Inventing the Past: Making People and Places Resonate With Readers

SESSION DESCRIPTION:

Effective worldbuilding delivers more than an immersive reading experience. It offers historical context that helps readers understand the world of the story. Otherwise, it can be difficult for readers to understand our characters, since their behavior is informed by the societal norms of their culture and era. How can authors infuse this information into a story without overburdening the reader?

INSTRUCTOR BIO:

Janie Chang’s novels have been Canadian national bestsellers and nominated for international literary awards. Her novels often draw from family history as well as history, with tales of ancestors who encountered dragons, ghosts, and immortals. Her debut novel, THREE SOULS, was a finalist for the 2014 BC Book Prizes Fiction award; DRAGON SPRINGS ROAD, her second book, was a Globe and Mail national bestseller. Both were nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award. Her third book, THE LIBRARY OF LEGENDS, was a Book of the Month Club selection and a Globe and Mail national bestseller. Her upcoming novel, THE PORCELAIN MOON, releases in February 2023. THE PHOENIX CROWN, a novel she is co-authoring with Kate Quinn will be out in late 2023. Janie lives on the beautiful West Coast of British Columbia, Canada.