Lisa Lieberman Doctor

Here is the link to Lisa’s interview on the radio program, “Your Book Is Your Hook,” streaming and archived at WomensRadio.com.

http://www.womensradio.com/episodes/Your-Book-Is-Your-Hook%21–Military-Wife-and-Author-Plus-A-Creative-Writing-Coach/10632.html

I will be participating in the 2011 UCLA Writers Faire, a festive day that features 24 free mini-classes and panel discussions in creative writing and screenwriting, hosted by Fall Writers’ Program instructors.  Please join me at the 11:00 AM panel discussion, “Creating Compelling Fictional Characters.”

More information about this special day can be found at: http://www2.uclaextension.edu/writers/events.php?eventID=20

A sympathetic character is not someone we necessarily like. Rather, what’s important is that we understand the goals and desires of that person, and the interior flaws that stop him or her from achieving those goals. Liking someone is subjective, but undertstanding the deeper level of the person is universal.

Your writing voice, like your speaking voice, is unique and belongs only to you. No matter how much you might admire other authors, it’s important to resist the urge to mimic their voices. Continue to develop and work with your own voice with each new story you write.

Writing is rewriting. The first draft is a foundation for what’s to come rather than a finished product. It’s not until second and subsequent drafts that the main character’s journey, the plot, and the language used in the text can be honed and refined. It takes a long time to complete a novel and for good reason: with each new draft, the author inches closer to reaching his or her goal. What an exciting process!

Characters, like the people we meet in life, will reveal themselves as we get to know them. It’s impossible to know everything about a person when that person is new to us. Likewise, your characters will reveal their goals, desires and flaws as they evolve on the page. It’s all part of the development process.

The story is the journey of the protagonist and the characters surrounding him or her. The plot is the series of events that serve the story.

When describing the physicality of a character or his/her surroundings, choose a few pithy details that beget others as a result.

Before You Begin the Novel: An Exploration of Character and Story
Facing the blank page can be an intimidating experience. What is the universal theme you’re trying to communicate? What does the protagonist really want? In this workshop, you create a personalized “encyclopedia” of material to use as a reference when writing the novel. Through individualized exercises tailored to each writer in the room, you explore the protagonist’s history, fears, and desires, as well as his or her relationship to the antagonist. You identify the larger theme that draws you to this particular story, a basic outline of the beginning, middle, and end, and the emotional arc of the protagonist. By the end of the workshop, you have in your arsenal many important elements to get you started so that the blank page remains blank no more. This course is open to writers of all levels who are eager to begin writing their novel.

Week of September 25-30, 2011

Deepening the Characters We Create: A Writing Workshop

Lisa Doctor

The characters we create can and will evolve into real people if we allow them to speak in their own voices without interference. But how do our characters turn into dynamic beings? How do they find their own truths?

Through a series of writing exercises and discussions, we will create the profile of a character and then allow him or her to answer challenging questions designed to reveal hidden truths. Each prompt is chosen specifically for the character; no two writers will receive the same exercise. As the week progresses, these emerging people will open up about that which haunts and thrills them. They will explore their own personal histories, their concerns about aging, their longings, disappointments, fears, and uncertainties. We will ask them to speak freely about old wounds and their compassion for others. They will tell us what used to be important to them but no longer is. By the end of the week, the character each writer has created will have begun to emerge into a separate being with an authentic voice and a distinct identity. This workshop is designed for writers of every level, including beginners, who are seeking a group writing experience in a safe and nurturing environment. The method used is particularly effective for those wishing to begin or are in the midst of writing a novel, memoir, or short story, where a richly drawn character takes center stage.

Reservations Information (Accommodations & Pricing)

MIÉRCOLES 10 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2008

Creative Writing workshop

On the 17th of October all intermediate and advanced students were invited to join a workshop on “Creative Writing” run by Professor Lisa Lieberman Doctor, screenwriter, writer and teacher of Creative Writing at the California State University. Students had to write for almost half an hour and then share their work. The goal was to make students aware that they could express themselves on a deep level even with a limited vocabulary. The experience was a success. By the end of the session most of the students were able to overcome their feelings of shyness and volunteered to speak through the microphone and read their productions to the audience.
The event had an amazing turnout and the room was crowded with students and teachers. The outcome of the workshop was so satisfactory that both teachers and students are looking forward to further sessions.
In an interview given by Lisa Lieberman to La Última Hora on the 18th of November she described how amazing and stimulating the experience had been.
Finally, we would like to take the opportunity to thank all the teachers who attended their own session in the morning and enthusiastically collaborated with the students session.