From Stage to Page: A Words in Motion Workshop

A regular workshop on how to create believable and satisfying characters, character arcs and plots.
Bring Your Characters—and Your Confidence—to Life
At our psychodrama for writers’ workshops, we use a dynamic method that blends theater, therapy, and creativity to help you break free from self-doubt and dive deeper into your characters, making them irresistible to your readers. A good story must have a protagonist with a believable character arc. Fundamentally, a character arc is inner healing made manifest through the written word. This is why using a profound healing technique analyzing your character’s motivation will guide your writing in a realistic direction, avoiding the sense of the story being contrived.
What is psychodrama?
Psychodrama is a technique where you step into the roles of your characters—or even parts of yourself—to explore emotions, motivations, and conflicts. It’s not about acting; it’s about embodying. By physically and emotionally inhabiting your characters, you’ll uncover layers of their personalities and your own creative process. Whether you’re struggling with a flat protagonist, a tangled plot, or your own inner critic, psychodrama helps you see, feel, and resolve what’s holding you back.
Imagine this: You’re working on a pivotal scene where your protagonist faces a life-changing decision. Instead of staring at the page, you step into their shoes. With the support of the group and facilitators, you act out the moment, speaking as your character, reacting in real time. You feel your character’s motivations in your own body, exploring the origins of their conflicts. The scene becomes clear, and what felt convoluted is now alive and you can vividly write it on the page.
No prior experience needed—just curiosity and a willingness to explore.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with:
A deeper connection to your characters and your story.
Tools to silence self-doubt and trust your creative voice.
A renewed sense of excitement for your writing journey.
Tools to continue writing to the end of the story.
Facilitators:
Kaya Kade has spent the past 25 years teaching the art of psychological healing.
Marina Pacheco has finished and self-published nearly 30 books and mentored many authors to finish their novels.