What You Will Learn!
- Learn to read short stories for both content and context
- Become familiar with the short story structure and how authors manipulate it to suit their needs
- Identify literary devices such as similes, metaphors, and personification to make the reading experience more enjoyable and informative
- Become adept at using strategies such as prediction to enhance the reading experience
- Find or reignite one's love of reading
Description
This course is especially for personal development although there are some academic components.
It will be up to the student to determine how in-depth they want to delve into the assignments. They can simply enjoy or they can dig deep.
Reading short stories is more than reading. It is about engaging with the material, the author, the structure, and literary devices that amplify and deepen our understanding and appreciation.
We will be reading a number of short stories, three older stories from famous authors and two stories by yours truly.
We will be looking at the basic short story structure as well as elements and literary devices used by authors, including hyperbole, prediction, imagery, allusion, satire, personification, mood, foreshadowing, similes, in media res, and much more.
The primary goal, however, is to spark enthusiasm in the process of reading. By looking for and extracting more meaning and connections within various texts, the more we can grow and celebrate not only the story we are reading but the whole network of knowledge around fiction – and non-fiction!
We also discover a lot about ourselves through the thoughts and ideas of others.
It is truly incredible how healing learning can be, and learning through fiction can be as simple or as complex as we like.
My wish is for students to fully enjoy the stories while, at the same time, exploring arenas they might never have broached otherwise – not only the stories we cover but in their future reading endeavors as well.
Who Should Attend!
- Students who want to learn more about short story structure and devices in a fun, informal setting
- Anyone with an enthusiasm to open up to new ideas and constructs
- People who want to expand their horizons through reading
- Learners who like to experience a variety of authors and writing styles