The first module is released as soon as you enroll in this course.

All following modules will be released 7 days after the previous one.

LIVE CALLS will be offered to the Story Works Fiction community. They will be a perfect opportunity for you to meet your teacher and other members of the community, ask questions about this course and/or storycraft in general. Time and frequency may vary by season. Check your emails for the call link and schedule.

This first module is your week to get off to a good start. Do some light reading, thinking, and processing in your journal.

You'll have more to do next week.

To get the most out of each module:

• read the assignment in the Story Works Guide to Writing Character,
• do the exercises included in that chapter,
• read the supplemental texts,
• do the writing exercises given in the Assignment PDF,
• watch or listen to the call associated with that lesson in which we discuss both the lesson and the supplemental readings while addressing student questions,
• do any Supercharge Your Writing exercises,
• continually journal thoughts you have about character development and craft,
• also journal ideas you have about your new character and the story he or she will inhabit.

Working through the materials in this order will help you get the most out of the course.

During the recorded calls, students from the past Master Class and I discuss the subject for that module, addressing questions and issues students are having that that or past modules. We also discuss the supplemental readings, so these calls will help you go deeper with the stories and excerpts.

Because we are focused on character development, you will be doing a lot of timed freewriting and journaling. These writings should not consume massive amounts of your time. I give you minimum timeframes for the exercise, but if you don't get rolling in that time or think you could do better, reset the timer and go again.

The Supercharge Your Writing exercises are designed to challenge you. Sometimes the best way to absorb and implement new knowledge is to apply it to something outside your current project. While much of your work in this course will focus on one specific character and one specific story, you'll benefit from working with other story elements.

Each week's lessons:

1. Introduction to character development
2. Character traits
3. Flaws
4. History & Backstory
5. Agency
6. Motivation
7. Supporting characters & Subplots
8. Character arc
9. Unlikeable and unreliable characters
10. Wrap up

When you complete the course, I'll have a special coupon code for you as a thank you and reward for becoming a Master of character development!