Crafting Dynamic Characters Writing Mastery

Write and develop unforgettable characters for your novels and short stories!

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4.7

- What makes readers fall in love with characters
- How to breathe life into flat characters
- 7 tools for effectively revealing your characters to the reader

What you'll learn

What makes readers fall in love with characters

How to breathe life into flat characters

7 tools for effectively revealing your characters to the reader

The 4 Foundations that make up all Dynamic Characters

The importance of accessing a character's "interiority" and how to use it to elevate your fiction writing

How to brainstorm and develop Dynamic Characters from the ground up

How to develop your character's "voice"

How to build and nurture the essential "reader/character" connection

* Requirements

* A notebook and pen/pencil or a computer/tablet for exercises

Description

If there’s one secret to crafting dynamic characters that readers will remember it’s this:

Connection.

The job of a fiction writer is not just to create interesting, compelling, and unique characters, but to weave those characters into the prose in a way that engages readers and connects them to the story.

Because you can have the most interesting, compelling, unique characters in the world but if you can’t effectively reveal those characters to your readers in a way that inspires them to keep reading, what’s the point?

Welcome to Writing Mastery: Crafting Dynamic Characters

In this course, taught by character guru, literary agent and freelance editor, Mary Kole, (and developed with bestselling author and #1 bestselling Udemy instructor, Jessica Brody) you’ll learn how to not only create fully fleshed-out, dynamic characters, but also how to reveal them--and all of their wonderful nuances--in a way that grabs the reader’s attention, inspires their imagination, and captures their heart.

Mary Kole has been working with writers as a publishing assistant, literary agent, editor and writing teacher for more than a decade. She’s helped thousands of authors take flat, underdeveloped characters and turn them into dynamic ones that leap off the page.

This course was produced and co-instructed by bestselling author Jessica Brody as part of the Writing Mastery series whose courses have over 35,000 enrolled students and over 5,000 5-star reviews on Udemy!

In this course, Mary Kole teaches her "secret sauce" for character success, centering around the concept of Interiority (the character’s inner life). Mary will break down, step by step the process of building and nurturing that invaluable reader/character relationship and provide you with 7 vital tools for weaving characters into your prose in an engaging way. Additionally, she’ll break down the 4 Foundations of a Dynamic Character and walk you through the process of brainstorming and developing your own.

And throughout the course, she’ll give you tons of examples, actionable tips, and exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned and put your new skills to work.

By the end of this course, you’ll have:

A solid understanding of why readers fall in love with characters and what makes for an interactive reading experience (an essential component of any successful story)
7 tools for effectively revealing characters to your readers in a way that engages them and makes them an active part of your story
A firm grasp of the 4 foundations that make up a dynamic character
At least one fully fleshed-out character that you can use to elevate a current work in progress or start a new story

Plus, along the way, in order to help solidify the skills taught in this course, instructors Jessica Brody and Mary Kole will take on each of the exercises in the course and share their results in fun, critique-group style “Instructor Jam” sessions. Seeing how professional writers approach the exercises will provide even more insight and context into how dynamic characters are crafted and revealed on the page.

"So in depth, so broken down into easily digestible, yummy little tid-bits of crafty goodness. I love it!" - Kat L.

"[This course] is amazing and it has been quite helpful!" - Siya S.

"Unbelievable information" - Richard R.

“This is ‘just in time’ knowledge for my first novel!” - Johnny P.

This Course Includes:

Tons of fun, inspiring writing prompts designed to break you out of old patterns, get you thinking about character in a new way, and help you apply all the skills taught in the course
Examples from popular works of fiction to provide context and enhance your understanding of the material
Tips and advice from a true publishing-industry insider on how to make fresh choices, brainstorm with confidence, and elevate your fiction writing and character development skills

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, whether you have an idea for a story, are revising an existing project, or just looking for inspiration, this course is sure to take your character development skills to the next level.

PRAISE FOR COURSES IN THE WRITING MASTERY SERIES:

8 writing courses
Over 5,000 5-star reviews!
Over 35,000 students enrolled
Average 4.6 stars!

