Class Description
Why is dirtying up your character important? It complicates your character. Some writers try too hard to make their protagonist likable and relatable, which are key considerations. But all people are flawed and so your character should be, too. The most memorable characters stick in your mind because they remind you of yourself, and also speak to other parts of you that you may not express or want to acknowledge.
By participating in this seminar, writers will meet their characters as co-creations who are as complicated, difficult and ambivalent as they are. We’ll be studying great multi-faceted characters like Rosemond Pike as Amy in Gone Girl, HBO’s Olive Kittredge, and Apple TV’s The Morning Show. We’ll also do some in-class exercises to test writers’ abilities to challenge themselves to go to complex, more confusing emotional territory for their characters.
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. Please visit the Resources tab to access the video-conference link.
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!