Characterisation Course: Writing Realistic, Interesting, Convincing Characters in Fiction | An online course for writers.

How do you create characters that feel real enough for readers to care about? If you’re working on a novel, short story, autofiction, or memoir, learning to make your characters interesting and convincing is key to drawing readers into your story.

We’re excited to host a four-session online course with Mumbai-based author Unmana, designed to help you get to know your characters deeply and bring them to life on the page. This is an invaluable opportunity to learn and ask questions about the behind-the-scenes work of building characters.

Here are the details for the online Course:

Dates: Every Thursday from 20 November to 11 December, 2025

Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM IST

Platform: Online (Zoom link provided upon registration)

Fee: INR 9,500 (The fee includes copies of three books: Chikkamma Tours (Pvt.) Ltd by Unmana, Stag Dance by Torrey Peters, and James by Percival Everett.)

Scholarship: One completely free seat available. If you’d like to be considered for the scholarship, please send your application to hello@champaca.in with the subject "Characterisation course scholarship". Your application should include a note (100-200 words in a doc/docx, txt, pages or PDF file) on why you want to attend this course. Please include your name in the filename and your contact details in the document itself. No other information is necessary. Writers from historically marginalised communities—such as trans, queer, Dalit, or Adivasi/indigenous individuals—are encouraged to apply

What You’ll Learn:

Character Mapping: Build detailed profiles for your characters, including their motivations, personal quirks, and how they develop over the course of your story. This helps you understand them deeply and write them consistently.

Authentic Dialogue: Write conversations that feel natural and true to each character, while also moving your story forward. Learn to capture their voice, speech patterns, and the way they interact with others.

Character Arcs: Create character transformations that are satisfying and believable. Understand how their experiences and choices shape their journey throughout the story.

Portraying Marginalised Characters: Learn to represent diverse characters thoughtfully and with nuance. Avoid stereotypes while giving your characters depth, authenticity, and individuality.

Practical Exercises: Engage in hands-on exercises to practise what you learn in each session. Receive feedback to improve your writing and take away actionable tips to strengthen your characters.

About Unmana:

Unmana's novel Chikkamma Tours (Pvt.) Ltd features India’s first fictional queer detective: Scroll.in calls it "a cosy Bangalore murder mystery with a realistic portrayal of queer lives" and "a book that feels alive and vivid". Unmana’s short stories have been nominated for the Best of the Net and the Deodar Prize. Unmana lives in Mumbai with their husband.

Intended Audience:

This intermediate-level course is ideal for writers currently working on a novel or developing an idea, with a focus on character development. The course is limited to 15–20 participants to ensure personalized attention.

Registration: Since there is limited seating, we recommend that you confirm your spot here! 

Please note: Once seats are booked, no refunds will be issued. However, you may transfer your booking to someone else.