First Impressions: Introducing Your Characters

"When in doubt," Raymond Chandler once advised other writers, "have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand." While we maybe aren't writing in the hardboiled mode of Chandler, there is a deeper truth here: good character introductions can drive a story forward. How can we make sure that our readers get interested about characters from the moment they appear on the page? At worst, we can rely on visual clichés and lose our readers' interests, but at best, a good character introduction can renew our interest, complicate plot, and generate suspense–like Chandler's proverbial "man with a gun."

This class will help us steer clear of boring or exhaustive introductions and instead craft brief but memorable introductions that leave readers wanting to know more. This class will explore the power of character introductions. We will use character "tags," traits, introductory actions, and exaggeration to make those "first moments" really stick in our readers' minds. This class is specifically geared towards fiction and non-fiction, but all genres are welcome.

Class Format

This class will take place in-person at our Center for Creative Writing in Boston's Seaport neighborhood.

Covid-19 Update:

GrubStreet's space will be mask optional when Boston's Covid-19 Community Level is low or medium. When the Covid-19 Community Level is high, our space will require masks. Please check GrubStreet's Covid-19 page for the latest info on masking and Community Levels before visiting in-person.

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.