This is a class for those who are in the midst of a long-ish writing project. While it’s specifically for those writing a novel, it could also be useful to someone writing a memoir or nonfiction book. If you’re feeling stuck, this class might be for you. To help us keep moving, and perhaps feel less stuck, we’ll try to go deeper into our characters. Since characters are the drivers of plot, we’ll focus on them. How do we get to know our characters better? We’ll do discovery exercises, that is, prompts, looking at different aspects of who our characters are, their quirks and desires. We’ll look for clues on what motivates them; from this, we’ll find ways to move forward. Along with writing prompts, in class we’ll also read our work, and get feedback from others. You’ll be expected to write 5-7 pages of new material for each class. Those who have taken writing classes know that a writing class quickly becomes a community of highly valued peers. We’ll approach each other’s work with kindness, honesty and respect.

Your Instructor: Diane Chiddister has been writing fiction for more than 40 years, starting at the Iowa Writers Workshop. After I received my MFA from Iowa in 1981, I veered into journalism and spent my working life there. But my first love was fiction writing, and I was always working on a short story. After retiring from journalism, I wrote and published my first novel, “One More Day,” in 2021. “One More Day” won the $8,000 grand prize in the North Street Book Prize competition and was also runner up in the First Novel division of the Next Generation Book Awards. Since then, I’ve completed a second novel and am working on my third. I’m struggling a bit with this third one, and have, while trying to get out of my own stuck-ness, been thinking about how to help others who also take on long projects. Even if you’re not struggling with finishing your book, I believe this class can deepen and strengthen your writing.

*Class limited to 10 students!

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