Making People

The characterisation masterclass
Join our super supportive online community
Learn how to craft unique, intriguing people with simple characterisation techniques
Write backstories and memories and layer your story with conflict

Create characters who are original, real and memorable, right down to that bit of dried cheese sauce on their trousers and their fear of flip-flops. this is *the* characterisation masterclass.

Imagine if Lizzie Bennett had no sense of humour, or if Offred just gave up, or if Matilda wasn’t fussed about books. Imagine if Frankenstein had even the tiniest ounce of empathy. Without great and believable characters, stories don’t fly, plots wilt, worlds end and, worse, manuscripts get thrown in the bin. Characterisation is to plot what jam is to toast.

Our characterisation masterclass will show you how to turn your characters into people, how to stop yourself falling back on tropes and stereotypes, and how to avoid hashing out two-dimensional cardboard cutout figures instead of sculpting living, breathing people.

Prepare your loins to CREATE LIFE!

What's inside the course?

Course Content

Introduction to Making People
1. What do they want and why can’t they have it?
2. The many arcs of Charlie Baxter
3. What you do is more important than what you are
4. History and also herstory
5. Increments of bastardy

“Writers’ HQ got me writing again after a break of nearly 20 years. They are amazing! A motivating, practical, friendly course with exercises to do and a nice positive forum to discuss how it’s all going.” CATHERINE A LEIMER

Get instant access when you join the most word-writing, tea-drinking, story-slinging, biscuit-dunking, productivity-boosting, super supportive writing community this side of the internet

Woohoo yeah do it do it yeah woo etc and so on

Freebie WHQer
£free
Zero Earth pounds! Always free awww yeah!
3 x creative writing courses
Monthly online writing retreat
The amazing WHQ community forum
Gold Star WHQer
£20/month
The full WHQ shebang for superstar writers
25 x in-depth creative writing development courses
Monthly specialised writing masterclasses
Masterclass video library
Full access to all WHQ writing festivals
Cancel any time
Annual Gold Star WHQer
£190
One off payment. Save money. Eat more avocado toast.
Everything in the monthly membership
Access to all our monthly writing challenges and festivals throughout the year
No recurring fees

Whoa there, writer-buddy

You need to be a Writers’ HQ gold star member to get your eyes on this glorious stuff.

But that’s okay because joining is super easy. Just click the button and do the thing.

(Or login if you’re already a member)

Read this before going to the forum!

The widget that lets you sign into the forum with your WHQ login has given up. 

We are trying to coax it back into existence. So far neither bribery, begging or crying has worked. We are currently trying shaking our fists at the sky and going ‘grrrr’.

You can still get to the forum though! Do this:

  1. Click the button below
  2. On the forum login page, click reset password USING THE SAME EMAIL YOU USE FOR WHQ
  3. Click the link in the email and reset your password

IMPORTANT: This means you will have TWO (2) passwords/logins. One for the WHQ main site and one for the forum. It’s a pain in the arse. We’re sorry. It is temporary, but at least you can dick about on the forum again. OKAY BYE. 

Confirm your place at Making People.

Once you hit the button, you’ll get a confirmation email, and we’ll send you the Zoom link an hour before the event. 

Yayyyy! You've bagged a place at Making People.

Check your inbox for details. 

If you don’t get an email, check your spam fist and then wang us a line on he**@**********co.uk and we’ll leap into action with keenness and speed. 

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