The Writers’ League of Texas (WLT) will host its monthly Third Thursday event, focusing on the theme “Writing Fully Realized Characters.” The event aims to engage writers and readers in discussions led by distinguished panelists. The session will be moderated by WLT Program Director Sarah Renee Beach.
Anne Lamott’s quote, “Plot grows out of character. If you focus on who the people in your story are, something is bound to happen,” underscores the importance of well-developed characters in storytelling. This discussion seeks to explore what it means to create fully realized characters and how authors can draw inspiration from those around them authentically and ethically.
Panelists for this session include Sherri L. Smith, Alex Temblador, and Meg Vondriska. Each brings a wealth of experience in writing and teaching about character development.
Sherri L. Smith is an accomplished author with nine award-winning books for young readers. Her works have received numerous accolades, including the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Award for “The Blossom and the Firefly” and the California Book Awards Gold Medal for “Flygirl.” Smith also writes comics such as Wonder Woman and Bart Simpson Comics. She teaches at Hamline University and has a background in Applied Mythology.
Alex Temblador is known for her novels “Half Outlaw” and “Secrets of the Casa Rosada,” as well as her guide for creative writers titled “Writing an Identity Not Your Own.” Based in Dallas, she serves as executive director of Write Here DFW and founded the LitTalk series.
Meg Vondriska, though not formally identifying as a writer, has been creating stories since childhood. Her debut book, “A Tale of Two Titties: A Writer’s Guide to Conquering the Most Sexist Tropes in Literary History,” is set to be published in July 2024.
Attendees are encouraged to support local independent bookstores like BookPeople by purchasing books through them, which helps bring more authors to these venues.
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