Name: Creative Writing Masterclass on Character
Start: 2026-03-28T10:15:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-28T16:15:00+00:00
Location: Jubilee Library

Creative Writing Masterclass on Character

Creating Memorable Characters with Laura Wilkinson
About this Event

When we think of great works of fiction – and our favourite books – it tends to be the characters that linger long after the intricacies of plot have faded: Nazneen Ahmed, Scrooge, Elizabeth Bennet, Eleanor Oliphant, Marx Watanabe, Baby Kochamma and so on.

What is it that makes these characters so unforgettable? They’re not all good, or likeable. How do we build characters readers care about? In this workshop we will be looking at some of the different ways to find our characters, how to make them credible and complex, and the tools we have to show them to our readers

Laura Wilkinson has published seven novels for adults (two under a pseudonym) and numerous short stories. These novels are That Night in New York, which came out in September 2024 published by Serendipity, the new romance imprint at Legend Times, Crossing the Line, The Family Line, Redemption Song and Skin Deep. Crossing the Line was a Welsh Books Council book of the month and Skin Deep was longlisted for Not the Booker prize. Alongside writing, she runs workshops on craft and has spoken at literary events nationwide. For more than twelve years, she’s worked as a creative writing tutor for organisations including New Writing South and on the MA programme at West Dean. She is also a structural editor and mentor, coaching writers to competition short listings and publication.

The session will be held at the Jubilee Library in Brighton and will run from 10:15-16:15 with an hour for lunch. The venue is fully accessible, near the train station and bus routes and with plenty of options for lunch (including bringing your own). If you have any specific needs to enable you to access the workshop, please do Contact Cathy Hayward - [email protected]

The workshop is part of a series of one-day masterclasses held in the Easter and summer holidays. They are open to existing students on the Creative Writing Programme and other writers looking to improve specific areas of their writing craft.