Character
Lab
Character Lab: Bring your writing to life!
For youth ages 12-17 across Canada
Next Session Dates & Times:
April 7 – May 2, 2025Location:
Online – Self paced
Optional live sessions
Wednesdays, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Pacific Standard TimeCost:
Register before March 28 or with discount code
$175/1 monthRegister After March 28
$215/1 monthNeed-based bursaries available, please email for more information
Great stories start with unforgettable characters. In Character Lab, you’ll experiment, refine, and develop characters that feel real, dynamic, and ready to leap into your next story. Guided by published authors, you’ll learn the tools that professional writers use—transforming your ideas into compelling characters with depth, motivation, and personality.
By the end of this four-week course, you’ll have a fully developed character and a polished scene, setting you up for your next great story!
What You’ll Learn:
✅ Learn from Professionals as published authors guide you through the process.
✅ Bring Your Ideas to Life with specific details and natural-sounding conversations.
✅ Connect with Young Writers and learn from each other in a supportive community.
✅ Jumpstart Your Next Story with a fully developed character by the end of the course.
How It Works:
🖥️ Pre-Recorded Lessons: Watch at your own pace each week.
💬 Live Sessions: Join a collaborative online community session every Wednesday.
📝 Hands-On Exercises: Experiment with prompts, worksheets, and guided writing activities.
🎯 Final Project: Submit a character profile or a 500-word scene to showcase your progress.
Course Schedule:
📅 Week 1 – Motivation: Discover what drives your character and why it matters.
📅 Week 2 – Character Change: Learn how to craft compelling character arcs.
📅 Week 3 – The Details: Make your character feel real with dialogue and description.
📅 Week 4 – Wrap-Up: Finalize your character and set them loose in your next story!
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Meet Your Instructor – Rebecca Ruiter
Rebecca is an experienced Story Studio instructor, and has worked with thousands of young writers. She is a lover of literacy and the written word, spending much of her free time both reading and writing. She carries a lifelong passion for education, kids, crafting and the outdoors.
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Meet Your Instructor – Sean Rodman
Sean written nine young adult fiction novels, which have been critically well-received and have collectively sold over 20,000 copies to date. Sean is an experienced educator and has engaged youth of all ages on issues related to creative writing, literacy and publishing. You can learn more about Sean at srodman.com
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Meet Your Instructors – Monika Davies
Since her kid years, Monika has been imagining and writing up stories. (Her first stories featured temperamental unicorns and wayward wizards.) She is now a freelance author of 50+ books for kids and a workshop facilitator for adult-sized writers. You can learn more about Monika at monikadavies.com