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July, August & September

Summer 2025

Reasons to study stories are many, from exposing ourselves to different people and cultures to deepening our empathy and becoming more inclusive and tolerant. Stories communicate identity, belonging and purpose; they expand imagination, challenge beliefs and enhance memory.

Character, setting, plot (conflict), and theme are the basic elements that work together to create a story’s structure. Without any one of these components, a story will fall flat, and changing any one of these can dramatically affect a story's impact. Imagine then how better utilizing these elements in our personal narratives might improve what and how we document!

In January, February and March we’ll read about and practice character description and development. The people, animals, or creatures that interact in the story, often play roles of protagonist, antagonist, and villain.

During March, April and May we turn our attention to setting—the time, location and context of a story, which includes an overarching setting and as well as smaller locations of interest and import.

The summer months of July, August and September is when we will break down scenes and series of actions or events that occur, allowing the storyline to unfold along with consequences and lessons learned!

Understanding and communicating the story's overall message or big idea is the theme, which will be our focus in October, November and December. Common themes are good vs. evil, love, coming of age, courage and perseverance, family or freedom, hope and beauty.

None of us truly know what happens next in our own stories, but we can be sure that what we learn and share together here will help us live whatever happens next with more intention and compassion. I’m so glad you are a part of us!

Rote the Quote

Each season we work on memorizing powerful and positive words.
Before each live session, we read and eventually recite (until they are rote) the words of a quote.