THE ART OF CRAFTING MEMORABLE CHARACTERS

Course Overview:
Unlock the booming world of audiobooks and learn how to turn your manuscript into a captivating audio experience. This dynamic session empowers authors to navigate the audiobook production process while emphasizing why human narration is the key to creating immersive, emotionally resonant listening experiences that sell.
 
Whether you're a seasoned author or just getting started, this class will give you a clear roadmap to enter the audiobook market with confidence—and heart.

What You’ll Learn:

Take your book to the next level with three-dimensional characters your readers will love—or hate. The key is to create characters your readers connect with. By developing a relationship between the players and the readers, your audience becomes vested in the outcome of the story. Whether it’s to cheer on the protagonist or to exact revenge on the villain, keep them reading until the very last page.

This session will teach you how to truly know your characters. You’ll learn how to establish their motivations and their goals. This class gives you the tools to breathe life into your characters and make them feel real.

Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting your journey as a writer, this class provides clear, concise methods to create memorable characters that live on long after the final scene.

Note: While geared for fiction, some of these techniques can be used to explain the motivation and thought process of real-life characters.

 

Part 1: Crafting the perfect cast.

#1 Rule: Know Your Characters!

 

Protagonists

• Construct their backstory and motivations (but don’t necessarily share it)
• How to use flashbacks and memories to dole out pieces of their story
• Shape their personalities     

Give them quirks and habits

Make them believable by giving them flaws

• Make them vulnerable
• Share their weaknesses

          

Supporting Characters

Do names matter?

Tricks of the trade:

Use humor/ severity to add interest to your story

Perfect for back burner plots and sagging middles

Great sounding boards

Makes your protagonist a better (or worse) person

          

The Antagonist

What makes them tick?

Construct their past

• Share their motivation
• Give them vulnerabilities
• Remember: No one is all good, or all evil

 

Recurring Characters in a Series

• Be consistent
• Keep a character bible
• Use them as often as needed
• Add depth and believability to your overall series

 

 

Part 2: Audience Participation 

• Thinking on your feet
• Spontaneous Quiz
• Spontaneous Crafting

 

Key Takeaways

Finding your voice

A guide to crafting great characters

Strategies and tricks of the trade

Making friends/enemies with the people in your book                       

 

Who Should Attend

          Newcomers to writing

Indie authors, particularly those without a content editor

Seasoned writers looking for a fresh take on their craft

Anyone who loves to write, whether professionally or not