Characters have a history just as real people do. A character’s past provides motivation, making them believable and emotionally sympathetic. By using backstory, we give readers valuable insight into their lives. But how do we write effective backstory and where in our stories do we put it? Participants will leave the session with options for including elegant and practical backstory in their work-in-progress and future stories.
- This event has passed.
About Kathryn Johnson
Kathryn Johnson’s 40+ popular novels (nominated for the Agatha Award, winner of the Heart of Excellence and Bookseller’s Best Awards), include historical fiction (e.g., The Gentleman Poet, wherein Shakespeare escapes to the New World aboard a ship bound for disaster) and contemporary suspense. The Extreme Novelist (nonfiction) is the text based on her courses at The Smithsonian Associates and The Writer’s Center. More about her at: https://KathrynJohnsonLLC.com.
Teaching style: Kathryn Johnson’s classes are lecture-based, information rich. Her courses are not of the workshopping variety (in which, participants critique one another) but, rather, offer practical advice on writing and publishing in the 21st century, based upon her ongoing experiences in the publishing world. Handouts on talking points provide an outline for each class. Kathryn enjoys answering students’ individual questions and concerns, and offering career guidance whenever possible. Her mentoring service is available to supplement course work.
Have you read our refund policy?