Course Summary
Craft of Character is a course that teaches the art of creating compelling characters in storytelling. It covers topics like character arcs, motivations, and flaws that make characters relatable and interesting.Key Learning Points
- Learn how to create complex characters that drive the plot forward
- Understand the psychology behind character development
- Explore different techniques for creating unique and memorable characters
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Develop the skills to create compelling characters for your stories
- Learn how to create character arcs that resonate with your audience
- Understand the importance of character flaws and motivations in storytelling
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- Basic understanding of storytelling and creative writing
- Access to a computer or mobile device with internet connection
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online
- Self-paced
- Video lectures
- Assignments
Similar Courses
- Writing Fiction
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot
- The Fiction Writer's Toolkit
Related Education Paths
Notable People in This Field
- Stephen King
- J.K. Rowling
Related Books
Description
At the center of a good story are the characters in it. In this course aspiring writers will discover how to build and bring to life complex, vivid and unforgettable characters. We will study the choices a writer makes to bring all characters to life on the page, and we will perform written exercises in order to develop a variety of writing and pre-writing techniques, in order to create a variety of characters. We will learn how to use our own life experiences, and the people we know (and how not to!). We will develop inner (thoughts and feelings) and outer (appearance, habits, behavior) lives for our characters and see how that can lead us to richer and more interesting stories. We will breathe life into our characters and let them surprise us.
Outline
- Discovering Characters from Your Life and Elsewhere
- Conception
- The Conflict Within (Shop Talk with Brando Skyhorse)
- Desire and Goals
- Hearing, Selecting, and Seeing
- Feedback Expectations for the Specialization
- A Note on Assignments
- Promo Codes
- Creating Characters on the Page
- Visiting Writer: Richard Blanco
- Voice
- Making Them Matter to the Reader (with Visiting Writer Dani Shapiro)
- The Story Reveals Who We Are (Shop Talk with Salvatore Scibona)
- Dialogue and Monologue
- Inflection
- Picking Your Point of View (Shop Talk with Amity Gaige)
- Conversation's Greatest Hits
- Idiosyncrasies
- Set Your Characters Free.. and Give Them Somewhere to Go
- What We Do and How We Do It
- The Relationship Between the Character and the Wide World (with Visiting Writer Valerie Martin)
- Voice of Narrator
- Voice of Narrative
Summary of User Reviews
Craft of Character course on Coursera receives positive reviews from users. Many users found the course to be engaging and helpful in developing their writing skills.Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course
Engaging and helpful in developing writing skillsPros from User Reviews
- Great course for beginners in creative writing
- Instructors provide clear and concise lectures
- Assignments and peer reviews help to practice and apply learned concepts
- Course material is well-organized and easy to follow
Cons from User Reviews
- Some users found the course to be too basic and not challenging enough
- Limited feedback from instructors on assignments
- Course content may not be suitable for advanced writers
- Some technical issues reported with the platform
Amy Bloom
4.5 Raiting
Get Your Fiction Manuscript Past the Gatekeeper
- 4.9
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
9 Story Revision & Editing Techniques to Get Your Novel Published Discover how to create a better novel by focusing on these 9 story development areas:...
Facebook Marketing - Build Facebook Messenger Chatbots
- 4.3
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Facebook marketing & Facebook ads: Design, develop & optimize MobileMonkey Facebook Chatbots without writing any code! #1 Udemy Bestselling Instructor - Brand New Facebook Messenger Chatbot Masterclass for 2018! ...
Marketer's Guide To Creating Facebook Ads That Convert
- 3.6
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Select high-converting ad images and craft ad copies that resonate with your target audience Learn to create highly converting advertising campaigns on Facebook....
Positive Psychology Specialization Project: Design Your Life for Well-being
- 4.8
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
You are encouraged to take the first four courses of the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization before starting this course and completing the Specialization Project....
