Writing Workshop The Outsider: The Creation of Character in Fiction

This one day workshop, led by novelist Kylie Fitzpatrick, explores fiction-writing techniques, inspired by the current exhibition ‘Rashid Johnson. Stranger’. The day will focus on the character of the hero and how writers can create a believable, empathetic protagonist. Subjects covered:

• The most memorable protagonists are often outsiders or strangers to the world of the story. Why is this and what can be learnt from it?

• How much of the author’s own personal and cultural identity and experience should be channelled into a central character, and can we control this?

• What qualities do a hero-character need to enable readers to empathise and to stay engaged?

• The underlying themes of truthfulness to one’s own culture and history are explored in Rashid Johnson’s work. How can we identify the personal themes that will enrich our writing and translate these into believable characters and meaningful narrative?

Workshop outline: The day will be structured to include a presentation, discussion, writing exercises and time to reflect and write. We will work towards producing the beginnings of a piece of creative writing inspired by ‘Stranger’ the current exhibition of work by Rashid Johnson. Kylie Fitzpatrick is the author of four historical novels which have, between them, been published in eleven languages. She is a lecturer and tutor on the Creative Writing degree and MA courses at Bath Spa University and works as a manuscript editor for Bloomsbury publishing. She has an MA and PhD in Creative Writing and has worked in the U.S., U.K. and Australia; for the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Commission as a script editor and researcher. Tickets are £90 and include lunch in the Roth Bar & Grill.