Crafting Dynamic Characters
Learn how to create fully fleshed-out, dynamic characters and reveal them on the page with book editor and character expert Mary Kole
GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THIS COURSE"I feel more confident than ever in creating dynamic characters that readers will will fall in love with!"
- Terry T.
"Jessica and Mary's heart and soul in this course is appreciated and felt. I am becoming the writer I always knew I could be. "
- Rose H.
"Great depth, heart, detail, and practicality! This course is an excellent achievement, you both truly 'walk the talk'!"
- Jon S.
The #1 Thing Readers Want from YOUR Character
When a reader starts a story, what are they looking for exactly? What is keeping them hooked and turning pages?
Hint: It’s not the plot, or the worldbuilding.
It’s your main character.
And what is the number one thing readers look for in your character - the thing that’s going to determine whether they keep reading or put the story down?
Connection.
Readers want to feel connected to your character.
But how exactly do you create that connection?
In this course, taught by character guru, literary agent and freelance editor, Mary Kole, you’ll learn not only how to craft fully fleshed out, dynamic characters but also how to write those characters and reveal them on the page in a way that grabs the reader’s attention, connects with them, and captures their heart.
Over the past 10+ years, Mary has helped thousands of authors take flat, underdeveloped characters and turn them into dynamic ones that leap off the page. And in this course, she gives away her “secret sauce” for character success, including the 4 foundations of a dynamic character and the 7 vital tools for weaving characters into your prose.
This Course Includes:
- Tons of fun, inspiring writing prompts designed to break you out of old patterns, get you thinking about character in a new way, and help you apply all the skills taught in the course
- Lots of examples from popular works of fiction to provide context and enhance your understanding of the material
- Tips and advice from a true publishing-industry insider on how to make fresh choices, brainstorm with confidence, and elevate your fiction writing and character development skills
- Plenty of exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned and put your new skills into practice
Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, whether you have an idea for a story, are revising an existing project, or just looking for inspiration, this course is sure to take your character development skills to the next level.
By the End of This Course, You'll Have:
A solid understanding of why readers fall in love with characters and what makes for an interactive reading experience (an essential component of any successful story)
The knowledge and skills to build and nurture the essential "reader/character" connection
7 tools for effectively revealing characters to your readers in a way that engages them and makes them an active part of your story
A firm grasp of the 4 foundations that make up a dynamic character
The ability to successfully navigate the gray area between Showing and Telling in your writing
Tools and methods for accessing a character's "interiority" and how you can use it to elevate your fiction writing
At least one fully fleshed-out character that you can use to elevate a current work in progress or start a new story
Meet Your Instructors
Former literary agent Mary Kole provides consulting and developmental editing services to writers of all categories and genres, working on children’s book projects from picture book to young adult, and all kinds of trade market literature, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and memoir.
She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked at Chronicle Books, the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Movable Type Management. She has been blogging at Kidlit.com since 2009. Her book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, a writing reference guide for writers of middle grade and young adult fiction, is available from Writer’s Digest Books.
Jessica Brody is the author of more than 20 novels as well as the #1 bestselling plotting guide, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. Her books have been translated and published in over 23 countries and several have been optioned for film and television.
She’s also repeatedly hired by Disney Press to develop and write novels based on popular Disney properties like the Lego Disney Princess and the Disney Descendants franchises.
After creating several popular courses for writers, she’s excited to team up with character guru Mary Kole for this course on crafting dynamic characters!
What Students are Saying
"When I began this course, I was having difficulties creating lifelike characters, but now my characters are full of life and practically walk off the page."
"This was the best course on character I've ever taken. It really is a deep dive into how to create the right character for your story, as well as how to show them on the page. Thank you, Mary and Jessica!"
"I keep coming back to this course as I develop my characters and novel. It's a gift that keeps on giving!"
"This course was very insightful and helpful in getting me to think about and create more dynamic complexities for the characters in the book I'm writing. The lectures were fun and easy to follow and grasp. 10/10 would recommend this course!"
"Mary and Jessica did an absolutely amazing job explaining characters. This class alone was worth a year’s subscription, and many revisits. Now I’m excited to go back to the stories I have already written and work to make them more engaging and exciting… making sure I’ve used Mary’s formula to craft outstanding characters."
"Once again, Writing Mastery Academy provided a course I didn't know I needed... and I really needed this one badly. So many great tools on developing a character's interiority. I thought this was going to be course on filling out character profile sheets on "eye color" and "clothing style." So glad I was wrong!"
"Mary is a master of all things character! She takes a complex and overwhelming concept and makes it easily understandable and applicable for writers. I love her delivery, enthusiasm, and puns! Very enjoyable!"
"This course definitely helped me understand, in actionable steps, how to craft a realistic objective for my character, her age and situation that felt in line with the theme I'm trying to bring across. Definitely a complement to the plotting I've learned from the Save the Cat method! I feel as though I've gained more clarity and the ability to sort through the mess of ideas in my mind."
"Great depth, heart, detail, and practicality! This course is an excellent achievement, you both truly "walk the talk"! And I loved your jams, really inspiring, helping lift me to be better in how I write and how I see the world."
"Jessica and Mary's heart and soul in these courses are appreciated and felt. I am becoming the writer I always knew I could be."
"This was a wonderful course and helped a lot with really getting into a character's head. I can't wait to put these new skills to use!"
"This course helped me recognize why some scenes in my story flowed effortlessly and felt right while other scenes felt wrong. I am amazed by how much this course has helped me pinpoint problems faster."
Course Outline
Introduction
Why Readers Fall in Love with Characters
Writing Dynamic Characters - 7 Tools to Instantly Engage Your Reader
Developing Your Own Dynamic Characters
Wrapping Up
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