We’re all familiar with the basic hero taxonomy—alpha or beta, right? But do you know what really makes an alpha-wolf hero? How about a coyote hero? An owl? A cat? A crow? A yellow lab disguised as a pit-bull?

This workshop will use animal archetypes to reveal the subtler nuances of characterization, applicable to heroes, heroines, villains, and supporting players of all kinds. Think your hero’s an alpha wolf? Maybe not, if the man’s a loner—after all, every wolf needs a pack, and every alpha lives in fear of the day he’ll be bested by a stronger, younger, hungrier rival. Maybe your hero’s a jaguar, instead. If so, he better not be stomping around the scene, barking orders! Instead he’ll prowl or stalk in fluid silence, biding his time. Sound too cool and calculating? Then perhaps you’ve created a mustang hero—a bit wild, hesitant to trust but loyal once broken.

This will be a fun, interactive, multimedia workshop! Cara will outline a variety of animal archetypes and their traits, and members will be encouraged to apply them to their own characters—and to identify new species—as we embark on this fiction writers’ safari.

Cara McKenna writes smart erotic romance for Ellora’s Cave and Penguin / Intermix, and her evil conjoined twin Meg Maguire writes contemporary romance for Harlequin Blaze and Samhain. This workshop was inspired by her post for the Wonkomance blog, titled “McKenna’s Field Guide to Heroes of North America.”