Writing Authentic Characters

Writing Authentic Characters is a four-week course for writers who want to understand their characters more deeply and make them feel believable and relatable to readers. Whether you are new to writing or already working on a piece of your own, we’ll explore:

• What influences a character, what they want, and what may be getting in their way.
• How research and observation can help you understand a character’s background.
• Motivation and subtext, and how these can affect the plotline.

Each week will include examples from fiction or film, discussion, and guided writing exercises. In the final week, you’ll spend more time developing a short extract, either from your own work or from one of the prompts provided, using the techniques from the course to strengthen the character’s motivation and subtext.