Character Development Summit 2024
Characters are the heart of your story, and developing rich characters is the key to compelling fiction that keeps readers engaged from the first page to the last.
But how do you develop those characters? This workshop will show you how.
With great speakers, interesting classes, and in depth learning, you'll come away from this event with new ideas and a fresh perspective.
October 10-12, 2024, 10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (MST) Daily
(Yes, there will be replays)
The Classes and Schedule
October 10, 2024
Persona Power: Designing Realistic Personalities for Fiction
Time: 10:00 MST/12 EST
Instructors: Jana S. Brown, CJ Anaya, Troy Lambert
Bringing characters to life requires more than just knowing their physical traits or backstory—it’s about understanding what drives them, how they think, and how they interact with the world. In Persona Power: Designing Realistic Personalities for Fiction, we’ll explore several popular personality frameworks to help you develop complex, believable characters.
Defining different personality frameworks: Learn about key systems for understanding personality types and how they categorize people.
Enneagram Storytelling: Unpacking the Characters of Ted Lasso
Time: 11:30 MST/1:30 EST
Instructor: Ali Cross
The heartwarming show Ted Lasso captivated audiences with its positive message and rich tapestry of characters. A significant part of this success is the well-thought-out Enneagram types of the main characters contributing to the depth and relatability of their personalities. In this class, we'll delve into the Enneagram types of the key Ted Lasso characters and explore how their individual traits, motivations, and conflicts created a dynamic and engaging narrative. We'll learn how the Enneagram, a powerful tool for understanding personality structures, can create characters that resonate with audiences and drive compelling stories.
Rapidly Getting Into Deep Character POV
Time: 1:00 MST/3 EST
Instructor: Lyn Worthen
Dive into the heart and mind of your characters with this crash course on mastering deep point of view (POV). In this class, you’ll discover techniques for quickly immersing yourself in a character’s internal world, creating authentic, emotionally resonant narratives. Learn how to eliminate narrative distance, sharpen your character’s voice, and bring readers directly into their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. We’ll explore rapid methods to develop deep POV, including using sensory details, internal monologue, and active emotion to engage your audience. Perfect for writers looking to quickly strengthen character depth and intimacy in their stories!
Character Creation and Maintenance
Time: 2:30 MST/4:30 EST
Instructor: Johnny Worthen
Simple techniques to control your characters through record keeping, association and inspiration. Tools to maintain consistency and visualize relationships as an aid to fleshing out believable characters. Indispensable strategies to maintaining continuity across series through simple bookkeeping and pre-writing.
Evening Netowrking
4:000 MST/6:00 EST
Meet with presenters and your peers to discuss what you have learned during the workshop, ask questions, and make new connections, all in our digital lounge area. There are tables, topics, and other opportunities you won't want to miss.
Join us!
October 11, 2024
Developing Characters using the Tarot
Time: 10:00 MST/12 EST
Instructors: Melissa McShane
Unlock the power of Tarot to craft deep, multi-layered characters with rich backstories and emotional journeys. In this class, you’ll learn how to use Tarot cards as a creative tool for character development, allowing you to explore archetypes, motivations, internal conflicts, and unique personality traits. Whether you're writing a contemporary romance or a fantasy epic, Tarot can inspire fresh ideas and guide you through complex character arcs. We'll cover practical methods for incorporating Tarot into your brainstorming process, common pitfalls to avoid, and tips for integrating Tarot insights seamlessly into your writing.
Developing Characters Through Fight Scenes
Time: 11:30 MST/1:30 EST
Instructor: Christine Nielson
In this dynamic course, writers will explore how fight scenes can serve as powerful tools for character development. Beyond just action, a well-crafted fight sequence reveals critical aspects of a character's personality, motivations, strengths, and vulnerabilities. This course will guide students through the techniques of writing fight scenes that not only thrill but deepen the reader's connection to the characters involved.
Students will learn how to use conflict—whether physical, emotional, or psychological—to reveal a character’s inner world and drive the plot forward. We’ll analyze fight scenes from various genres, identifying what makes them impactful and character-driven. Through hands-on writing exercises, participants will practice creating their own tension-filled confrontations that are true to their characters' arcs.
Whether you're writing a fast-paced thriller, a tense drama, or an epic fantasy, this course will equip you with the tools to write fight scenes that resonate with readers and bring your characters to life.
