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.
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.
Our one week long 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!
UNIT 1: WHAT DO THEY WANT AND WHY CAN’T THEY HAVE IT?
Tap into your character’s deepest desires to ramp up the conflict
UNIT 2: THE MANY ARCS OF CHARLIE BAXTER
Just one problem to solve? Too easy! Chuck everything you’ve got at them.
UNIT 3: WHAT YOU DO IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU ARE
Why action is more important than description
UNIT 4: HISTORY AND ALSO HERSTORY
Get down and dirty with your character’s backstory for a fuller front-story
UNIT 5: INCREMENTS OF BASTARDRY
Give ’em hell
1. Enrol
Once you’ve joined you’ll get an email confirming your place and explaining how you access the course. Spoiler: you click a link. Super simple.
2. Read, watch, do
The lessons are a mix of text, images, videos and exercises. To get the most out of the course, try to give yourself at least an hour a day to read or watch the material and do the exercises. We’ve made them as bite-size as possible but also if you wanna do the thing you gotta do the work.
3. No rush
This course is written to be done over a week but if you miss a day or something comes up, don’t panic! Go at your own pace. We’ll be waiting for you in the community forums when you’re ready to catch up.
4. No money? No problem
Periodically we run this course as a freebie so please make sure you’re on our newsletter list to get notifications of that. Alternatively, if you can’t wait and have no cash, have a look at our bursary scheme.
5. Milk no sugar
Drink plenty of tea, stock up on biscuits, gin for later. Enjoy it. It’s supposed to be fun. Love you. Mwa.
Writers’ HQ are absolute legends ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They have taken me from someone who writes and created a writer. They also making a cracking cuppa. The retreats are an oasis of writing calm and an inspirational treat. Meeting fellow writers is always a treat. The online courses are not only draw out the writer you know is inside but are incredibly fun to boot.
Vicki Sarteur
Membership
Writers’ HQ are amazing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Their courses are easy to apply, fun to do and will improve all areas of your writer life. Plus they’re an absolute bargain. Get in now before they realise how much they could charge.
Clare Wade
Membership
Love you WHQ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After hanging around on the WHQ Freeloaders page and completing the free courses, I was so convinced by the improvements to my writing – and amused by the emails! – I signed up for three months… I’m still here months later! I’ve learnt so much, from courses like Plotstormers and First Draft, and from fellow WHQers, I would rather give up cake and chocolate than let my membership lapse! Love you WHQ!
Jan McCarthy
Membership
Fantastic reminder of why I write ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing has stopped being fun and working through this course has reminded me of the good parts, that I actually love this thing called writing. It’s given me practical ways to get back into writing and I’ve opened up my manuscript again and written for the first time in ages.
Claire Wade
Turbocharge Your Creativity
Sarah Lewis
Half of Writers’ HQ
Procrastinator Level: Set up WHQ and had a baby to avoid writing her novel
Jo Gatford
Half of Writers’ HQ
Procrastinator Level: Set up WHQ and did an MA to avoid writing her novel
Plotstormers
how to write a novel
course info >>
Writing Short Fiction
small words. big impact
course info >>
Publishing 101: Find An Agent
prepare your manuscript and learn what to expect
course info >>
