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How to Be a Book Dragon - September 5 - October 24

Have you ever wondered how writers weave their stories? Is there a secret formula that all stories share? Do writers bury clues so curious and clever readers can uncover what lies beneath the surface of their story?

We explore these questions as we learn how to think about literature and how to engage in the “Great Conversation” that has inspired writers, readers, and philosophers for millennia to ponder what it means to be human and what makes a good life. You begin to recognize and understand common literary devices, symbols, themes, character archetypes, plot structure, and more.

Finally, we learn how writers make their words come alive by paying attention to how storytellers craft sentences.

We're not practicing to be bookworms — we are training to be book dragons.

Location

Online via webcam

General info

Age:
Children (7-12 years old)
Teenagers (13-17 years old)
Student level:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Duration:
60 minutes
The class is taught in:English

About Me

Rippy is the fearless captain of Tumbleweed Writers, offering classes in literature, writing, and public speaking. She also dotes on libraries. As her children were growing up, she wondered if there was a way she could continue spending her days reading the mountain of books she had collected during their homeschooling years. In a burst of creativity, she designed several classes she believed would benefit and delight young people.

Genuinely, she wants to help a new generation of thinkers, readers, and writers. Imagining tumbleweeds jiggling, wiggling, and possibly even giggling as they fly across empty fields, she named her company after this thistle when she realized it could be a metaphor for writers who are often a bit clumsy and wild with ideas and words before finally tumbling freely and ferociously. Rippy creates a safe and inspired space for her students, who she nicknames 'tumbleweeds', where she brightly engages them in online classes.

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Honors Anthropology
University of Alberta, Canada

Master of Arts, International Politics of Development (unfinished)
Queen's University, Canada
Awarded full scholarship and completed all course work with honours
Incomplete thesis

Experience / Qualifications

Educator
Tumbleweed Writers

Substitute Teacher
American School of the Hague

Desk Editor
Brill Publishing

Teaching Assistant
Queen's University

Education Consultant
Global TESOL College

Reviews (1)

Rippy brings a creative and engaging spin to teaching my son. She also has a pleasant and patient demeanor which helps in the learning process. My son looks forward to and is interested in his tutoring time.
Writing can be hard work. You know what you want to say, but when you try to write down your ideas, your brain starts to hurt. Sometimes you don't know how to get started, or you get stuck. Perhaps you've toiled away, trying to capture your idea, only to realize your paragraph seems horribly dull. Most writers wrestle with these issues but learn ways to make the writing process less painful. I can help you pick up a few tricks of the trade, so you too don't have to suffer (as much). Learn how to take notes, make outlines, give presentations, craft clear sentences, compose focused paragraphs, draft stories and essays, and edit. Next time you are faced with a writing assignment, you’ll know the little steps you need to make for the task to be much more manageable. -- Please see the listings for my online classes at Tumbleweed Writers: How to Be a Writer How to Be a Book Dragon Essay Writing 101 Keeping a Commonplace Book

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Availability of a typical week

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from £52.82Online via webcam

Good-fit Instructor Guarantee


If you are not satisfied after your first lesson, Apprentus will find you another instructor or will refund your first lesson.

Online reputation

  • Instructor since February 2020
  • 1 repeat student
  • Phone number verified
  • Google connected

Availability of a typical week

(GMT -04:00) New York
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from £52.82Online via webcam

Good-fit Instructor Guarantee


If you are not satisfied after your first lesson, Apprentus will find you another instructor or will refund your first lesson.

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