"Just, WOW! FULL of tips, tricks, resources, references, and actionable steps" - Tracy

"Superb. Clear and engaging - Dan

"Thorough, accurate, and well-presented --I would recommend Jessica Brody’s courses to any writer eager to rise." - Mark

"Jessica Brody's courses are all thorough, entertaining, and extremely helpful." - Tricia

"As always, Jessica Brody delivers an insider's knowledge and the tools to move forward in the process, now!" - Sue

"Very informative and well worth the time and cost." - Noel

"Clear, concise, & well-narrated with an abundance of enthusiasm." - Christopher

"This course is worth far more than the price of admission!" - Talmage

"Jessica Brody has a gift for distilling lots of hard-earned information into concise and tasty bites." - Katherine

"If you write (or plan to write), get this course" - Scott

"I have learned so much information that has helped me in the writing process." - Christy

"Good pacing, great tools, wonderful ideas... loving this course!" - Regina

"Love the videos. Very easy to understand and lots of great tips!" - Lisa

Who this course is for:

Anyone interested in writing a novel, short story, or memoir
Writers interested in learning more about character development
Writers looking for inspiration for new characters
Writers looking to breathe life into flat characters
Writers looking for guidance on developing a character's "voice"

Course content

5 sections • 49 lectures

Introduction 4 lectures

Welcome and What to Expect Preview 03:31

What is it that makes readers fall in love with certain characters? Jessica introduces character guru, Mary Kole, who knows all about creating dynamic characters that leap off the page and into readers’ hearts.

Why is Character So Important? Preview 04:47

Why do our favorite stories become favorites? Mary shares what she’s learned in over a decade of helping writers who struggle with character development.

How this Course Works Preview 05:30

Mary breaks down the course and introduces the all-important concept of “interiority”.

Where to Get Help Preview 00:43

Why Readers Fall in Love with Characters 3 lectures

The Most Important Question Readers Ask Preview 02:44

Readers have one big question when they start any new story. Join Mary to learn what readers want to know most!

Character Quick Start - The Game of "And? So" Preview 06:12

Instructor Jam - The Game of And So Preview 04:56

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Game of “And So?”

Writing Dynamic Characters - 7 Tools to Instantly Engage Your Reader 23 lectures

A New Spin on Show vs. Tell Preview 07:23

Think you know all there is to know about the old advice, “show, don’t tell”? Think again! Join Mary to learn the 7 Tools for Revealing Character.

Point of View Preview 04:43

How will you convey your character’s experience? Mary breaks down the most common types of Point of View and shares advice on how to choose which one best suits your story.

Tool #1 - Revealing Character Through Thought Preview 12:10

Mary breaks down Tool #1: Thought, and shows how accessing a character’s thoughts can play an important role in building a dynamic character.

Exercise - Penny for Your Thoughts Preview 02:10

Exercise to practice revealing character through thought.

Instructor Jam - Penny for Your Thoughts Preview 04:23

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Penny For Your Thoughts exercise.

Tool #2 - Revealing Character through Reaction Preview 10:06

Mary breaks down Tool #2: Reaction, and shows how in order to build a strong interior life for your character, you also need to focus on the exterior.

Exercise - Reaction Shot! Preview 02:08

Exercise to practice revealing character through reaction

Instructor Jam - Reaction Shot Preview 04:21

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Reaction Shot exercise

Tool #3 - Revealing Character through Dialogue Preview 08:16

What a character says can be just as important as what they think or do! Mary breaks down Tool #3: Dialogue, and shows how the three main types of dialogue can reveal who your character is.

Exercise - What's Really Being Said Preview 01:45

Exercise to practice revealing character through dialogue.

Instructor Jam - What's Really Being Said Preview 07:05

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the What’s Really Being Said exercise

Tool #4 - Revealing Character through Voice Preview 09:49

Writers are always told their work needs to have an interesting or compelling voice. Mary breaks down Tool #4: Voice, and explains what Voice actually is, how to develop it, and how you can use it to reveal your character to your readers.

