DIALOGUE

Does anyone ever really say what’s on their mind? And what actually happens if they do? What’s the relationship between thinking, feeling and speaking? What is really being conveyed, and what is being withheld?

The words that spill from our character’s mouths or squeeze between their tight lips speak volumes - often about what they have elected not to verbalise, or indeed what they never expected to reveal. Come along and focus for an hour on what your dialogue is actually saying.

RECOGNITION AND REVERSAL

What does your character come to know and understand about themselves? And to what degree are these things actually ‘true’?

A character who is too self-aware leaves the reader with nothing to hypothesise about; one who learns nothing about their own behaviour inhabits a fairly static narrative. For your work to have the dynamism that keeps readers reading, you’ll want to ensure there are moments of recognition that initiate change. Join this session for help identifying those moments - whether the change required ultimately proves possible or not…

CHOICE AND CHANGE

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done? The most difficult choice you’ve had to make? These moments are tough because of what’s at stake. And the height of those stakes depends on what matters to you most.

The same applies to our characters. And the harder the choice - the heavier the pressure - the more dramatic and involving the reading experience becomes. As Kurt Vonnegut put it: No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

This session will help you do just that.