Character Deep Dive Workshop
Starting a new short story or novel? In the midst of one but feeling stuck? Get to know your protagonist and other important characters better with this live workshop. Join authors Nisi Shawl and K. Tempest Bradford for writing exercises and feedback that will help you dig into your characters’ background and relationships, giving you a solid foundation for their motivations and actions in the story.
This workshop is for all narrative writers at any skill level creating any type of characters, not just those whose identities are very different to your own!
Two Workshops, One Weekend
Each day of this webinar is a separate workshop. Students may join us for one or both days. All participants will get an extra set of exercises at the end they can use over and over for any major character and at any time in the writing process.
Saturday: Exercises focusing on character background
Sunday: Exercises exploring character relationships to other people and to their setting
Both days start at 9AM and end at 3PM Pacific. There will be breaks during the day.
Date: October 31st and November 1st, 2026
Time: 9AM – 3PM Pacific (click here to convert to your time zone)
Where: Online — Zoom Classroom
Price: $100 for one day, or both of them together for $150 Scholarships are available for attendees who need financial assistance.
Registration Deadline: October 25th, 2026
Who Should Take This Webinar?
Fiction, game, and visual media writers across all genres — Literary, YA, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Children’s Books, Romance — from all backgrounds and any skill level.
Accessibility
Zoom meetings software is compatible with standard screen readers and has several other accessibility features that make it possible for writers who are Blind or vision impaired to participate in the webinar. Questions can be submitted via the chat function or by voice.
Live closed captions will be available, auto-generated by Zoom.
Technical Requirements
Zoom video conferencing works on computers, tablets, and most smartphones. We suggest you access the live webinar via a computer for the best experience. Before enrolling in class, make sure your computer or mobile device is compatible with Zoom. Before class, load the app on your system and join this test meeting.
A webcam/video camera is not necessary for class. Students can participate via chat or using a microphone. You can call in via phone if audio isn’t working through your computer.
Scholarship Opportunities
We have full and partial Vonda N. McIntyre Sentient Squid Scholarships available for this webinar. If you do not have the financial means to pay for all or part of the registration cost, we encourage you to apply. We have a broad definition of financial need that ranges from writers who do not have the money at all to writers who have the funds but can’t afford to use them for a writing class.
Wherever you exist on the financial needs spectrum, don’t self reject! (Still not sure whether you should apply? Read this.)
Our scholarships are available to any writer regardless of background or identity. We set aside a portion of scholarships specifically for students who identify under the POC, BIPOC, or BAME umbrellas as well as for Palestinian writers/writers of Palestinian heritage, though we do not limit the number of scholarships we give to marginalized authors.
If you can afford to pay for part but not all of the registration fee, please apply for a partial scholarship. Under this financial aid plan you can let us know the amount you can afford. If you cannot afford to pay at all, please apply for a full scholarship.
To apply, please fill out this form. You’ll be asked to provide:
- A brief (300 or fewer words) statement of financial need
- A brief (500 or fewer words) description of a work or works in progress that you hope the webinar will help you create.
- If you identify as POC, BIPOC, BAME, or Palestinian, you may indicate that if you wish.
Deadline: 11:59PM Pacific October 10, 2026. We will notify all applicants of their standing two weeks before class begins. If you have any questions, please use our contact form to ask!
Refund Policy
If you find that you need to drop the class, you may do so via Humanitix.
If you send a refund request up to 14 days before the class start date, you will receive a full refund minus a service fee.
Beyond that time you will not have your registration fee refunded. However, you will be able to use your payment as credit toward enrollment in a future class.
Register Below
If you have a promo or discount code, please choose your registration option first, click Enter Details, then add it to the Discount Code field on the next screen. If the whole box below gives you trouble, click here to register on our Humanitix page.