Lesson One - Free!

TRACES IN THE SAND

In this lesson we look at techniques from the classical qasidah ode, Fariduddin Attar's Conference of the Birds, and Rumi's Masnavi to connect with story characters more deeply so that readers relate to them on a more personal level, and keep turning the pages to find out what happens next.
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Course curriculum

    1. Traces in the Sand - What Matters Most

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    1. The Thorn in the Foot & The Thorn in the Heart - Wounds, Flaws and Unexamined Motivations

    1. The Simorgh's Court - The Goal & The Quest

    1. Point of View and Why it Matters - Immersive Storytelling Techniques

    1. Character Worksheet - 11 Essential Questions to Connect with Your Story Character

About this course

  • 5 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content
  • Free first lesson

Lesson Two:

THE THORN IN THE FOOT & THE THORN IN THE HEART

In this lesson we look at verses from Rumi's Masnavi, focusing on wounds and flaws and your character’s backstory to understand what motivates them on a deeper level. Wounds and flaws make characters more relatable, and also give scope for a transformational or redemptive journey where the character overcomes their shortcomings and failings and moves forward from the past to meet the challenges they are presented with.
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Lesson Three:

THE SIMORGH'S COURT: THE GOAL & THE QUEST

In this lesson we look at how desires and goals can drive your story on a scene and plot level and we consider how your character can overcome their resistance and internal blocks to accomplish their main goal and quest. Goals give your character motivations for their actions and behaviour. In order for a character to progress and to overcome their internal or external problems, they need higher goals. These compel them to leave their comfort zone and their excuses and step into their truth and full potential.
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Lesson Four:

Point of View & Why it Matters

In this lesson we look at different points of view to tell your story from, such as first person, third person omniscient or limited, and deep point of view. We look at techniques to give your reader an immersive reading experience, so that they almost feel like they are there with the character experiencing the story for themselves.
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Lesson Five:

Character Worksheet: 11 Essential Questions to Connect with your Story Character

While writing down lots of details about your character, from their eye and hair colour to where they went to primary school, can give you and your readers a sense of who they are, sometimes all these details can get overwhelming and they can also sometimes be irrelevant to the story. This character worksheet cuts out extraneous information and helps you to clarify the important elements of your character’s personality and to think about ways to reveal their personality in a memorable way to your reader. You can use this worksheet for your protagonist, your antagonist, or for any character in your story who needs to have a bit more depth.
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Maktaba: Write Your Novel - Connecting with Your Characters

Connect more deeply with your characters to deliver a more powerful story, with lessons from the work of Rumi, Attar and Ibn Arabi.