Why do our characters do what they do? Every story brings headlines from the human heart, and those headlines turn on motivations as petty as a pet peeve and as grand as a ruling passion. Character-driven fiction encourages us to abandon the conventional and to explore new ways of being with others in the world, to shift the loyalties in a surprising way. Perhaps a desire leaps from the heart of one character into the heart of another. Or the bad guy, superstitious, rushes to found a charity. Plot doesn’t need to follow the expected line: after the king’s death, the queen dies not of grief, but because she glimpses her double leaving the funeral. Or why does she have to die at all? Perhaps she becomes a jet pilot. Possibilities unfold in all directions. In this wide-ranging generative workshop for all levels of fiction writer, the classical protagonist will get a makeover. Through exercises and freewriting, we’ll explore how a more fluid, more generous sense of motivation shapes a story. Class sessions will be devoted to creating (wonderful!) new work. 

In this workshop, we will generate new writing through guided exercises and prompts; offer feedback/first impressions on writing you produce in our week together.