I was pondering over what I wanted to blog about this week. Struggling with writer's block…again. “What do I believe in? What am I for?” That kind of thing!
And then it came to me;
I’d just finished creating a reading comprehension for one of my English students, considering how I wanted him to analyse the more technical literary aspects of the novels that he was studying.
Ultimately, the aim was for him to evaluate the intended impact on the reader.
It got me thinking about why we love stories so much and how clever writers are in using imagery and symbolism….to draw us in and take us on a journey.
We know that stories are used in advertising to hook consumers and we have personally witnessed the power of a good film or book that has reduced us to tears or left us laughing for days after.
I could even bet at some point in your life you’ve probably imagined yourself in the shoes of, or even as a character in your favourite story.
Many of you may have gone a step further and whilst sitting in a theatre space, have experienced an almost total immersion in the world of the play. I remember coming home from a play a couple of years ago, where the setting had been the bar in a public house. Whilst sipping my pint of lager along with the rest of the audience, I watched a story unfold that ended in a fatal brawl. It took me a day or so to separate fiction from reality as it had such a powerful impact on me. It also left me thinking about how I had been so close to getting up and holding one of the actors back from hurting the other. What would my response have been if this was real life? I was horrified by the outcome of the play and self-reflection became a huge part of analysing the effect that it had on me.
But it doesn’t necessarily have to be something tragic that prompts us to reflect. It could be funny or romantic or mysterious or exciting.
Storytelling is one of the key tools that Quest Challenges uses in its design.
The quest experience engages participants by giving them a purpose/role in the story and offers opportunities for interaction with characters as well as self-reflection after the quest has been completed. Ultimately, the aim is to immerse the participants in the world of the story to a point where creativity and productivity are enhanced and self-confidence and resilience embedded through a process of self-actualisation and reflection.
It is always good to back up one’s claims with some research so, I would like to share this article that I discovered today;
"Here’s what the research shows about how storytelling can impact our identity, along with the potential therapeutic effects of exploring fictional worlds." (verywell mind)
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