ONLINE CLASS
The Psychology of Character Development for Memoirists
How to craft the inner and use it to build the outer
INSTRUCTOR
Lisa Cooper Ellison
DATE & TIME
Live on June 19, 2024 (or wait for the recording)
IDEAL FOR
Beginning to intermediate memoirists
ACCESSIBILITY
Closed captions by Otter; transcript provided with recording
We’ve all read it before: the laundry-list description of a character’s physical features, the stomachs that roil and boil, the hearts that pound, the characters that look off into the distance, unsure what to do.
Then there are character decisions and reactions that don’t quite make sense. In memoir, these are often rounded out by lengthy reflections that explain, and ultimately strain, a reader’s patience.
Developing great characters is hard work. It takes artistry and an understanding of psychology to replace clichés and tired tropes with fresh descriptions and an interiority that hints at a rich inner world, while giving rise to clear motivations.
Yet many memoirists struggle to do this—for good reason. While understanding both real and made-up characters who aren’t you is challenging, analyzing yourself is more difficult.
The key to developing compelling characters is to craft the inner, use it to build the outer, then combine the two to reveal your character’s emotions and motivations.
During this 90-minute webinar, you’ll:
- Discover the 3-step chain of events that determines what your character does in any situation
- Investigate the role that core wounds, attachment styles, inner resources, risk factors, and assets play in shaping character personality and decisions
- Uncover your character’s three Ts (ticks, tells, and tendencies)
- Learn the difference between carry-in and carry-over events and how they impact both your plot and narrative arc
- Find out how having your character act “as if” can help you limit backstory and start in the right place
- Explore how your character’s inner life manifests as outward behaviors—and how to avoid how to avoid using clenched jaws, furrowed brows, and bad bellies to reveal them
While this class will focus on memoir, Lisa will touch on autofiction.
Who should take this class
This class is for beginning to intermediate memoirists, including:
- New writers working on their first drafts
- Memoirists struggling to understand their characters’ motivations
- Writers who’ve been told their characters are flat, unlikeable, or difficult to connect with
- Memoirists working to refine their characters and avoid cliché ways of describing them
This class might not be suited for
- Essayists who are not compiling a book-length work
- Fiction writers
- Advanced memoirists who’ve published one or more books
What’s included in all of Jane’s classes
All classes are self-contained and never end with a sales pitch.
Satisfaction guarantee
Get a refund if your expectations are not met.
A valuable webinar for one person can be a disappointment for another. For this reason, we offer full refunds if you register, attend or watch the class, and fail to get the information you were looking for.
In after-class surveys, 99% of our students say their expectations were met or exceeded.
Learn about Jane’s mission foronline classes
Recording and transcript
You can attend live or wait for the recording.
Everyone who registers will get access to the recording, including:
- Both video and audio files
- Automated transcript
- Slide presentation (PDF)
Recordings are typically ready within 3 business days.
Learn how to get the most out of the live eventQ&A
Get your questions answered live or in writing.
We welcome your questions, and all classes include time for Q&A during the live event. If we can’t answer all questions during class, they will be addressed in writing.
All students receive a Q&A file with the recording.
Review a sample Q&A fileHow do I attend the live class?
This class uses Zoom webinar technology (see system requirements). You will join through your Internet-connected computer or mobile device. When you register, you will receive information via email on how to join the class. If you don’t receive it within 1 hour of registering, please contact us.
- When: Wednesday, June 19, 2024
- Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Eastern / 10:00 a.m. Pacific
- Registration fee: $25
The webinar is broadcast via the internet with live audio delivered through your computer or mobile device speakers. The visual presentation is displayed directly from the presenter’s computer to your computer screen. The Q&A is managed through a chat-style submission system with questions read and answered by the presenter for the entire class to hear.
Closed captions are provided during the live class. We use Zoom’s automated closed caption service (powered by Otter), which is about 80%+ accurate. We also use Otter AI to generate an unedited transcript, provided with the recording.
About the instructor
Lisa Cooper Ellison is an author, speaker, trauma-informed writing coach, and host of the Writing Your Resilience Podcast. She’s spent the last two decades helping clients and students turn difficult experiences into art and teaches courses in memoir, the psychology of writing, and the book proposal. Lisa won the 2022 HippoCamp edition of the Lancaster Story Slam. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, HuffPost, Hippocampus Literary Magazine, and Kenyon Review Online, among others.
Testimonials
Thank you, Lisa, for all the contextual work you put into your workshop. It is helping me to determine exactly where I am in my writing and book journey, where I need to go, and what it takes to get there. I view your work as a great help in minimizing the degree of confusion and anxiety I could otherwise put myself through.
Anthony Williams
This has been immensely informative, reassuring, and valuable to me. Most important of all is the knowledge I’ve gained that I am not unique in my struggles to make sense of my experiences, nor in my years-long struggle. You have given me the tools, the encouragement, and a way forward to keep at it.
Deborah Miller
Truly thorough, sensitive, generous and specific information. It was affirming of obstacles showing up in the creative process, which before seemed like “faults” or “barriers,” and are now understandable. Thank you so much.
Katherine Mapother
All students receive the following
- Access to live class. After roughly 75 minutes, the instructor will take questions during class using in-class chat/text. The class will end after roughly 90 minutes.
- A recording of the class—audio and video. This is especially helpful if you have a conflict with the class time or something comes up and you can’t make the session. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for 30 days. You do not have to attend the live event to access the recordings.
- Presentation slides. All participants receive a copy of the slide presentation in PDF form.
- Rough transcript. We use Otter to create an automated transcript of the entire webinar, which we’ll share with you in addition to the audio and video recording.
Event Attendance & Anti-Harassment Policy
We strive to provide an environment where all present—whether attendee, presenter, or staff—can feel supported. In order to ensure a welcoming event, here is what we expect from all who participate.
- That the presenter and the presenter’s work be treated with respect by attendees and that all attendees treat each other with respect and a generosity of spirit.
- That attendees will refrain from harassment of any sort including (but not limited to) comments or questions of a racist, homophobic, sexist/sexual, or threatening nature. This includes actions that disrupt or interfere with anyone’s ability to participate. Offenders will be disconnected from the live event.