What is the title of your class?
Character Development
People should take this class if…
they want to learn some great tricks to get to know major and minor characters. Whether you are writing a short story or a novel (and in many forms of nonfiction as well), characters are key to making a reader fall in love with your story. This class will help your characters leap off the page as real, multi-dimensional people. (Well, not literally…)
Can your students connect with you on social media? If so, how?
You can find me on Twitter, @writerstephanie
Are any of your works online and available to the public?
In addition to writing novels (which you can learn about on my website), I also write everything from personal essays to ice cream reviews for Rookie magazine, an online magazine for teenage girls. Here’s my full list of Rookie work.
What’s your teaching philosophy?
When it comes to writing, it’s all about having the drive, putting your butt in the chair, sharing your work and getting (and using!) feedback as well as having a big toolbox of tricks to try. This is one of my “feed the toolbox” classes.
Faulkner said to “kill your darlings.” Can you remember a specific darling you’ve killed and why? (Refrain from admitting to actual homicide in your Classy Talk Survey.)
Oh, I am constantly, constantly killing darlings. I’m incredibly murderous! (Of words, not people, so don’t be afraid to take my class!) It’s hard to think of a specific example, but I know I had to cut a bunch of one of my character’s comparisons of her life to soap operas. I had fun writing them, but that character loved to talk and said a lot of things that didn’t push the story forward.
What’s your favorite implement to write with? Why?
The Pentel R.S.V.P. fine tip in black. I used to be more of a Uniball gel tip girl but this writes as smoothly and is not smudgy at all. Plus it has a nice comfy rubber grip for lengthy writing sessions. Also I found a bunch of two-packs of these at a dollar store once. Best. Score. Ever.
What are you working on right now? What’s the hardest thing about it?
I’m preparing to revise a young-adult novel. I’m changing the whole structure of it, so, um, enough said I think.
What’s your favorite word in the English vocabulary?
My favorite word is not a very classy one, but I’ve been swearing like a sailor since I was 12, so … It appeared 89 times in my first YA book and I had to cut it a bunch.
Attach a photo of your writing desk.
