I am excited to interview Tal Valante, founder of Litwise. Her business' mission is to make reading and writing more accessible, widespread, and engaging.
Today, we're talking about her background, how Litwise got started, and how you'll benefit from the program.
Her latest course is called "Unleash Your Inner Character Creator." It includes a 14-lesson workshop, where you’ll dive into a variety of topics, including:
- Building complex, multi-dimensional characters
- Crafting engaging character arcs
- Writing believable dialogue
- Orchestrating a colorful cast
And so much more!
Even more importantly, you’ll work on personalized assignments, develop a character during the workshop, and receive invaluable detailed feedback from a professional editor (hi!). With experience from two publishing houses and a freelance career, Tal is passionate about sharing my knowledge with writers like you and helping you bring your writing dreams to life.
Save on the course by using the coupon code WOWCHARACTERS during checkout to claim this perk. To enroll, simply follow this link: https://litwise.com/products/breathe-life-into-your-characters
About Tal Valante
Tal has a dual passion in life: fiction and programming. Over the years she has served as a programmer, a publisher, an author, a ghostwriter, an editor, and a web developer.
In 2018, she decided to merge her two passions and created Litwise Ltd., a business dedicated to promoting literature. She’s at her best when pitting her skills against obstacles and conquering them. Challenges? Yum!
Website: https://litwise.com/
--- Interview by Nicole Pyles
WOW: First, I love that you have a background in programming AND in writing. How has your programming side influenced your writing side (and vice versa)?
Tal: I think my bachelor's degree in computer science has deeply enriched my writing. There are so many fantasy-like topics in physics. In one of my early stories, for example, there are three levels of magic: particle shifting, electromagnetic wave bending, and string manipulation (string theory). I love this combination!
I also enjoy writing fantasy that later turns out to be science fiction, much like Anne McCaffrey's Pern universe. That, too, is a preference I picked up following my B.A. The novel I'm working on now is a good example of it. Only shush, don't tell my characters. They really do believe in magic and demons.
WOW: I love the fantasy and science fiction combo! I think that's fascinating. What led you to launch Litwise, LTD?
Tal: As a child, I dreamed of becoming a writer. I'm still working on that dream, but along the way, I picked up programming as my main profession. One day I thought, "Why not harness technology in the service of literature?" I liked the combination, and bam! Litwise was born.
Since its creation in 2018, Litwise has produced the award-winning Re:Fiction writing blog, several workshops and courses for writers, and the novel-planning platform called NovelChick. In addition to the character workshop we're running now, we're also very near the release of NovelChick 2. And wait until we get our plans for a new type of publishing house rolling... Exciting events are coming! Keep an eye on Litwise. (The easiest way to do so is by subscribing to the newsletter. There are sign-up gifts, too!)
WOW: How fun! What are some of the writing challenges you hope to address with your business?
Tal: Ooooh, I love this question. I have the following image in my office:
That's the problem I'm out to solve. And I have a solid idea and plan of how to bring about a solution—one that is fair to writers, readers, and publishers alike. That's the new type of publishing house I was referring to earlier. I'm going to do all I can to disrupt this industry for the better. I think you'll love it.
WOW: I love that! What kind of feedback are you hearing from writers about their experiences with Litwise?
Tal: Many people find Re:Fiction to be a useful resource, but most of all, people love NovelChick, the online novel-planning platform. I've talked with many writers who said they were inspired to write for the first time, or for the first time in a long while. I've had writers tell me that the guided help in NovelChick was an eye-opener and a game-changer for them. NovelChick has some solid guidance on character building, world building, and plotting. (The upcoming NovelChick 2, even more so.)
WOW: How exciting! Tell me about the workshop that is meant to breathe life into characters.
Tal: I love workshops. I love the combination of learning new techniques and immediately practicing them, not to mention getting personalized feedback. I've been to many writing workshops in my life, including Robert McKee's famous "Story" seminar. And I think it's time that Litwise offered that kind of experience to writers, too.
The "Write the Next Famous Novel Character" workshop I've put together covers just about every aspect of character creation there is. It's designed to give aspiring writers and beginning to intermediate writers all the tools they need to develop characters that make readers go WOW! (see what I did there? :-p )
I think the best aspect of this workshop is that every participant gets about 10 hours of exclusive developmental editing on a character they're fleshing out from lesson to lesson. That's the best way to learn. Also, since this is a pilot workshop, the price tag is much lower than I would make it later. This is a great opportunity to grab some serious professional guidance (hint). Only 9 seats left!
WOW: I hope people join in! Why is character development such a challenge for writers?
Tal: It's a big challenge because you have so much to keep in mind and balance. Looks, traits, quirks, beliefs, values, mindset, desire, needs... Not to mention plot and genre. They all have to work together seamlessly in order to create a complex, realistic, and authentic character.
Some writers have a strong innate "people sense": they just know how different people would feel, think, act, and react in different situations. For other writers, it's not so simple. You have to claw your way into your character's brain and heart and make sense of a hundred different traits, to see how they all come together to form a person who is different from you. That's a skill you can pick up with study and practice, which is exactly what you get in our workshop.
Also, there's a thing called "character secret sauce." And yes, we teach that too. :)
WOW: I love that! Best of luck on your business and I can't wait to see what it comes out with next.
If you’re ready to transform your characters and captivate your readers, don’t miss this opportunity!
As a special offer for the WOW community, we’re giving you an exclusive 10% discount! Use the
promo code WOWCHARACTERS during checkout to claim this perk.
To enroll, simply follow this link: https://litwise.com/products/breathe-life-into-your-characters
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