Exercise - Voice Extremes Preview 02:53

Exercise to practice revealing character through voice.

Instructor Jam - Voice Extremes Preview 23:29

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Voice Extremes exercise

Tool #5 - Revealing Character through Emotion Preview 10:27

Mary dives deeper into character with Tool #5: Emotions, and shows how you can begin layering the previous Tools to effectively reveal a character’s emotions on the page.

Exercise - Emotional Taboo Preview 02:08

Exercise to practice revealing character through emotions.

Instructor Jam - Emotional Taboo Preview 05:51

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Emotional Taboo exercise

Tool #6 - Revealing Character through Inner Struggle Preview 16:51

Mary breaks down Tool #6: Inner Struggle, and shows how the four types of inner struggle can reveal a lot about your character.

Exercise - Easily Triggered Preview 03:26

Exercise to practice revealing character through inner struggle.

Instructor Jam - Easily Triggered Preview 16:55

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Easily Triggered exercise

Tool #7 - Revealing Character through Other Characters Preview 10:35

Characters shouldn’t go it alone! Mary breaks down Tool #7: Other Characters, and shows how our secondary characters play a big role in revealing the protagonist.

Exercise - What Can You Do For Me? Preview 05:21

Exercise to practice revealing character through other characters.

Instructor Jam - What Can You Do For Me? Preview 17:44

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the What Can You Do For Me? exercise

Developing Your Own Dynamic Characters 17 lectures

The Four Foundations of a Dynamic Character Preview 06:38

Now that you’ve learned all the 7 Tools For Revealing Character, Mary introduces the four key Foundations of a Dynamic Character and explains how you can use them to create, brainstorm, and develop a dynamic character of your own!

Exercise - Meet Your Protagonist Preview 06:36

Exercise to begin fleshing out your protagonist. If you don’t already have a character to work with, you’ll receive a randomly generated “Practice Protagonist” that you can work with and develop throughout the course.

Instructor Jam - Meet Your Protagonist Preview 04:15

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Meet Your Protagonist! exercise

Foundation #1 - Wounds Preview 04:56

Mary introduces Foundation #1: Wounds, and explains how the wounds of your character’s past create the conflicts that makes them worth reading about!

Exercise - Wounds Preview 04:15

Exercise to practice developing your character's wound.

Instructor Jam - Wounds Preview 03:59

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Wounds exercise

Foundation #2 - Needs Preview 03:23

Wounded characters turn into characters with Needs. Mary introduces Foundation #2: Needs, and how they play a role in shaping the interiority of great characters.

Exercise - Needs Preview 01:57

Exercise to practice developing your character's need.

Instructor Jam - Needs Preview 04:43

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Needs exercise

Foundation #3 - Objectives Preview 06:29

What is your character after? Mary moves from a character’s past to their present and introduces Foundation #3: Objectives.

Exercise - Objectives Preview 01:26

Exercise to practice developing your character's objective.

Instructor Jam - Objectives Preview 06:09

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Objectives exercise

Foundation #4 - Motivations Preview 04:41

Why does your character want what they want? Mary answers that all-important question with Foundation #4: Motivations, and shows how all four foundations come together to create dynamic characters readers love.

Exercise - Motivations Preview 02:44

Exercise to practice developing your character's motivation.

Instructor Jam - Motivations Preview 11:20

Join instructors Jessica and Mary to see how they tackled the Motivations exercise

Secondary Characters and Antagonists Preview 12:28

Chances are you’re not writing a story with only one character. Other characters bring conflict and complexity to a story, and Mary explains how to create well-crafted Secondary Characters, including a villain readers will love to hate!

Growth and Change Preview 06:08

Human beings don’t stay the same, and neither should your characters. Learn what it means to create characters who grow and change over the course of your story.

Wrapping Up 2 lectures

Next Steps Preview 06:04

So, what’s next? Mary will introduce some options for moving beyond the tools and foundations you’ve learned in this course. No matter where you are on your writing journey, you’ll have plenty of choices!

A Work in Progress Preview 04:23

Some final pieces of advice from Mary on creating your own dynamic characters.

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