Ever had the desire to express yourself in writing with more than 144 characters but maybe weren't sure of your ability?
If that's the case then you might want to consider signing up for Selkirk College's first university level Arts and Sciences course to be offered in Trail in years when local author and Selkirk instructor, Almeda Glenn Miller, presents first year university, Creative Writing 100, at Selkirk's Trail campus in February.
“We see Trail as being a community that would appreciate having these kinds of courses,” said David Feldman, chair of University Arts and Sciences for Selkirk. “The trick is finding out who wants what. This offering is kind of putting out a feeler.”
The first semester course will give participants the opportunity to explore their own writing voice in fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction and will be presented in a workshop format with the other writers in the program and allow them to develop their writing skills.
“We held Creative Writing 100 and 101 in Nelson last year and it was hugely successful,” said Miller. “It's great to have the opportunity to have it in Trail.”
Writers will also have the chance to become more comfortable with presenting their work, as well as learning how to give feedback to their classmates.
“One of the goals of the course is to help people to learn to read more closely,” said Miller. “They can learn to read like writers, as opposed to reading like readers.”
As part of the program writers will be reading the work of contemporary Canadian poets, B.C., Canadian, and American authors as well as delving into some of the First Nations and South American writers.
“We'll be studying some of the rule breakers, the change makers,” Miller said. “But, of course, the main focus of the program is to write.”
The course starts Feb. 20, will be held Thursday nights from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. over 16 weeks and is open to writers of all ages.
As this is a university transfer level course it is recommended to have a Grade 12 level of English or permission from the instructor in order to have the best opportunity to enjoy and benefit from the program.
“This course may be of interest to high school students who have completed their studies early and are looking to gain some university level credits before going into college in the fall,” said Miller. “And it could be something that a more mature writer would like to explore to further their skills. It's nice to have the mix of experience in a course like this because sometimes the older people have more stories to tell.”
Anyone interested in registering for this course can contact Rachel Walker at rwalker@selkirk.ca or (250) 365-1233. For questions about course content or to inquire about permission from the instructor, contact Almeda Glenn Miller at amiller@selkirk.ca or (250) 365-1437.