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Course Catalog
Building Characters from Real Life
Introductory/Intermediate. Characters are what sell a story and transform it into a living, breathing representation of human experience. In this generative class, we’ll discuss strategies for building nonfiction characters from the raw material of real life. We’ll practice representing ourselves and others as characters through scenes, telling details, and quotes, and we’ll discuss the techniques of masters like Susan Orlean, Isabel Wilkerson, Tracy Kidder, and Lane DeGregory. Students will draft a character-driven story and a pitch of a feature, profile, or essay.
Beginning Fall 2021, we will be adding select in-person classes back to our course catalog. The majority of our classes will still be offered via Zoom.
If a class says IN-PERSON in its title, it will take place in person at our permanent home in Seattle.
If a class says ASYNCHRONOUS in its title, it will take place on Wet Ink, our asynchronous learning platform.
If a class does not have a marker after its title, it will take place via Zoom.
Instructor: Madeline Ostrander
Class Type: 6 Sessions
NonfictionStart Date: 04/17/2017
No Class On: 5/8/2017, 5/29/2017
End Date: 06/05/2017
Days of the Week: Monday
Time: 7:10 pm – 9:10 pm PDT
Minimum Class Size: 5
Maximum Class Size: 15
$265.50
Member Price:
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$295.00 General Price:
Class has begun, registration is closed.
Madeline Ostrander
Madeline Ostrander’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Sun Magazine, Audubon Magazine, The Nation, Al Jazeera America, and High Country News. She is a full-time freelance science and environmental writer and the former senior editor of YES! Magazine.