Create a Character Clinic

Now I'm back to creating stand-alone fiction and series fiction Monday through Friday.

You can find my fiction at HollyLisle.com, and my writing nonfiction at HollysWritingClasses.com

Create a Character Clinic by Holly Lisle

Want to write better characters? You can create and write compelling people who live and breathe on the page, who capture the attention of readers, agents, and editors, and who drive your story from a compelling start to a captivating ending.

Creating fascinating characters for your stories is not trick, and it's not some gift of the Fiction Fairy bestowed on only a few. You have everything you need within yourself to start creating brilliant characters today. My system is simple and step-by-step, with techniques you can start following immediately. I'll show you what I do, then walk you through doing it yourself. And I keep it short-—you shouldn't have to wade through tons of words to find the few kernels of useful knowledge that you can start applying to your own work.

The book is divided into three sections:

ASK THEM ANYTHING: I explain and demonstrate each of seven critical areas of character development, along with giving you printable charts offering questions that will give you a well-rounded framework for your characters. Answer as few or as many questions as you need to get a feel for the people you'll be writing about, and ask (and answer) more as you work through your story and need new twists and turns.

BRING THEM TO LIFE: A tutorial on how to put all the information you've developed into creating people who live on the page.

THE SINS OF CHARACTERIZATION (And How to Commit Them Well):Believe it or not, almost everything you can ever do wrong in putting characters on the page, you can also do right. Here I show you when a writing sin can be a virtue, and vice-versa.

This class includes step-by-step instructions for creating your free HollysWritingClasses.com membership, and getting your downloadable PDF worksheets, private forum, and in-class extras like the audio exercise, and all course updates at no extra charge.

CURATOR'S NOTE

Holly Lisle figures she's written ten million words of fiction. Bestselling, award-winning fiction. She shares her tricks and techniques in writing books and classes. Once you get her character clinic, you'll also receive a free membership to her online writing classes site. So you can find even more ways to learn! – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Introduction

In this class, I'll to show you how you build and write characters who live and breathe on the page and in your readers' imaginations.

I want to make this process simple — to break it down into steps and techniques you can start following immediately. I'll show you what I do, and then take you through doing it yourself.

And I want to keep this short — you shouldn't have to wade through tons of words to find the few kernels of useful knowledge that you can start applying to your own work.

So that you can start using this class right away, I've divided it into three sections.

SECTION ONE is Ask Them Anything

First, I'll give explanations and demonstrations of seven critical areas of character development, along with the work‐ sheets and printable charts offering questions that will give you a well-rounded framework for your characters.

If you missed the note in the previous section and don't have your worksheets yet, follow the instructions to get them. Back with them printed off?

Answer as few or as many questions as you need to get a feel for the people you'll be writing about, and ask (and"Your first time through the class, work through from front to back. Print off your worksheets before you start, and use them to get details that matter — the worksheets will also keep you from underbuilding and overbuilding your characters, both of which will cause you problems when you're writing.

Answer some Section One questions; do a handful of Section Two exercises just to learn how to extract interesting story from your Q&A; and then get into the sins and virtues of characterization and begin to practice them.

Mine aren't the only techniques out there — in fact, I don't know of anyone else who works the way I do, and you will find that a lot of advice elsewhere that contradicts mine.

That's okay. There is no One True Way to write fiction. Not every technique will work for every writer. So pick out what helps you — what actually works for you, and feel free to discard the rest.

Just remember that you can do this.

And I hope I can help you make your writing dreams come true.