| 3min Read
Published on October 21, 2026
The Secret Heart: Creating Surprising Characters by Breaking Stereotypes
Friday, 30th October 2026 | Online | 5:30PM - 6:15PM IST
Register For Free Webinar
For Educator &
Consultant
"The Secret Heart" Webinar: Creating Surprising Characters by Breaking Stereotypes
An Interactive Writing Session to Create Original Characters and Find Inspiration for Your Next Story.
Learn to Create Memorable Characters by Looking Beyond Stereotypes
What if a sly fox isn't always sly, a brave lion isn't always brave, and a creepy spider has more to its story than meets the eye?
Join Arefa Tehsin, author and naturalist, for an engaging creative writing session that explores how to look beyond stereotypes and create surprising, memorable characters. Drawing on her real-life encounters with wildlife, Arefa will begin with a personal story about an unexpected encounter with wild boars and introduce participants to the idea of finding the “secret heart” of a character.
Through this session, participants will learn a practical technique for moving beyond clichés and creating characters (animal or human) with unexpected depths, motivations and backstories. They will leave with a fresh perspective on storytelling and a powerful new idea to inspire their National Young Authors Challenge submission.
What You'll Learn:
-
Look Beyond Stereotypes: Discover how real-world observation can challenge common assumptions and inspire original characters.
-
Discover the “Secret Heart” of a Character: Learn a practical technique for exploring the unexpected depths, motivations and backstories that make characters memorable.
-
Create Original, Memorable Characters: Explore how to move beyond clichés and bring both animal and human characters to life.
-
Turn Observation into Story Ideas: Draw inspiration from the world around you and discover new possibilities for storytelling.
-
Find Inspiration for Your NYAC Submission: Leave with a fresh perspective and a powerful new idea to develop for the Young Authors Challenge.
-
Learn from a Writer and Naturalist: Explore character creation through Arefa Tehsin's experiences and approach to observing the natural world.
Who Should Attend?
Why Attend?
Great stories often begin when we look beyond what we think we already know. A character becomes memorable when readers discover unexpected qualities, motivations and details beneath the surface.
This interactive writing session offers an opportunity to explore character creation with author and naturalist Arefa Tehsin. Drawing on real-life encounters with wildlife, participants will discover how observation can challenge stereotypes, inspire original ideas and help bring characters to life.
Join the session to discover the “secret heart” of a character and find fresh inspiration for your next story.
About Your Speaker: Arefa Tehsin
Author and Naturalist
Arefa Tehsin is an author and naturalist whose work draws on her experiences and encounters with the natural world. Her writing includes The Fourth Girl and Wild Next Door, published by Penguin.
In The Secret Heart: Creating Surprising Characters by Breaking Stereotypes, Arefa will share how looking beyond familiar assumptions can help young writers develop original, memorable characters. Through a real-life wildlife encounter and her “Secret Heart” technique, she will encourage participants to find unexpected stories and new ideas for their writing.
Books:
Recent Writing:
