments and do some additional writing. Ideally, try to schedule a regular time for your writing at least five days a week -- even if it is only ten minutes per day.
Q: Will I have to buy any books or additional materials?
A: There are no additional materials required for the course. The online format will also save you money versus an offline course, where you would have logistical expenses such as transportation, parking, childcare, and so on.
Q: Is the course just for fiction writing, or will it help me write essays, articles, poetry, etc.?
A: The course is focused on fiction-writing (short stories or novels). If you are mainly interested in writing essays, articles, poetry, or another genre, this course may not be right for you.
Q: What if I don't understand something in one of the lessons?
A: No worries. You can e-mail us, and a teacher will answer your questions about the course.
Q: How do I get feedback on my writing assignments?
A: If you would like a teacher to send you one-on-one feedback on your eight writing assignments, consider signing up for the Feedback Pack. However, if you decide not to purchase the Feedback Pack, you can still publish your writing on the course blog, where your classmates might comment on it.
Q: How soon do I have to decide?
A: If you're really interested in taking this course, it is safer to sign up now while it's still open.
Q: What if I change my mind after I purchase the course?
A: No problem! If you change your mind, just ask us for a refund. You can send us an e-mail any time during the first 20 days (or before a teacher starts preparing feedback on your assignment if you've purchased the Feedback Pack), and just tell us you've changed your mind, then we'll refund 100% of your payment. No hassle; no hard feelings. So you actually have nothing to lose by signing up for the course now.
Q: What if my question was not answered here?
A: Please just send us an e-mail, and we'll be delighted to answer all your questions.
Sign up now
Bringing Characters to Life
Total price - $27
Bringing Characters to Life + Feedback Pack
Total price - $319
P.S. Still not sure? Give it a test run. Sign up for the basic version (without the Feedback Pack) and see what you think. You have 20 days to decide if it's for you or ask for a refund.
Questions? Please contact us
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