Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, Sherlock Holmes, Jay Gatsby and Daisy, Pip, Ebenezer Scrooge, Harry Potter, Holly Golightly, Winnie-the-poo, Katniss Everdeen, Phillip Marlowe, The Grinch, Nancy Drew, Alice, James Bond, Voldemort and even Edward Cullen. You would never think these characters have one underlying characteristic in common- with the genesis of a few going back as far as the 19th Century, and the most recent exploding into being a mere 8 years ago- but they are incredibly memorable. If you’re not convinced then ask yourself why, in 2016, are we still talking about them, reading about them, adapting them and drawing inspiration from them?
Creating memorable characters in writing is not the only key to unlocking the door to a beloved, popular and eternally relevant story but if you mentally visualize your favorite characters being air lifted out of their fictional habitats to be replaced with boring, old John Smith from Snoozeville, Nowhereland would the story still have the same effect on you? Maybe (any work by Charles Dickens is probably evidence to this), but also, maybe not.
If you think your novel or short story could benefit from the existence of an intriguing character maybe you would like to apply for the second “Writing Short Stories” workshop that will focus on how to create memorable characters in fiction, facilitated by Editor-in-Residence Laurie Steed .
Laurie will help you to explore both established character types as well as ways to play against type, his workshop will lead writers of any age and stage towards creating the types of characters that will stay with the reader long after reading the final page.
When: Saturday, 19th March 2016
1:30 pm – 4:30pm
Where: Peter Cowan Writers Centre, Edith Cowan House, Building 20, ECU Joondalup Campus.
Cost: $38 for Members $48 for Non-Members
Please call 9301 2282, email cowan05@bigpond.com, or visit www.pcwc.org.au to apply for this workshop.
Registrations close on Tuesday 15 March 2016, so there is plenty of time to read through your work or mull it over but spaces are limited so if you decide to register then make sure you do it as soon as you are able.
Please click here if you want to know more and to find the flyer.