Nothing engages a reader more than an empathetic character.

When the reader is able to place himself in the shoes of someone within the story, he feels the stakes involved and cares for the story's outcome.

But how can a writer avoid the pitfalls of making characters bland, stereotypical, or unrelatable? How does one avoid the trap of writing unnecessarily lengthy character profiles? How can the writer flesh out the character without sacrificing the pace of the story?

Storywriting Basics: Characterization is a writing course that offers an effective and efficient approach to developing characters. The workshop uses the story design approach to give characters greater depth as the story continues to move forward.


Online class duration: 7 daysCafe class duration: 6 hoursMinimum age for this workshop: 8 years old(Online students aged 8-12 are required to have a parent or guardian to assist the child in accomplishing coursework. Minors in a Cafe Class are required to have a parent or guardian with them at all times.)

Our teacher

Storywriting Basics: Characterization is taught by Dr. Joem Antonio. A published author and playwright, he holds a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from UP Diliman and is an eight-time Palanca Award winner. He believes that writing is a skill that can be learned by even those who weren't magically "born with the talent." Through his writing courses and workshops, he teaches writing as a science, leaving students with clear methods that allow them to move their writing projects forward.

What you get with each writing course registration

Coursework

Lectures and writing exercises that give you a step-by-step method for building stories.

Certificate (upon accomplishment of requirements)

Meet the requirements, receive a certificate.

Consultation

Apply what you've learned by submitting your draft or outline to receive written feedback from our consultant panel.

Community

Get exclusive access to community events and perks that we offer in partnership with Story Sandbox.

Online Learning

Take this workshop as a seven-day self-paced course during your preferred Class Week.

Online Asynchronous

The best bang for the buck—our online writing courses contain comprehensive content and more time for completion. Coursework in each of Storywriting School's online workshops is composed of text lectures and writing exercises, which you will have seven days to finish at your own pace. Our online courses follow the usual workflow of a writer: some reading, lots of writing, and a flexible schedule that ends in a deadline. Finish on time and you get a printable certificate of completion. If you want the greatest value for money, training in the writer's lifestyle, or a workshop that's suited to your schedule and location, this modality is best for you.

Note: Because our online courses require time management, we require students aged 8-12 to have a parent or guardian to assist the child in going through coursework. 

Online Class Weeks

Choose a Class Week. Those marked "Group Rate" come at a lower fee!

1st Quarter, 2023

2nd Quarter, 2023

Fees

Your registration must be fully paid before the start of your online class.

Standard Rate

US$80.00/PH₱4,200.00*

Group Rate

Want to get the best price? Join the group booking the Class Weeks below.

March 11-17, 2023 (Saturday-Friday)
12:00AM-11:59PM GMT/UTC+0:00 [Convert to your time zone]

June 3-9, 2023 (Saturday-Friday) (Saturday-Friday)
12:00AM-11:59PM GMT/UTC+0:00 [Convert to your time zone]

Group Rate: US$70.00/PH₱3,600.00*

*Minors, full-time students, employed or licensed teachers, homeschooling parents, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens are automatically given a 20% scholarship after presenting documents as proof.

This course is part of the Storywriting Basics Bootcamp.

You may enroll in it as a standalone course, but you may also take it as part of an intensive 28-day program.

Face-to-face Classes

Our face-to-face classes are shorter, but more targeted. Dr. Joem Antonio customizes the group's chosen course to their priorities and objectives. For now, we do not have pre-scheduled classes like we did before the pandemic; however, you may form your own group and choose a course from one of our sixteen writing courses. We do small group classes (1-3 students) called Cafe Classes in our partner venues. We're also open to engagements at other locations.

Available Cafe Class Schedules

The following Cafe Class schedules are in the Philippine Timezone (PHT)


Note: The above schedules include a one-hour lunch break.

Tier 1 Cafe Class Venues

Fee: ₱12,000 (₱2,000 non-refundable fee to reserve a date, ₱10,000 payable at the start of class)

Includes a maximum of ₱2,000 worth of food and drinks from our venue partner, as well as a table for four


We are working to add more venues to our list.

Note: We require minors to be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times during the Cafe Class. While we don't require that the parent or guardian participate, he/she will occupy a seat as one of the three students. This is because a Cafe Class is confined to a table for four. One seat will be occupied by the instructor, while the remaining three is for the student(s) and companions.

All dates and times follow UTC+0


London: UTC+0 or +1
Manila: UTC+8
New York: UTC-5 or -4