Houston Workshop – Saturday, April 2 – How to Write Emotion into Every Character
How do we create characters that seem to come alive on the page? Emotion is key, and in this workshop, we will take an in-depth look at how successful writers imbue their characters with emotions that seem moving and real.
As the instructor, I will share an insightful examination of how certain personality types react to the basic instincts of fear and desire, as well as how they experience higher emotions such as sorrow, joy, and pride, and also offer strategies for how to describe these reactions. Participants will learn the essentials of a simple personality template (similar to those by Jung, Myers-Briggs, and others); how to craft “the emotional ladder,” from initial impulse to full expression; and how to apply visceral, visual, and auditory responses to descriptive writing.
If you’ve ever felt uncertain as to how to go about crafting character emotion, this workshop will help replace your uncertainty with knowledge and confidence.
TIME: Saturday, April 2, 1-4 p.m.
LOCATION: Writespace
LEVEL: Beginner and Intermediate
CAP: Limited to 15 Writers
Teaching Philosophy
A storyteller’s job is not merely to spin a yarn on paper but to spin a yarn that connects with the reader, our silent partner. We connect by invoking in the reader an understanding, a personal memory, and most of all emotion—laughter, joy, sorrow, fear, or even the cerebral kick that comes with watching an intriguing puzzle come together.
My job as a writing instructor is to teach the techniques and provide examples that will help you make that connection as you write your own story. These are not formulas but are successful story forms. The logical part of the Write Brain thrives on form and patterns. Like great painters, writers learn from studying and practicing the strokes of masters who came before us.
What you will not learn from me are “rules.” Instead, you’ll discover “writing tools.” Any rule ever written has been broken effectively by a good writer. There are no wrong answers. If a technique works, if it elicits the emotional or intellectual impact intended, then how can it be wrong?
