The characters that populate a narrative are the backbone of a story’s world, but creating compelling, whole characters that embody the facets and nuances of humanity can be a challenge. In this workshop, we will explore techniques of point-of-view to anchor characters in a psychological reality, discuss the role of the unconscious in the development and “on the page” writing of characters, and consider the connection of how point-of-view and characterization lead to both the “voice” of the character and the authorial voice, ie: style—both of which impact how a reader interacts with characters. We will utilize breakaway rooms for participants to experiment on their own, then reconvene to share and discuss the results of the exercises. Developing characters can go beyond a dossier understanding of them, whether they are the stars of the show or simply the dayplayers in a single scene.

About Karin Lowachee:

Karin was born in South America, grew up in Canada, and worked in the Arctic. She has been a creative writing instructor, adult education teacher, and volunteer in a maximum security prison. Her novels have been translated into French, Hebrew, and Japanese, and her short stories have been published in numerous anthologies, best-of collections, and magazines. When she isn't writing, she serves at the whim of a black cat.