Crafting Dynamic Characters at Lightning Speed: Unleashing the Power of AI for Novelists
Time: 1:00 MST/3 EST
Instructor: Carissa Andrews
Unlock the full potential of AI in your character creation process! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover how to use ChatGPT to develop rich, believable characters faster than ever before. Perfect for mid-list authors looking to streamline their workflow, this class will show you how to blend your creativity with AI tools to craft characters that leap off the page, all while maintaining the unique voice and vision that makes your stories unforgettable.
Developing Non Human or out of Time Characters
Time: 2:30 MST/4:30 EST
Instructor: CJ Anaya and Jana S. Brown
Creating characters from different eras or entirely different species can be thrilling, but it also presents unique challenges. In this class, we’ll explore key considerations when developing historical or nonhuman characters, focusing on maintaining authenticity and avoiding common pitfalls. Learn how to blend historical accuracy with compelling personalities, avoid stereotypes or anachronisms, and ensure nonhuman characters feel real without making them too humanoid. We'll cover common mistakes, such as too much modernization of historical figures or leaning too heavily on human traits for nonhuman beings, while offering pro tips on how to create vivid, multidimensional characters that stand out.
Evening Netowrking
4:000 MST/6:00 EST
Meet with presenters and your peers to discuss what you have learned during the workshop, ask questions, and make new connections, all in our digital lounge area. There are tables, topics, and other opportunities you won't want to miss.
Join us!
October 12, 2024
Oh, Behave! Levels of Moral Reasoning
Time: 10:00 MST/12 EST
Instructors: Troy Lambert
In this engaging and interactive presentation, participants will explore the concept of moral reasoning and learn how humans develop moral judgments. Through the lens of various philosophical and psychological theories, we will examine how moral reasoning evolves from basic decision-making to complex ethical considerations. We'll introduce Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, and how people progress from viewing morality in terms of personal consequences to understanding broader societal rules and universal ethical principles.
Fifty Shades of Morally Gray Characters
Time: 11:30 MST/1:30 EST
Instructor: Kristina Atkins
Pure evil overlords are scary, but nothing captures our imagination like a morally gray villain. Loki, Jaime Lannister, Severus Snape—we can’t help but love them. A villain with ambiguous morality makes us question who is right and who is wrong, taking a story from meh to awesome. Come learn how to make your own villain so deliciously morally gray, readers won’t be able to stop thinking about them.
Emotional Transformation: Crafting Character Arcs into Story Gold
Time: 1:00 MST/3 EST
Instructor: CJ Anaya
In this session you'll dive deep into the art of building emotionally resonant character arcs that captivate readers and give your stories lasting impact. This class goes beyond surface-level character traits, exploring how misbeliefs, emotional wounds, and desires drive a character's journey. You'll learn how to craft authentic emotional transformations that align with your story’s plot and theme, ensuring your characters feel real, relatable, and memorable.
Character Roles and the Story Code
Time: 2:30 MST/4:30 EST
Instructor: Amy White
The Story Code is a powerful tool that will help you determine your story's success by analyzing the role of each character, and the power that role gives them.
In this overview, you'll learn what the Story Code is, the basics of the role functions, and how they can impact your story.
Evening Netowrking
4:000 MST/6:00 EST
Meet with presenters and your peers to discuss what you have learned during the workshop, ask questions, and make new connections, all in our digital lounge area. There are tables, topics, and other opportunities you won't want to miss.
Join us!
Meet Your Presenters
Jana S. Brown
Author Educator
Founder, Educator, and Queen of Baked Goods
Jana is an author, editor, book coach, and educator who has spoken at some of the top conferences in the country.
Since she was very young, Jana knew she wanted to be two things: a mom and a writer. She is now both.
She's also a champion maker of all baked goods, and the custom cake supplier to family, friends, and those who offer her money.
Troy Lambert
Author Educator
Founder, Educator, and frequent consumer of baked goods.
Troy Lambert is an author, book coach, and educator also known as The Plot Dude, and is a renowned speaker and teacher.
Troy started writing at age six, and got his first typewriter at eight. He loves to study the science of story in his spare time.
Because he also battles writer's block with sweets, he's joined Plot Geek Academy in hope of an eternal source for his fix.
CJ Anaya
Author Educator
Founder, Educator, and the self-declared Goddess of Brownies
CJ Anaya is an author, book coach, and educator who has worked with some of the top names in the publishing industry.
Once a singer/songwriter, CJ was conned by a friend into believing if you could write a song, you could write a book.
As a result, she makes and consumes brownies to beat writers block, and battles ADHD with sugar, caffeine and therapy.
