Our Character Creation Crash Course is designed to help you create more realistic, believable characters. But what can you learn? Who’s it for?

Let’s take a look:

What you’ll learn

How to never get writer’s block again

The better you know your characters, the harder it is to get stuck.

When you know them well, you know what their weak spots are, which means you can exploit those weak spots for your story.

I wouldn’t recommend doing that in real life, but exploiting those weak spots is how your characters grow. The more three-dimensional your character is, the more weaknesses they’ll have. And the more likely overcoming one will naturally lead to another, giving you tons more writing material with little effort on your part.

Tropes are only the beginning

Character tropes are great for luring readers in, but they’re not why readers stick around. They stick around because they form deep, long-lasting connections with your characters. To do that, you need to give your characters so much depth that they feel human.

The relationship between character and plot

Many people—myself included until a few years ago—think that plot-driven stories have weaker characters, while character-driven stories have weaker plots. But who said that has to be the case?

In our character arcs workshop, we’ll analyse The Mummy and break down why it’s the perfect example of plot and character working together. The film may be over 20 years old (I feel old too), but it’s stood the test of time with a kickass heroine and a love interest who can keep up with her.

Why diversity is important—and how to write it

Readers want diversity. With so many people identifying as bi, gay, pan, asexual, or gender fluid; more than 40% of the population with chronic health conditions, and one in four with a recognised disability, we’re doing our readers a disservice by only writing about cis, able-bodied, white people.

The course will teach you how to get to know people from different backgrounds to you, whether that’s a different culture, race, religion, health profile, or sexuality.

We’ve got lessons that break down each step, and suggested resources for you to check out for more information.

The significance of cause and effect

Psychology is all about cause and effect. And psychology is what you need to understand to write epic, three-dimensional, realistic, believable, relatable characters.

Having an anxious character is the first step to writing someone reflective of the one in four of us with mental health conditions. Knowing why that character is anxious is the key to making them believable and relatable.

You don’t have to outright say why your character is an anxious person, but knowing the reason(s) why will change how they interact with the world. If you know this reason, it will naturally come out as you plan and write.

And, when the reader picks up your book, it will form a clearer picture of who the person they’re reading about really is.

Ways to use the right language—and when

We’ll cover how language can help you add more depth to your characters, both in your dialogue, description, and monologue.

Small changes can help your reader to see your character more vividly, instantly making them feel connected.

Who it’s for

The Character Creation Crash Course is for authors, novelists, short story writers, screenwriters, or poets who want to write character that jump off the page and befriend your ideal reader. Even your opponents will feel so real you’ll want to hug them. Sorry. Sort of?

How it’s delivered

It’s 25 pre-recorded lessons, each taking a deep dive into a different aspect of your characters’ lives.

We’ll cover things like demographics, sexuality, love interests, past relationships, naming your characters, appearance, health, and more.

This isn’t your typical character creation course. We’re going to push you to your writing limits. We’re going to challenge you to write characters who experience life in a whole different way.

Bring your characters to life

We don’t write about heroes and villains; we write about people. People who are good and bad, even if they’re at opposite ends of the spectrum. They may not agree with each other, but they’ll all believe they’re doing the right thing. We’re not here to judge our characters; we’re here to reflect how they feel.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your spot and get started today. And, if you enrol before 31 March, you’ll get access to three live workshop replays at no extra cost, too.