This is an in-person workshop that takes place at Inprint House. This workshop is open for K-12 educators and staff. Up to 8 CPE hours are available for this workshop by request.

Developing Characters through Empathy

As storytellers we have an instinct for developing characters that are, in many ways, like ourselves. They might speak the way we speak, think the way we think, or find themselves in situations similar to ours. How can we broaden and deepen our ability to imagine fictional characters?

As teachers, we are required to consistently practice empathy for our students, their families, and for our fellow educators. This can be as emotionally challenging as it can be rewarding. In this workshop, we will use moments of empathy (or missed opportunities for such understanding) from our own experiences as educators in order to better delve into and write the complex characters we want to see on the page. The aim of this workshop is not only to make our characters more vivid and specific, but also to have reflected on the social and emotional aspects of our teaching practices in ways that can be applied in the classroom.