Innovative Tools to Spice Up Your Character Development

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and try out some innovative tools to develop your characters. Strong characters are a key component in fiction, but sometimes the tried-and-true methods of character development just don't spark our creativity.

During the first session, we'll discuss the essentials of character development and character arcs, covering basic concepts as well as pro moves. Then we'll go over the innovative character development tools that participants will try their hands at in the week-long break between sessions. Everyone will try at least three different techniques to develop characters they're currently working on-and hopefully have fun doing it. We'll borrow tools from gaming, project planning, facilitation, and other activities to explore our characters differently.

For the second session, we'll debrief on how it went using the innovative tools, addressing participants' questions and discussing ways to incorporate some of the tools into participants' writing practices going forward.

Kristie Smeltzer's fiction has been published by Scribes*MICRO*Fiction, MonkeyBicycle, Atticus Review, pioneertown, and others. She is currently working on several novels. She earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of Central Florida. Kristie has taught at WriterHouse since 2016, and her students have gone on to publish their work in literary magazines, with small presses, and through large publishing houses. She also helps others tell their stories as a developmental editor and writing coach. WriterHouse members get a 5% discount on Kristie's services. Learn more at www.kristiesmeltzer.com.