Famous Last Words: Week 15

This week I finally finished my novel!!! It seemed like I'd never make it to 50,000. I stayed up all night finishing it, but it's done. I can't really describe how relieved I feel. It'll be nice to read over it and edit during Christmas break. Now that I don't have deadlines for it, I think I'll be able to actually enjoy it.

I'm done with classes, but I have work until the 16th. Then I'm free! I hope everyone survives finals week. Luckily, as a writing major, I don't have any finals. I just have tons of writing. I finished my novel, wrote my last storybook entry, and now all I have left is a 15-page paper.

The paper is for my Arthurian Legend class. I'm doing a report on the Excalibur Hotel & Casino. In reality there is no reason why the paper should be 15 pages long. I could easily tell you everything you'd ever want to know in about 8, but those are the requirements. Honestly though, 15 pages is nothing after writing a novel. I find it easier to write academic papers, because (for me) it takes less mental energy. It's exhausting when I do creative writing.

Now that I'm done with my novel I can concentrate more on my internship. I write blog posts for a website called HelloHappyness.

My author's bio
(Personal screenshot)

The purpose of the site is to bring a smile or a laugh to peoples' days. Click on the link above if you'd like to check out my author's page on the site. It would be amazing if I could get a job writing these types of posts after I graduate. I like the idea of creating my own schedule and I already watch these types of videos so I might as well get paid for it!

Week 15 Review

My favorite thing from today's announcements was The Tunnel. As the semester draws to a close I can't think of a more apt picture. 

Light at the End
(Source: The Tunnel)

Reading

I really enjoyed the Biblical units. I read about Noah and the Ark, but my favorite stories involved Adam and Eve. It was cool to see stories about them that weren't from the Bible, which were the only version I'd heard of them.

I found it easiest to write comment for my diaries as I read the stories, because I would forget little parts and moments that I enjoyed. I think that the class did a good job of creating a balance between reading, writing, and commenting. I did feel like a storytelling post each week was a little overwhelming, but I was also doing a lot of writing in my other classes so it might just have been me.

I would suggest that future students look ahead and decide which units they want to explore. Not only will it make each week easier to start, but it will also get you excited for the coming weeks.

Reflections

I'm pleased with how fun and interactive this class was. I'm proud of the storybook I was able to create. I think it's awesome that this class has given me something that will last long after the semester is over.

I liked learning about all sorts of myths and legends. I was able to re-read some stories, but also finally read some classics, like Beowulf.

I can see myself better utilizing legends and famous stories as spring boards for my writing in the future. I didn't realize how fun it could be to re-imagine and give my own spin on classic stories.

Google Timer Tech Tip

I had never heard of the Google Timer before today. I know that my roommate always times himself for assignments, but it has never really appealed to me.

(Screenshot from my writing session)

I tried using this timer for a short bit of writing I had to do today. I set the timer for 20 minutes and went for it. Surprisingly it actually did help a little bit. It helped to know that I probably shouldn't look at my phone or text a friend for the next few minutes because I was on the clock. I can see this being something I use in the future.

Extra Reading Diary: Hans Christian Andersen

Extra Reading Diary: Hans Christian Andersen

I have heard of Hans Christian Anderson, but I don't actually know much about him. It looks like I've read or been read some of his stories before, but it's been a long time. I look forward to getting reacquainted with his work.

The Princess and the Pea: I read this story when I was younger. I remember it fairly well, but this might be a different version. I'm excited to find out. This wasn't the version that I read. This one was much more direct and simple. There wasn't a lot to the story, but it obviously provided a good base for people to write from.

Princess On Her Bed
(illustration by Dulac)

The Wicked Prince: Wow, I've never read anything quite like this story. In the beginning the story had a very realistic feel to it, until the Prince decided to try and kill God. It's a very interesting concept. The story didn't proceed or end like I thought it would. How the mighty was brought down by a single sting.

Week 14 Review

My favorite thing on the announcements this week was the Phonetic Etymology section. I thought the graphic was funny and clever. My favorite one was the pylon!

Phonetic Etymology
By John Atkinson, at his Wrong Hands blog

To look at more of these, go to John Atkinson's blog, Wrong Hands. 

Famous Last Word: Week 14

This week I reached the 44,000 mark on my novel! I only have 6,000 words left! It's going to be such a relief to have my story done. I like my story, but I feel like I've had to rush each week. Once I'm done I'm going to have to go back and make a lot of edits and improvements. There are a few scenes that I want to make longer and a couple that probably need to be trimmed down. There's also a lot more description of the setting that I'd like to add to make the world come to life more.

There is already one girl in my class who has finished her novel, made her edits, and self-published on Kindle. I'm happy for her but it makes me feel really behind. But most people in class are where I'm at, so we can commiserate with each other.

I plan on editing during Christmas break. I hope to have mine published before I graduate in May. I'll send it off to a few places, but if it doesn't get picked up by any publishers, I'll put it on Kindle too. I like the idea of self-publishing. It gives the author a lot more control.

I'm also going to work on my cover for my book. I have an idea of what I want, but I'm not the best artist. I'm currently trying to decide if I'd like to take a picture and manipulate it in Photoshop or if I should just pay someone to draw it for me. The name of my book (right now, it's subject to change) is Spark. My idea is to have two hands facing each other with a flame between them. It symbolizes an important part of my story.

Watch out for my book, (hopefully) coming Spring 2016!

Reading Diary B: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman)

Reading Diary A: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman)

I'm excited about reading the second part of this unit. There are quite a few stories that I haven't heard of and just from the title they seem very interesting. I'm expecting some great stories!

