About

This class has been rescheduled on April 15, 2023.

This class will be held online via Zoom. 

What does “heartfelt” even mean? How do I write an “authentic” character?

As writers, we are often told the thing missing from stories is “heart” or that the story needs to feel more “authentic”. This is quite often why agents and editors say no to a manuscript.

We each have lives full of unique life experiences. Join Donna Barba Higuera as we work on our own works in progress or new ideas to gather heartfelt storylines using our own life experiences. We will explore our own memories and stories to create unique characters with the necessary emotional journeys for authentic characters that only you can write. We will also ask the questions to help you discover that elusive part that is missing in most stories.

When completed, you will have the heart of your story.

Details:

• Registration will close on November 5 at 10am.
• There will be a short break for lunch. 
• This class will be taught via Zoom. For a great video on how to use Zoom, watch this tutorial.
• A Zoom link will be sent one day prior to the event start to the email you used to register with. Please watch for this email. You may need to check your spam folder.

• BARN is committed to accessibility. Tuition Assistance is available - click here to fill out the simple application before registering for a class. For those who might need physical assistance, please learn about BARN's Companion Program here.

Donna Barba Higuera is the New York Times bestselling author of books that have won awards including the Newbery Medal, Pura Belpré Medal, the Sid Fleischman award, Crystal Kite Award, and PNBA best book of the year amongst others.

She grew up in a tiny desert town in central California surrounded by agricultural and oil fields. Rather than wrangling dust devils, she’d spend recess squirreled away in the janitor’s closet with a good book. Her favorite hobbies were calling the library’s dial-a-story over and over again and sneaking into a restricted pioneers’ cemetery to weave her own spooky tales using the crumbling headstones for inspiration. 

?Donna’s Middle Grade and Picture books reinvent history, folklore, and her own life experiences into compelling storylines. She still dreams in Spanglish.

?Donna lives in Washington State with her husband, four kids, three dogs and a frog. 

You can read more about her books at dbhiguera.com