Oregon Writers Colony will present a workshop titled Just Whose Story Is This? Point of View, Tense, and Voice, a one-day intensive at the Colonyhouse, Saturday, August 19, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Historical fiction author Randall Platt will lead the workshop.

The cost of the workshop is $50.

Point of view is probably the most important decision any writer of fiction has to make when facing the loneliest place on earth:  Chapter One, Page One. Who is the best character to tell the story? Which character offers the best voice, the most possibilities?

What about multiple points of view? Every story needs a strong storyteller. What characters, what tense can best tell your story and result in the best possible voice? We’ll dissect the opening of a novel — switch it all around, have fun with it, explore point of view, play with the tense and find the right voice. We’ll play around with several short writing sessions bound to make you stop and think — just whose story is this?

We’ll start off with coffee, introductions and getting to know each other. What are you working on? What are your goals? What brings you here today?

After introductions we’ll talk about craft.

Type and Stereotype — How To Etch A Character

So what if you can’t draw? You’re a writer, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do all you can to etch the best character you can.

Don’t let your characters fall into the pit of stereotype. With fun exercises, we first create stereotypes and frankly discuss why we think that way. How do we keep our own preconceived and maybe even biased opinions about certain types away from the characters we create? Can we, should we, create characters outside our own experience?  Finally, we will then re-create our stereotyped characters, making them real, unforgettable and unique.

Now that we have a clearer idea of who we have found to tell our story, let’s have some fun with something totally weird but makes you stop and think about . . . .

It’s been a long, creative and fun day. Let’s have one last chat and discuss how our work might reflect the current issues of the day. As a writer of historical fiction, I can say without a doubt, that history does repeat itself.

Bring your work in progress, something to write on or with, all your questions and thoughts about the publishing industry.

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