Class Meets Thursday, December 5th & 12th, 2024

Class will meet twice on Thursday nights via Zoom, 7PM - 9PM EST

Open to All writers!

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

Taught by Blaise Allysen Kearsley, a Black-biracial writer and teacher based in Brooklyn. Her writing has appeared in Catapult, Longreads, the Boston Globe, Electric Literature's The Nervous Breakdown, Elle, Midnight Breakfast, The Weeklings, and in the anthologies Mortified: Real Words. Real People. Real Pathetic, Nonwhite and Woman, and Cringe: Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems, And Abandoned Rock Operas. Blaise is a contributing editor at Vestal Review, the oldest flash fiction journal on the planet.

Writing about real people, ourselves included, comes with its own set of challenges. How do we translate the folx in our lives into fully realized characters? What might make them come alive? How do we draw them in a balanced, multi-dimensional way?

We'll look at distinctions between round and flat characters, explore methods of showing personality and persona, identity, inner conflicts, motivations, and cultural differences.

We'll discuss a variety of approaches to developing characters and consider craft advice from published writers. We'll read excerpts of work by authors like Samantha Irby, Lidia Yuknavitch, Damon Young, Carmen Maria Machado, Eileen Myles, Johanna Adorján, and others.

We'll also put ideas into practice in real time with generative prompts and exploratory exercises.

TAKE THIS CLASS IF:

• You're struggling to effectively turn real people into strong, authentic characters in your current project(s).
• You want to learn how to truly reveal yourself as the central figure of your story, and in a way that resonates with readers.
• You're just starting out and need a deep dive into character development as a foundation.
  

TESTIMONIALS:

"I love the readings we do, and especially that they so often feature writers of color. The written feedback from you is always so helpful and in-depth. The prompts helped me to develop a lot of content. I always look forward to workshop nights -- it's a safe space to share."

"I felt so often in college, that I was writing against these very confident men who were forthcoming about the problems within my work and style. Working in your group has been restorative and has allowed me to trust myself without fear of being torn apart."

"Working with Blaise has made me a more confident writer. She's helped me to see my writing as a larger work, and creates a safe, inclusive, encouraging space to share and connect with other writers."

"Blaise is such a skilled reader and editor, and her notes are always valuable. She offers wonderful perspectives, and assembles groups of writers with keen perspectives of their own."

"I really loved the class. You treat every question with such a genuine desire to give the best possible answer and it made me happy every time. I admire that you focus on building people up. For someone like me, that means the world."

"During quarantine I had to show up for myself and others who counted on me, even when I felt like all I wanted to do was hide under my couch. Being part of this creative group of writers saved me."

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class meets weekly via Zoom. Come prepared for a super fun class with live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking!

• Instructor: Blaise Allysen Kearsley
  

• Class Meets Thursday, December 5th & 12th, 2024

• Class will meet twice on Thursday nights via Zoom, 7PM - 9PM EST
  

• Tuition is $150 USD.

Instructor Blaise Allysen Kearsley is a Black-biracial writer and teacher based in Brooklyn. She comes from a long line of teachers, builders, visual artists, and writers. Her writing has appeared in Longreads, the Boston Globe, Electric Literature's The Nervous Breakdown, Elle, Midnight Breakfast, The Weeklings, and in the anthologies Mortified: Real Words. Real People. Real Pathetic. (Simon Spotlight Entertainment) and Cringe: Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems, And Abandoned Rock Operas (Crown Archetype). She has essays forthcoming in Catapult and the anthology Nonwhite and Woman in February 2022. She is the creator/producer/host of the How I Learned storytelling series and has performed at The Moth, Literary Death Match, Risk, and The Liar Show. Blaise is a contributing editor at Vestal Review, the oldest flash fiction journal on the planet. Learn more about Blaise here.