Character Building - A Workshop | with Catherine Johnson
Saturday 21/6/25
10am - 1pm
Saturday 21/6/25
10am - 1pm
Saturday 21/6/25
10am - 1pm
Course description
A compelling, active, protagonist is a cornerstone of storytelling. Yet as writers we can be overprotective of our characters, struggling to pin them down on the page and assuming readers will love them as much as we do. As a result our protagonists can turn out passive and unengaging. In this interactive, practical three-hour workshop – suitable for both novelists and short story writers, and limited to eight participants – we’ll explore ways to bring our characters to life, give them agency, and reveal them, flaws and all, to the reader, opening up new dramatic and emotional possibilities for our writing.
Please note participants are asked to bring a short passage featuring a character they’re currently writing about – or a new one!
About the tutor
Catherine Johnson has been a published writer for over 30 years, and her award-winning books for young readers include Sawbones, The Curious Tale of The Lady Caraboo, Race To The Frozen North and Freedom. Her writing for radio has been nominated for the Imison Award and the Prix Italia, and as a graduate of the BBC Writers Academy she has written for continuing drama, children’s shows, history docudramas and adapted The Black Tudors for television. Her film work includes the award-winning Bullet Boy. She has taught creative writing in schools, colleges, prisons, universities, and on residential courses for Arvon and West Dean. For the past ten years she has tutored and mentored writers via Curtis Brown Creative, and many of her students and mentees have gone on to achieve publication.
Photo: Jake Green
