Class Description
In this seminar, writers will explore character creation using examples from binge-worthy television shows such as Game of Thrones, Atlanta, Breaking Bad, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Mr. Robot.
We will discuss what made each of these character driven stories so compelling to watch. We’ll explore protagonists and antagonists, start a character biography and explore scenes designed to bond the audience to the character. We’ll use film clips as examples to see the characters in action.
Through a series of exercises, students will generate a character of their own. This seminar is designed for writers of literary or genre fiction, playwrights and screenwriters, or binge-watching addicts interested in finding out what makes their favorite characters tick.
Writers explored
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (Unreal)
Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot, Homecoming)
Donald Glover (Atlanta)
Jenji Kohan (Weeds, Orange is the New Black, Glow)
Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones)
David Chase (The Sopranos)
Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders)
Jill Soloway (Transparent)
Phoebe Waller Bridge (Fleabag)
Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul)
This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.
For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:
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.
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 detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.