Amy White
Literature Specialist
Amy White is a literature specialist, and one of a handful of licensed Story Code™ Analysis experts with the keys to cracking the story code. Amy has been instrumental in working with Katie Farmer for over a decade to develop and promote her work. Clients of Amy have been picked up by agents and publishers and seen their writing goals achieved. Having worked with the best of the best in filmmaking and business writing, Amy’s coaching can get you seen and more importantly, help you accurately connect with your target audience.
Kristina Atkins
Author, Feathers as Sharp as Knives
Kristina Atkins writes speculative fiction inspired by mythos from around the world, complex human relationships, and her own experiences living with mental illness. After earning her BA in Linguistics from Brigham Young University in 2008, she received her MFA in Creative Writing from Converse College in 2012.
She lives in Denver, where she and her husband spend countless hours chasing their three young sons (and sometimes catching them!). She collects Tarot decks, dyes her hair mermaid colors, and procrastinates by decorating her home. Her work has appeared in Uncharted Magazine
Christine Nielson
Author and Editor
Yes, I went to college and learned a lot about literature and history. Yes, I am a badass about writing and fighting. But what really matters? My business is WORDS. I destroy dragons and sequence fight scenes.
I delve into unknown magical worlds and find homes for misplaced modifiers. I develop cures for apocalyptic diseases and punctuate the formulas. I help mold the flesh onto the skeleton of an author’s story.
I am an editor; therefore, I edit.
Ali Cross
Author, Educator
Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, speaker, and story development coach. Ali writes YA speculative fiction as Ali Archer and Christian romance as Ali Noble.
She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence and their plan for virtual world domination.
Carissa Andrews
Creator of Author Revolution
Carissa Andrews is a multi-passionate indie author, creative entrepreneur, and mindset alchemist on a mission to help fellow authors unlock their true potential. With over 25 books published and a thriving online academy, Author Revolution, she’s not just about writing tips and publishing strategies (though she’s got plenty of those, too). Carissa is all about diving deep—helping authors reset their nervous system, rewire their subconscious, and manifest the author life they’ve always dreamed of. On her podcast, the Author Revolution Podcast, she spills the secrets to not just writing success but also to embracing the mindset shifts that help authors become the most aligned, empowered version of themselves—whether that means financial abundance, creative freedom, or simply living their best author life.
Johnny Worthen
Author, Tie Dye Guy
I write what I like to read,” says Johnny. “That guarantees me at least one fan.”
JOHNNY WORTHEN is an award-winning, multiple-genre, hybrid, tie-dye-wearing author, voyager, and damn fine human being! Trained in literary criticism and cultural studies, he writes upmarket fiction, long and short, mentors others where he can, and teaches at the University of Utah.
He is Utah Writer of the Year and Past President of the League of Utah Writers.
Melissa McShane
Author, Cat Lover
Melissa McShane is the author of the Extraordinaries series, beginning with BURNING BRIGHT, the Last Oracle series, beginning with THE BOOK OF SECRETS, and many other fantasy novels. Her love of reading has been a constant in her life and she still remembers the places she lived by the books she was reading there: the Riddle-Master trilogy in New York, the Foundation series in Colorado, Howl's Moving Castle in Texas, Crown Duel in Utah. That love of reading stayed with her after she settled with her family in Utah and grew into a love of writing, first critical essays and reviews, then fiction. She recently moved to India and enjoys the people and culture there. Her family includes her husband (a long-suffering man willing to let ideas bounce off him at speed), four adult children, and two elderly cats.
Lynn Worthen
Author, Editor
Lyn Worthen has been reading since before she can remember. With degrees in Communications, Psychology, and Translation, she initially put her education to use as a technical writer, instructional designer, and course developer, “translating geek-speak into English.” But while creating technical training, product documentation, and marketing collateral paid the bills, her love for the written word ultimately led her to back to fiction.
Lyn now puts her writing and editing skills to use on the fiction side of publishing. As a freelance editor, Lyn Worthen has helped indie authors polish over six million words of fiction, and her multi-author anthologies have received awards and acclaim from the League of Utah Writers, the Critters Writing Workshop, and the Horror Writers of America. She is a frequent participant in fiction workshops and conferences, both as a presenter and a student of the craft and business of publishing – and a self-described “caffeine-to-text conversion unit,” which explains how she gets so much done.
We want to do more than teach writers. We want to connect with them and build a safe, inclusive community for authors in all stages of their careers.
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