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This writing course, Online: Character and Dialogue: Bringing Characters to Life with Amy Lovat, takes place online.

In this course with author Amy Lovat, you’ll explore the fundamentals of character and dialogue so you can work on driving the narrative forward and engaging your reader.

Creating realistic characters who your readers can connect to, care about and invest in should be the top goal when writing fiction. The better you know your characters, the more they come to life on the page.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQ > 

Character and dialogue are intertwined in the craft of writing: realistic dialogue breathes life into your characters, but you also need to truly know your characters to understand how they’d communicate with people and the world around them.

Dialogue is not just what characters say, it’s who they are. As Stephen King says in On Writing, ‘… dialogue gives your cast their voices, and is crucial in defining their characters.’ What would they say out loud, and what would they keep to themselves? What happens when they say one thing, but do another?

This course takes place on a website specifically designed for writers, making it simple and easy to share your writing, give and receive feedback, and interact with fellow writers.

Expected Learning Outcomes

In this workshop, participants will:

1. Develop understanding of the relationship between character and dialogue
2. Consider the ways in which setting and environment influence character motivation
3. Develop skills to demonstrate direct and indirect characterisation in their writing
4. Learn how to edit their own writing for a balance of action and dialogue
5. Learn how to create complex, nuanced characters that engage readers.

Participant Requirements

Internet access and confidence using basic computer software are essential for this program. Please read our FAQ> before enrolling.

You do not need to log into the course at a specific time and there are no live meetings. You will receive an email with an invitation link to join the online classroom a week before the course starts.

Please expect to spend a minimum of six hours on the course, noting that the amount of time needed to read, respond to discussions, write, revise and critique will vary from person to person.

• You can complete the lesson material in your own time.
• There will be assignments which have deadlines. To be guaranteed tutor feedback, you will need to complete the assignments by the deadline.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

More from Writing NSW

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