Discovering the unexpected and complex in your characters is half the fun of writing stories. In this workshop, we’ll experiment and play with developing characters who spring off the page to surprise both you and your readers. I’ll invite you to treat writing as discovery, lean into the unknown, and be okay with it when you topple over. My hope is that you’ll walk away with some energy and excitement for creating complex characters and added tools to help get you there. Bring whatever you like to write with and a willingness to explore on the page.

TANYA BOTEJU is a teacher and writer living on unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations (Vancouver, BC). Part-time, she teaches English to clever and sassy young people. The rest of her time, she writes and procrastinates from writing. Her novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens (Simon & Schuster, 2019), was named a Top Ten Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association. Her next YA novel, Bruised (Simon & Schuster, 2021), has been selected as a Gold Standard book by the Junior Library Guild. In both teaching and writing, she is committed to positive, diverse representation. Visit her at tanyaboteju.com.