What does “heartfelt” even mean? How do you write an “authentic” character?
As writers, we're often told the thing missing from stories is “heart” or that the story needs to feel more “authentic.” This is quite often why agents and editors say "no" to a manuscript.
We each have lives full of unique life experiences. In this class, we use those experiences to gather heartfelt story lines for our own works in progress or new ideas. We explore our own memories and stories to create unique characters with the necessary emotional journeys for authentic characters that only you can write. We also ask questions to help you discover the elusive part missing from most stories.
When completed, you will have the heart of your story.
Ages 14 and up are welcome.
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BARN is committed to accessibility. Tuition assistance is available. Fill out the application before registering.
Donna Barba Higuera is a New York Times bestselling author whose awards include the Newbery Medal, Pura Belpré Medal, the Sid Fleischman award, Crystal Kite Award, and PNBA Best Book of the Year - amongst others. She grew up in a tiny desert town in central California surrounded by agricultural and oil fields. Rather than wrangling dust devils, she spent recess squirreled away in the janitor’s closet with a good book. Her favorite hobbies were calling the library’s dial-a-story over and over again and sneaking into a restricted pioneers’ cemetery to weave her own spooky tales using the crumbling headstones for inspiration. Donna’s middle grade and picture books reinvent history, folklore, and her own life experiences into compelling storylines. She still dreams in Spanglish.She lives in Washington with her husband, four kids, three dogs, and a frog. You can read more about her books at dbhiguera.com
