Samantha is a 25-year-old fiction writer pursuing an MFA at the prestigious Warren University. Growing up in a working-class town, she feels isolated in the elite academic environment. She possesses a vivid imagination and relies heavily on Ava to maintain her distance from the popular clique in her program.

Ava is Samantha's fiercely loyal best friend. She dropped out of an elite art school and now works at a nature lab organizing dead bugs. Wearing a punk aesthetic that includes black mesh gloves, she acts as a firm non-conformist who vehemently dislikes the wealthy students at Warren. She provides Samantha with a safe haven away from the university.

A wealthy fiction student in the Warren MFA program and a member of the elite Bunnies clique. Known by her real name Kira, she has curly red hair and writes fairy tales about wolf princes and demon girls. The other members of the clique treat her somewhat like a pet, though she occasionally reaches out to Samantha.

A member of the Bunnies clique in the Narrative Arts department, also known as Caroline. She adopts a hyper-feminine aesthetic by wearing pearls and dressing like a cupcake. In the workshop, she writes postfeminist dialogues featuring herself and kitchen appliances.

A member of the Bunnies clique, real name Victoria. She maintains a punk-inspired look and possesses a blunt, candid personality. Her experimental stories often feature shocking, visceral imagery involving beastly women or Disney princesses.

A member of the Bunnies clique, also known as Eleanor. She projects the aura of an aristocratic goddess and writes puzzling prose on panes of glass using a diamond she keeps around her neck. She frequently challenges Samantha's sincerity in social settings.

A talented poetry student at Warren University who receives a stipend rather than relying on family wealth. Recovering from an addiction, he maintains a gentle, amicable demeanor and drives slowly in a car he calls the Whale. He offers a grounded contrast to the university's pretentious atmosphere.

Max is a young man who becomes a lodger at Ava's house. He acts as a performance artist with an intense personality and an enigmatic project involving Warren University. He listens to the Cramps and enjoys tango dancing. He has a magnetic effect on the women around him.

An experimental novelist and the professor for the Narrative Arts workshop at Warren University. Known by her real name Ursula, she utilizes academic, feminist rhetoric to critique her students' work. She treats the workshop space with a pretentious reverence.

Samantha's thesis advisor at Warren, real name Alan. He wears industrial rock band T-shirts and possesses a tattooed appearance. He shows genuine concern for Samantha's writing progress, though their dynamic is strained by a past evening of awkward oversharing.

A boy Samantha liked during her high school years. They bonded over reading Dante by candlelight and performing as a murdered husband and wife in a school play, though he ultimately pursued another girl for prom.

A professor in the poetry program at Warren University and Fosco's husband. He maintains a predatory reputation among the students, using nonverbal cues to signal inappropriate interest.