Writing the Breakout Novel: Creating Memorable Characters ~ 2-sessions for ages 12-15 with Caryn DeVincenti

Ask any reader what they remember most about their favorite books, and they’ll likely say it was the characters they fell in love with. Great stories begin with memorable characters; ones we think about long after the story is finished. Clever character development can be challenging, but there are certain tricks that can help you with this process. 

In this interactive three-session class, you will learn how to create protagonists readers love, antagonists they’d love to hate, and secondary characters that jump off the page. Expert Caryn DeVincenti will show you how to dive deep into character traits, the goal / want / obstacle formula, work on character profiles and journals, and develop character arcs. 

Students will partake in writing discussions and brief prompts during class and will leave with a strong understanding on what’s most important to reveal about a character in a story, how to hone their writing skills, how to “flesh out” flat characters, and how to write a compelling secondary cast. You will also be provided with printable character profile worksheets to keep and add to your “writer’s toolbox.”

This class will equip you with the tools and techniques you need to begin your journey of writing the breakout novel!

 

Session1

Delve into: character arcs, goal/want/obstacle, naming your cast, character traits and descriptions

Session 2

Learn to add quirks, flesh out characters, character “voice”, advanced dialogue/dialect, interior monologue, nonverbal gestures

Session 3 

Explore the deeper psychology of motivation and character personality traits: learning sympathy & empathy, crafting interesting antagonists/abolishing clichéd villains, secondary characters

 

Recommended Reading: Characters, Emotions, and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress (Writers Digest Series)

Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints (Write Great Fiction): Kress, Nancy: 9781582973166: Amazon.com: Books

Former gemology instructor, Caryn DeVincenti left all things shiny to work as a full-time writer. She is the regional director of the Florida Writers Association, Palm Beach County and a creative writing instructor at Apex Academy. DeVincenti holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has been working with budding novelists of all ages for over a decade. When not writing, she spends time with her family and her insane Cairn terrier.

All of our workshops are held over Zoom.

You will receive an email 30 minutes before the workshop begins with the link to join the Zoom meeting. We highly recommend you to create a Zoom account prior to class.

If you do not see the Zoom link in your inbox 30 minutes before the workshop, PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM / JUNK MAIL!

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