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WOW! Women On Writing
Classes & Workshops
Spotlight Course: Writing Character-Driven Fiction
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Greetings!
Who is your favorite book character? Off the top of my head, a few of mine are ex-military drifter Jack Reacher, several of the Harry Potter characters (I love so many of them), and Sherlock Holmes. They're all such interesting "people" that it made reading a satisfying experience. As a writer, you'll need to create memorable characters of your own, both protagonists and antagonists. This can seem like a daunting task, considering that you'll also need to come up with compelling predicaments for them. However, with the help of a good instructor, you can learn to create multi-dimensional characters that come to life on the page. We have someone who's perfect for the job! With an impressive resume (her novel, Intern was called a "page-turner" by Publisher's Weekly and her thriller, Killer Body was a Cosmopolitan magazine "pick") and glowing reviews as a mentor to writers, we are pleased to announce Bonnie Hearn Hill as an addition to the WOW ! Women On Writing instructor team. Bonnie's brand new class, Writing Character-Driven Fiction starts Wednesday, February 1, 2012 and is limited to 10 students. Enrollment includes line-editing of up to 50 pages for each class member. You'll leave with a short story or novel chapters that are ready to go! In the article below, Bonnie reveals what type of conflict character-driven fiction requires, and how to use it to hook readers. Check it out, and sign up here. We also have several more classes starting very soon, including Social Networking for Writers (tomorrow, Jan 18), Digital Revolution: How to Publish Your Book as an E-book (Jan 30), and How to Write a TV Pilot (Feb 6). Also, we had an inquiry as to whether Gila Green's Literary Devices Writing Workshop was still open, and Gila said she will still be accepting students who enroll this week. So, if you are thinking about it, now is your chance to join in! You can also see our complete list of classes below. Here's to your writing success! Marcia & Angela  Marcia & Angela Classroom Managers WOW! Classes & Workshops
classroom@wow-womenonwriting.com
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 | | I Want A, and You Want B |
Creating Conflict in Character-Driven Fiction
By Bonnie Hearn Hill
Conflict. Like it or not, we live with it every day. So do your characters. Without question, conflict is the best way to keep your reader glued to your story. That doesn't mean fistfights and laser beams that evaporate planets. Character-driven fiction requires the type of conflict that can only be created by two people with opposing goals.
One character wants A, and one character wants B. The scene starts with A's goal, and the conflict. B's goal, kicks in immediately thereafter, as in one or two pages. Conflict begins once A states his goal, and B gets in his way because she has her own opposing goal.
I, the psychologist, want to go out in the rain to meet my distraught client, and you, my spouse, want me to stay home where it's safe. I, the teen, want to get out of the house before anyone notices how much makeup I'm wearing, and you, my parent, want to find out where I'm going. I, your friend, want you to notice how much you're drinking tonight, and you, the vulnerable widow, want to accept a ride home from the guy sitting at the bar.
You can't let your character reach her goal in the first chapter. If so, you'll have Cinderella Goes To The Ball Syndrome. Think about what would happen if Cinderella had asked, "Please can I go to the ball?" and her stepmother had replied, "Sure, Cindy. Take my Neiman's card, and I'll have your sisters clean your room so you'll have time to shop." Cinderella would go to the ball, and your story would be over on the first page.
Sure, you can put disagreeable people in your scene, if a scene calls for that. But you don't need disagreeable people in order to have conflict. In fact, some of strongest conflict in fiction comes from friends and family members who only want the other character to be safe. For example, I want to drive drunk, and you want me to stay the night. That's conflict, not surface tension.
The door opened, and a fist shot into Bobby's face.
Did this line fail to hook you? Do you care about what's happening? You're right. We don't know Bobby, do we? So can we possibly care that a fist shoots into his face in the first sentence? What we have just read is surface tension. You can slaughter a thousand characters in a single chapter, but that doesn't mean you have conflict.
Before you slaughter those characters, put two people in the scene, eye-to-eye. Don't worry about the cast of thousands. They can remain. But those two characters are what the scene and the conflict are really about.
Because one wants A, and one wants B.
