Allaboutwriting

The Character Course is a unique writing course devised by novelist Jo-Anne Richards, scriptwriter Richard Beynon and psychologist Pierre Brouard.

The Character Course blends psychology and writing to create a one-day plunge into the process of creating memorable and larger-than-life characters. It looks at the skills and insights needed to make these characters leap off the page.

This  course is available in Parkview, Johannesburg  or online and will be facilitated by either Jo-Anne or Richard and Pierre.

Course Details

Building characters, be they real or fictional

• How to create psychologically believable characters.
• How to build a profile of internal and external characteristics that help us
  develop fully rounded characters.
• How to generate backstories for your characters that help explain who
  they are, and why they do what they do.
• Techniques that assist this process.
• How each character’s traits indicate how they will respond to different
  situations and circumstances.
• The differences and similarities between characters in fiction and
  nonfiction.
• How real life characters can help this process, whether we’re writing fiction
  or nonfiction.
• Exploring some aspects of your own backstory as an insight into the
  complexity and uniqueness of every character (note: the course will
  involve some personal sharing at your own comfort level).
• Join us on our intensive full day Character Development Course and learn to create complex, unforgettable characters.

  Costs and booking details

  R 1500

  To book your place please contact Trish by email trishurquhart@gmail.com or call 0826524643

  The Facilitators

  Jo-Anne Richards is a writer and lecturer in the Wits journalism department. Her novels include The Innocence of Roast Chicken, Touching the Lighthouse and Sad at the Edges. A new novel – My Brother’s Book – was released in April 2008. She has, over the past few years, run a number of writing courses and retreats: in journalism, narrative journalism and literary skills.

  Richard Beynon is a television and film writer. A former journalist, he has conceived, shaped and written scores of documentaries. He managed the writing team at Isidingo for three years, as well as contributing over three hundred scripts to the series. He is currently a writer and generator of stories on the etv daily drama, Rhythm City. He has lectured on writing for film and television at Wits and together with Jo-Anne runs writing courses and retreats.

  Pierre Brouard is clinical psychologist who has done everything from private practice, HIV counselling and training, managing counsellors in workplace settings and developing counselling resources, to being an agony uncle and blogging about life, love and relationships. He writes a blog in which he answers questions about the psychological make-up of characters and their motivations. Currently he is the deputy director of an AIDS NGO.

  What the participants had to say

  Jo-Anne, Richard and Pierre have an intimate, non threatening way of sharing their knowledge and I felt privileged to be in the group. Your catering alone would be enough to encourage creativity in the dullest whit. My writing has been on a back burner for so long and Saturday’s course has inspired me to make the time to start living my passion again. Ronnie Whitaker

  I loved the first exercise – the life graph. I think it was so simple yet so effective and really made the point of how we are shaped by our history very profoundly. I also loved the interviewing the partners to sketch a character part. I loved the exercise of developing the back story of a famous character.The video clips were amazing and really illustrated the point very clearly and accessibly. I LOVED the food – always an important aspect of a workshop! The day was well structured to take us through an incremental process of developing understanding and skill, and I thoroughly enjoyed it; thank you very much.Judy Klipin

  I enjoyed it tremendously. The theory and the examples (specially the television and movie clips) were excellent. And the fact that Pierre was there to add the psychological background I found particularly enlightening. Merle Ruff

  It felt like a fully conceived and well-researched course. The level of knowledge was high. They hold knowledge from study and experience which in invaluable. Great to learn from real-live writers who are actually doing it. Tessa Jubber