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Writing Course from Winter 2005

The 2005 Writing Courses are over, but this course information is on the site so that you can see what courses we have sponsored in the past.

BUILDING CHARACTERS, with Lynn York
Bringing Characters to Life in Fiction

  • Saturdays, February 12 - March 19, 10:00 am - noon (6 weeks, 12 hours of instruction)
  • Meets at the Network Library and Resource Center in Chapel Hill
  • $130 Network members / $150 non-members
  • Limit: 12 participants

Characters do the real work of fiction. Setting, language, and plot -- all of these fall flat if the story is not inhabited by characters that are interesting, complicated, believable. Many writers report that once they bring a wonderful character to life, that character begins to tell his or her own story -- all the writer needs to do is hang on for the ride. But where within the creative process does a writer find such characters, much less render them -- living and breathing -- onto to page?

In this course, designed for writers with some experience with fiction, participants will share their work-in-progress and provide constructive feedback to fellow writers. We will combine the workshop experience with writing exercises, craft discussions and shared inspiration to get started on building the next generation of characters for our fiction.

Lynn York has been a Writer-in-Residence at Brush Creek Writers' Workshop. She leads craft discussion groups and offers as well as one-on-one critiques. She is a Workshop facilitator and craft lecturer for a private Hillsborough writing group. Participants included published writers, journalists, and MFA candidates. She does ongoing work with numerous local writers, critiquing their manuscripts and shepherding them through the publication process. Her recent novel, The Piano Teacher, was excerpted in the Raleigh News and Observer, and is in its sixth printing.

Online Registration