The Phoenix Writers Network is an exciting new community of writers who meet bimonthly to develop relationships through the exchange of knowledge about craft, publishing, and the writing life.
Come join us. We'd love to meet you!
Come join us. We'd love to meet you!
In this hands-on workshop we explore how to create backstories for the protagonist and the important secondary characters. Effective backstories make characters unique and memorable, drive the plot forward, and provide opportunities for both interpersonal (character/character) and intrapersonal (character/world) conflict. Using familiar works such as the Harry Potter series and The Queen’s Gambit as sample texts and drawing on the idea of the “personal myth” developed by psychologist Dan McAdams, participants will develop backstory for the characters in their own work-in-progress to bring to the opening pages, or (as some writers describe it) to “the day everything changes.” Then we examine how that backstory supports both a compelling plot arc and a meaningful character arc.
Participants will be given writing exercises to do during the workshop as well as some to take home.
BIO: USA Today bestselling author Karen Odden received her PhD in English from NYU, writing her dissertation on Victorian literature. She wrote introductions for Barnes & Noble’s Classics Series, edited and wrote for academic journals, and taught at the UW-Milwaukee before turning to writing fiction set in 1870s London. Her fourth novel, Down a Dark River (2021), was an Oprah Daily pick and features Michael Corravan, a former thief turned Scotland Yard Inspector; the sequel, Under a Veiled Moon(2022), was nominated for the Agatha, Lefty, and Anthony Awards for Best Historical Mystery. Karen serves on the board of Sisters in Crime and lives in Arizona and Utah where she loves to hike while plotting murder. www.karenodden.com
Personal note: I took Karen's workshop during the ASU conference. It is the best workshop on backstory that I have seen. (And I've seen quite a few :) Don't miss this one!
Participants will be given writing exercises to do during the workshop as well as some to take home.
BIO: USA Today bestselling author Karen Odden received her PhD in English from NYU, writing her dissertation on Victorian literature. She wrote introductions for Barnes & Noble’s Classics Series, edited and wrote for academic journals, and taught at the UW-Milwaukee before turning to writing fiction set in 1870s London. Her fourth novel, Down a Dark River (2021), was an Oprah Daily pick and features Michael Corravan, a former thief turned Scotland Yard Inspector; the sequel, Under a Veiled Moon(2022), was nominated for the Agatha, Lefty, and Anthony Awards for Best Historical Mystery. Karen serves on the board of Sisters in Crime and lives in Arizona and Utah where she loves to hike while plotting murder. www.karenodden.com
Personal note: I took Karen's workshop during the ASU conference. It is the best workshop on backstory that I have seen. (And I've seen quite a few :) Don't miss this one!
This event is a Zoom Meeting.
Where: The comfort of your own home!
When: September 19, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (PST)
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (MST)
8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (EST)
Cost: $20.00 per event
Where: The comfort of your own home!
When: September 19, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (PST)
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (MST)
8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (EST)
Cost: $20.00 per event
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