Creating Character
DATE UPDATE: This class will now take place on May 1st. This has been updated from the print catalog.
In fiction, character is the font of narrative. A character’s desires, behavior, and limitations create and evolve plot. Consequently, when beginning a novel or story, a writer’s knowledge of their primary characters interrogates and supersedes all other variables. Through discussion of the work of Dana Johnson, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Denis Johnson, this class will explore the components and utility of memorable characters. Students are urged, but not required, to bring works-in-progress for discussion and exploration.
J. Ryan Stradal
J. Ryan Stradal is the author of the New York Times bestseller Kitchens of the Great Midwest, the national bestseller The Lager Queen of Minnesota, and the forthcoming novel Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club. He lives in California.