True character-driven conflict will hook your reader, because it asks a question in the back of her mind. Will character A get his way, or will character B get hers? Humans hate unresolved questions, especially unresolved scene goals. In order to find out what happens, she'll just have to keep reading, won't she?
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 Writing Character-Driven Fiction
Instructor: Bonnie Hearn Hill
Workshop Length: 6 Weeks
Price: $180
Start Date: February 1, 2012
Limit 10 Students
Course Description: All great fiction is character driven. Think of your favorite story, and it is the character you remember. In this six-week workshop, you will learn to create memorable characters and put them into well crafted scenes. Character and plot are opposite sides of the same coin. Until you have one, you won't be able to do much with the other. In addition to class work and critiques, the instructor will line-edit up to 50 pages for each class member. You'll leave with a short story or novel chapters that are ready to go.
Visit the Classroom Page for a complete listing and what you'll be learning week by week. 
About the Instructor: Author, teacher and public speaker Bonnie Hill worked as a newspaper editor for 22 years, a job that, along with her natural nosiness, increased her interest in contemporary culture. Her novel, Intern was called "a page-turner" by Publishers Weekly. Killer Body, a thriller about our weight-obsessed culture, was a Cosmopolitan magazine "pick." She also wrote three newspaper thrillers featuring hearing-impaired reporter Geri LaRue for MIRA Books, the young adult Star Crossed series, and most recently, Ghost Island, a paranormal love story. Her publication credits include short stories, nonfiction books and articles. Bonnie leads a bonded and successfulwriting workshop in her hometown and is community correspondent for books for a national television affiliate. She is especially proud of the number of published writers she has mentored. |
Upcoming Classes & Workshops
All the classes operate online--whether through email, website, chat room, or group listserv, depending on the instructor's preferences--so you do not need to be present at any particular time (unless a phone chat is scheduled and arranged with your instructor). You can work at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions, please reply to this email or email us at: classroom@wow-womenonwriting.com Enjoy!
Starts Every Friday (Self-Study Course):
Independent Publishing: How to Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business | $99 or $150 with 1 Hour Phone Consultation
January 16
Literary Devices Writing Workshop You can still join in this week! | 8 Weeks | $175 | Limit: 8-10 Students
January 18
Social Networking for Writers: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and More (Starts tomorrow! Register now!) | 4 Weeks | $100 | Limit: 20 Students
January 20
Spark and Sizzle: Crafting Flash Fiction (This class is currently full, but instructor Melanie Faith is willing to accept a couple more students.) | 5 Weeks | $170 | Limit: 10 Students
January 30
Digital Revolution: How to Publish Your Book as an eBook New! | 4 Weeks | $299 | Limit: 10 Students
February 1
Writing Character-Driven Fiction New! | 6 Weeks | $180 | Limit: 20 Students
February 6
How to Write a TV Pilot New! | 4 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 10 Students
How to Get the Right Agent for Your Manuscript | 4 Weeks | $299 | Limit: 10 Students
February 10
Blogging 101 | 5 Weeks | $125 | Limit: 20 Students
Get Paid to Write! Become a Freelance Writer | 8 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 15 Students
February 22
Writing a Middle-Grade Novel | 6 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 20 Students
February 27
Write from Your Soul: Memoir Workshop | 6 Weeks | $249 | Limit: 10 Students
March 5
Writing for Children: Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers | 7 Weeks | $175 (Winter Sale! Regular price: $200) | Limit: 15 Students
Introduction to the Craft of Screenwriting | 6 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 10 Students
Introduction to Playwriting | 6 Weeks | $175 | Limit: 10 Students
March 20
Personal Essays for Beginners New! | 6 Weeks | $125 | Limit: 10 Students
March 21
Vampires Optional: Writing Young Adult Fiction New! | 6 Weeks | $180 | Limit: 10 Students
April 4
Advanced Class: Writing a Middle-Grade Novel 2 New! | 8 Weeks | $250 | Limit: 10 Students
April 13
Advanced Social Networking for Writers New! | 8 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 15 Students
Click here to see all of our upcoming workshops |
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Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
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