Growing Literary Tools
Summary
Literary devices allow fiction writers to manipulate language in a convincing manner that guides the reader. They cannot be blatant but must weave a flawless storytelling. This eight-part course succinctly examines the techniques of 1) General tools such as emphasizers, symbolism, allegory, analogy, prologue, epilogue, exposition, description, narration, transitions, 2) Characterizing tools as action (body language), dialogue, internalization, diction, syntax, exaggeration, understatement, subtext 3) Plotting tools such as story structure, suspense, foreshadowing, pacing, scene-sequel, goal-motivation-reaction and 4) Language tools such as imagery, simile, metaphor, irony, paradox, satire, juxtaposition, subjective vs. objective voice, active vs. passive, simple vs. complex words, expansion & reduction, author’s ultimate voice
Course Outline
- Session One: Tools of Emphasizers, Symbolism, Allegory, Analogy, Prologue, Epilogue
- Session Two: Tools of Exposition, Description, Narration, Transitions
- Session Three: Character Tools of Action (body language), Dialogue, Internalization
- Session Four: Character Tools of Diction, Syntax, Exaggeration, Understatement, Subtext
- Session Five: Plot Tools of Story Structure, Suspense, Foreshadowing, Pacing
- Session Six: Plot Tools of Scene-Sequel, Goal-Motivation-Reaction. POV, Subplot Weave
- Session Seven: Language of Imagery, Metaphor, Simile, Irony, Paradox, Satire, Juxtaposition
- Session Eight: Language of Subjective vs. Objective, Active vs. Passive, Simple vs. Complex Words
Speaker
Sally J Walker - Born to poor farm folk in the little rural community of Exira, Iowa, Sally attended many schools in western Iowa and the Omaha, Nebraska, area. She eventually graduated from Papillion (NE) High School then nursing school at the University of Albuquerque and, eventually received a BFA in Creative Writing back at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. That degree was accomplished while working full-time as a Critical Care/ER nurse and raising a very active family of three daughters with her engineer husband. Adeptly juggling family, nursing, civic and Episcopal church responsibilities.
Sally founded in 1985 and has conducted the weekly meetings of the eclectic Nebraska Writers Workshop www.nebraskawritersworkshop.info to feed her own hunger for in-depth knowledge and skills. The Workshop has grown from a few tentative members to over 50 confidently publishing and produced writers. Her own goal-oriented writing ethic has resulted in a vitae packed with novels, short stories, poetry, magazine articles, stage plays, screenplays and a variety of writing seminars. From 2000 through 2018 she worked part-time as Editorial Director at a small publishing company, The Fiction Works, and as Script Supervisor for its affiliated Misty Mountain Productions www.mistymountainproductions.com.
After retiring from her nursing career of over 30 years, she was elected president of a state-wide writers organization, serving 2007-2011. Besides maintaining her heavy writing schedule, since 1987 she has taught on-site and on-line seminars for a variety of venues and in fall of 2017 took the position of Professor of Screenwriting for Omaha’s Metropolitan Community College. In Fall of 2018 she signed with the publishing company Author Academy Elite.
http://www.sallyjwalker.com