Master Class
MasterClass offers online classes created for students of all skill levels. Our instructors are the best in the world.
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Back in 2015, I had written about the addition of James Patterson to the MasterClass list. He was the first author the website offered. Well, since then there have been numerous authors added to the MasterClass list, all of whom are giving you various advice on writing techniques. Check out the list below (in alphabetical order):
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Featured Writer's Digest ArticleHow to Write a Character From Start to Finish by Guest Column
Most of the time, main characters in fiction are changing for the better. It’s uplifting to see someone make good choices and improve as a person. Probably your book will be about a character who changes for the best. But there’s also room for characters who change for the worse. Indeed, though they may lead to depressing, poor-selling books if given the lead role, these tragic characters are fascinating to watch. Before our very eyes, Roger in Lord of the Flies, Allie Fox in The Mosquito Coast and Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars saga all devolve into villains. It’s terrible and we want them to stop. But part of us doesn’t want them to stop. Perhaps most intriguing of all is a “bad” character who flirts for a while with the idea of being good, but then decides that his true self is on the dark side of the street. Gollum/Sméagol in The Lord of the Rings is a famous example. Of course, not every story has to be about a character who changes. Certainly we don’t expect much change from Indiana Jones. He simply is who he is. And there are wonderful stories about people whose character is so complete at the beginning of the tale that everyone else must change around them. Anne of Green Gablesis a terrific example of this. Anne is out of step with everyone. She doesn’t fit in. And yet as those around her try to change her to conform, they discover that it is they who are in need of becoming a bit more like Anne. Forrest Gump, WALL-E, Don Quixote, Mary Poppins and even Jesus Christ are the agents of change though they themselves do not transform. But these characters can be difficult to write well—and they’re more the exception than the norm. So let’s focus here on a main character who changes. Whether your protagonist ultimately turns toward or away from the light will be up to you, but we’ll look at ways to send her on a journey in which she’s transformed. Read more . . . |
Last month's Writer's Digest Writing Prompts - Posted Every Tuesday"Need an idea to help you get started writing? You’ll find hundreds of fun writing prompts here – perfect for beginning a new novel or short story, or simply giving your writing muscle a workout." - Blurb from site
Happy 100
By: Cassandra Lipp | March 3, 2020 Write a scene that includes the number 100. For example, a Kindergarten class celebrating their 100th day of school, a centennial celebration, $100 bills, life lessons from a centenarian, etc. Fake Vacation
By: Cassandra Lipp | March 10, 2020 Write a scene set somewhere far away from your character’s home. Be sure to include the sights, smells, and sounds of the setting to give your piece a strong sense of place. Seeing Green
By: Cassandra Lipp | March 17, 2020 Write a scene that includes the color green, literally or figuratively. Is your character wearing a green dress? Does someone feel envious? Are they recycling? Exercise of Perspective
By: Cassandra Lipp | March 24, 2020 Write a scene from an animal’s perspective. What looks different from their perspective? Can the animal see that humans cannot? Fairy Tale Remake
By: Cassandra Lipp | March 31, 2020 Write a scene that puts a character or characters from a fairy tale in a different situation. What is different from their original story? How do they adapt to this change? |
