People invest in people. Readers invest in characters.
About the Workshop
While plot, setting and literary devices are the scaffolding that hold a story up, strong, believable characters compel readers to stay till the end of it. In the course of this workshop, we will delve into why memorable characters need their own backstories, insecurities and priorities. Through writing exercises and examples, we will explore how to imbue characters with goals, flaws and internal conflicts, how to develop a character arc and how to reveal character personalities in a scene.
Key Take-Aways:
- Create memorable characters
- Develop motives and goals
- Write strong, consistent backstories
- Introduce flaws, internal conflicts and character quirks
- Develop believable character arcs
- Reveal character personality
About the Facilitator
Meeti writes the Temple Hill Mysteries. She has been shortlisted for the prestigious CWA Whodunnit Dagger, UK, 2025 and nominated for the People’s Book Prize, UK, 2025 for A Matrimonial Murder, the second in her series, she has also been longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, 2022 and shortlisted for the Times of India Auther Awards, 2023 for The Death of Kirti Kadakia, the first in this series. Apart from crime, Meeti has also written the critically acclaimed memoir, Do you know any good boys? A funny guide to the Indian arranged marriage, which was an Amazon bestseller in 2016.
Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger, 2025 and the Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize, 2024 in the UK. Her personal essays and travel stories have appeared in publications like The Wall Street Journal, the Mint Lounge and the Condenast Traveller India.
Before she began plotting murder, Meeti worked as a creative consultant with brands; and had an award-winning career in advertising for 16 years. Meeti holds an MA in English Literature from the Mumbai University and writes from a small blue desk overlooking a Gulmohar tree in Mumbai.
Her new mystery, The Mumbai School for Murder, is out now.
http://www.meetishroffshah.com
Details of the workshop
Date: April 25th
Time: 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM IST
Fees: INR 2500
Platform: Zoom