"Faith and Philosophy: The Deep Beliefs of Your Characters" with Nick Arvin

Saturday, May 29, 9 - 10:30 am

Characters who want something and who have something at stake in a story are more interesting characters -- but what if you need to know what a character believes, at the deepest level, before you can know what they really want and what they truly have at risk? In this seminar we will look at how to deepen our characters by forcing ourselves to explicitly examine and describe our characters' beliefs in terms of the timeless questions of faith and philosophy, and to work through how those beliefs provide a foundation for the wants and stakes that will propel a story. Come prepared for in-class discussion and short writing exercises.