Writing Your Character’s Emotional Journey

Presented by Mary Wimmer
 
Join us as we celebrate NaNoWriMo. Donald Maass tells us our character’s emotional journey needs to be “an ever-present quest and ongoing struggle.” How do we accomplish this? In this workshop we will explore how to take characters from point A to point B through imaginings, ponderings, memories, conflict, and details. The nitty gritty of emotional journeys will be examined through examples from literature and a brief writing exercise. We will learn from the field of psychology about how individuals process information and emotions when faced with trauma and great challenge. The intersection between plot, theme, and emotional journey will be discussed.
 
Mary is a Wisconsin-based writer and school psychologist. She studied at UW-Stevens Point, UW-Whitewater, and Marquette University where she earned a PhD in Educational Psychology. She has worked as a school psychologist in rural, urban, and suburban settings. Her books include: The Art of the Break, which was published in 2022 by The University of Wisconsin Press and Reaching Shore, first place winner of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association-Young Adult Fiction Award. Mary is working on a third novel, Every One of Us.