Creative Writing-Character and World Building

We writers often fall into a way of writing that is comfortable to us and that we know how to write. Sort of like the person who walks the exact same way to work every day or someone who does the same exercise over and over. Eventually, both our minds and bodies know everything and won’t get challenged or grow.

The student will create four different characters with accompanying worlds.

For each character and world the student writes a short story or “first chapter” of a novel that everyone will read and give feedback on. 

The schedule will look like this 

Class 1 
Character Development 
-looks
-personality
-backstory 
-family 

Class 2
Worldbuilding
-location
-maps
-history
-descriptive writing

Class 3 presentation of the story or "first chapter"

Class 4 New Character Development 

Class 5 New World Development

Class 6 Presentation  



These are the four characters and worlds the students will work with

Child, 7 years old, living on a farm (realistic or historical fiction) 

Young woman 20-22 years old, living in a large city (realistic fiction) 

Boy, 12-14 years old, living in Berlin in 1944 (historical fiction) 

Ancient fairy living in a fantasy world 
 Or Person/Alien living on a different planet than Earth. (Fantasy and science fiction) 

Every 60-minute class section will be divided into 20 minutes of teacher-led instruction and 30-35 minutes when the students work on their character or world. We will use the "breakout room" function in Zoom to create two or three smaller groups where the students can interact and help each other develop their characters. I will go in between the groups to offer help and feedback. 

To participate in this class the students need to be able to write and finish a short story or “first chapter” in two weeks and be able to give and receive feedback.