Writers almost always begin with a story idea: What if …? As conceptually rewarding as such starting points can be, they all too often founder on the rocks of: Who cares? Isaac Bashevis Singer lamented writers who took their inspiration from problems rather than character: "This is because each character is different, and human character is the greatest of puzzles." A great concept is only as powerful as the characters who embody it. And empathy for the characters engaged in a moving struggle inevitably compels us to pay attention.

Aristotle once believed that only the fall of a preeminent man could be dramatically engaging, but due to our greater sympathy for the universality of desire, the democracy of want, we now recognize that every man and woman's most heartfelt ambitions are potentially cosmic if honestly rendered. In these morning sessions , through discussion of participants' opening chapters, we will address how to make sure the characters' desires, fears, secrets, contradictions and vulnerabilities animate the story, bring it to life, and compel the action to unfold.