What to Do When Your Characters Can’t Do Much with Ayşe Papatya Bucak
Saturday, February 7, 2026
4-5:15pm ET
Virtual (Zoom)
$25
The first lecture in our 2026 Lecture Series takes place Saturday, February 7, from 4-5:15pm ET with Ayşe Papatya Bucak, author of OS #255, “Good Fortune.” Papatya will be lecturing on character agency.
What to Do When Your Characters Can’t Do Much: Writing Character Agency and Its Absence
A common bit of workshop wisdom is to give your characters agency. But how much agency do we really have in life? What should we do when we are faced with characters who seem trapped—in history, in a warming world, in a relationship, in a system or institution that is much larger and more powerful than they are? This lecture will discuss how to make such characters and stories compelling even when acts of individual heroism are out of reach.
This is part of our 2026 Lecture Series. You can purchase the entire series by going here.
About Ayşe Papatya Bucak:
Ayşe Papatya Bucak is the author of the collection The Trojan War Museum which was awarded the Spotlight Award by the Story Prize. Her stories have been reprinted in the O. Henry and Pushcart Prize anthologies, and she has received support from Yaddo, MacDowell, and other institutions. She lives in South Florida, where she teaches at Florida Atlantic University. Her novel The Anatolian Monster is forthcoming from W.W. Norton.
How It Works
When you register, you’ll be enrolled in a portal on Thinkific, our online learning platform, which will give you access to the Zoom link for the lecture along with any reading you’ll need to complete in advance of the class. This is also where the videos will be uploaded after the lectures take place.
FAQ
When can I register for this class?
Registration is open now and will remain open throughout the year.
Will I be able to interact with the lecturers?
Yes. Students will be able to ask questions and chat with lecturers during the live lectures. There will be no instructor engagement once the lecture concludes.
How much time will the class take?
Each lecture runs between one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes.
Can I take the class on my phone?
Yes, the class can be taken on a phone.
Do you offer financial aid or scholarships for this class?
If the cost of the class is a significant burden, please email edu.support@one-story.com
Will the lecture be recorded?
Yes. Visit the Thinkific portal to watch a recording of the lecture once it concludes. Students will have access to the portal with the recording for one year after the purchase date.
Discounts & Policies
Our online classes are designed to be safe spaces for all who participate. One Story will not tolerate hate speech, bullying, or harassment directed toward instructors or fellow students, and reserves the right to remove participants who engage in such behavior from our classes.
Refund Policy: One Story class payment is non-refundable after the class’s start date. For this class, refunds are no longer available after February 5, 2026. For questions about the refund policy, or if you are unable to take the class after you have registered, please contact maribeth@one-story.com.
If you have any questions, please contact edu.support@one-story.com.
