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Participants in face to face courses must comply with any precautionary measures related to COVID-19 that Writing NSW puts in place.

Character is at the heart of a successful and engaging children’s book. Without character you have no story. Characters, and what they want, or fear, drive the narrative.

If a child falls in love with your character they will want to follow them to the moon and back. But how to create such memorable and unique characters? This course will give you the tools you need to create a memorable character readers will love.

We will cover:

• Creating a memorable and captivating character young readers will love.
• Using character to develop an intriguing plot.
• Using character to reveal the values intrinsic to your story.

This course is designed for adults who are interested in developing an existing idea for a children’s story, or for people who are wanting an introduction to writing for children.

Author Jess Black uses examples from her own books and writing and a series of practical writing exercises to expand your confidence and craft in developing your own ideas.

This course involves submitting short writing exercises and giving and receiving peer feedback as well as feedback from your tutor.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQ >

This workshop takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.

Expected learning outcomes

1. Learn about character types and how they affect a story.
2. Participants create and develop a character for a children’s story.
3. Students engage in a range of activities to develop characters – dialogue, physicality, interview technique and creating a desire line for their character.
4. Participants review elements of plotting a narrative using character to drive the story.

Participant requirements

Pen and paper, laptop optional. Please read our FAQ before enrolling.

If you have questions about this course and/or COVID-safe guidelines, please contact us.

More from Writing NSW

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