Eve's Unequal Children: I read the Adam and Eve unit early on in the semester so it's nice to come full circle and find out a little bit more about their story. I think this story is an interesting take on people's destiny. Not everyone can be the king or president, but there have to be the lower-class workers. Although it seems unfair to me that it is that way, there is no changing it. I enjoyed this story and it had an outcome that I did not expect. I thought that the Lord would be angry with Eve for hiding away her ugly children.

Eve and Her Unequal Children
(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

The Peasant and the Devil:  I really enjoyed this story. It's not often that you hear of the devil being tricked. It's usually the other way around. I like that the roles of trickster were switched in this story. And since the peasant is an underdog, the reader will immediately be rooting for him, even if he is a clever trickster.

Reading Diary A: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman)

Reading Diary A: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman)

I've heard of the Brothers Grimm, but haven't actually read any of their stories. There are some obvious stories in this unit that I've already read, but I think I'd like to focus on the ones that are unfamiliar to me.

The Wolf and Seven Young Kids: I honestly thought it was going to be about human children, not goats, but really that's my bad. As always I'm tempted to read anything that has the mention of wolves and this story was no exception. Besides the mention of the wolf, the number of goats also immediately got me interested. I like stories that deal with important numbers, like three or seven. The seven dwarfs and the three beds that Goldilocks tries out are two examples of this. I first of all liked how the wolf was able to disguise his voice. I'd be interested to see if eating chalk is an old-wives tale for softening your voice. My favorite sentence of the story was: "'If you will not do it, I will eat you up.' That frightened the miller, and he made his paw white for him. Yes, that is the way people are." I like that the author is telling a story but also making a comment on society at the same time. I liked how the story ended, really I liked the story from beginning to end.

The Wolf and Seven Young Kids
Source: Wikipedia Commons

 Little Red Cap: I know I said I wanted to concentrate on newer stories, to me at least, but I have a soft spot for Little Red Riding Hood. I love that there are so many different variations to the story and each one has something special about it. This story was very similar to the first story I wrote about. It seems that everyone that's eaten by a wolf can but cut out and saved!

I enjoyed this unit and I look forward to reading the second half in my next Reading Diary post!

Extra Reading Diary: Europa's Fairy Book

Extra Reading Diary: Europa's Fairy Book

I love fairy tales so I'm looking forward to reading half of this unit. It sounds like the author mix and matched different stories and made them his own. It sounds exactly like what we do in this class so I think it'll be cool to see the differences and his techniques.

Beauty and the Beast: I've seen Disney's Beauty and the Beast, but I had never read the story before. This story was a bit less dramatic than Disney's. The way that Belle ended up with the Beast was interesting, but not that great. I did like how Belle found Beast in his garden at the end. This story makes much more sense with the rose, because it's explained in the beginning.

Beauty and the Beast
Source: Europa's Fairy Book by Joseph Jacobs and illustrated by John Batten (1916)

The Language of Animals: I love reading stories about talking animals so I'm very excited to read this story. Ah, I loved this story. I think it's so cool that Jack could understand animals. It made for a very great power since it didn't seem that anyone else could tell what they were saying. I like how the beginning of the story tied perfectly into the end. I also liked that there was a happy ending for Jack and his family.

Reading Diary B: Dante's Inferno

Reading Diary B: Dante's Inferno

I've enjoyed this unit so far and I'm looking to see the rest of Dante's journey. His interpretations have been interesting and I'm expecting more of the same.

Jason and the Demons: I found it interesting how Dante incorporated mythology into what mainly seems to be a Christianized story.  I really liked the exchange that Virgil had with the demons. It was cool to see the demons have some actually dialogue because I feel they are often depicted as mindless evil doers. I hope the story goes into more detail about the hierarchy of demons in Hell.

Structure of Hell
Source: (illustration by di Fruosino)

Satan: I loved the author's description of seeing Lucifer. It was such a striking image. The imagery reminded me of the book of Revelation. There are so many different ways to interpret the symbols. I also liked the Judas was depicted in this story. I think he's an interesting character to explore. In this story it wasn't going too well for him in Hell with Satan.

Reading Diary A: Dante's Inferno

Reading Diary A: Dante's Inferno

I've heard a lot about this story, but I have never read it. I think it's such an interesting concept and I'm excited to explore it. I think that we all wonder what the other side of life will be like and it's cool to see one person's imagining of it. I like afterlife stories as much as I like origin stories. We're in the middle of our life, but I always wonder about the beginning and the end.

Dante and Virgil: I quite liked the beginning of this story. I think it's such an accurate depiction of life when you become self-aware. I think the image I selected is haunting because I think we've all felt lost in the woods with no way out. The story was a little hard to follow just because of the language, but I enjoyed it all the same. I'm interested to see where Virgil is taking Dante.

Lost Man
Source: (illustration by Gustave Doré)

The Gate of Hell and Charon: I think it's interesting how Dante mixes Christian and Greco-Roman ideas of Hell. I think the author was clever by using his characters to explain the situation, so reader could better understand the story's meaning. The depiction of the underworld was very haunting and I was struck up the imagery. I truly felt like I was along with Dante for his journey.

Extra Reading Diary: Russian Folktales

Extra Reading Diary: Russian Folktales

I've enjoyed every folktale unit that I've read so far. I think that I'll like this unit too. I'm interested to see what type of stories the Russians focus on. I'm expecting some pretty grim stories for some reason.

The Dead Mother: Well I guess I was right about the dark/grim stories. I'm impressed by how much story was crammed in into a very short text. I wonder why this is a story that was told often. I suppose that long ago there were more deaths during childbirth. This is quite a haunting story for mothers to hear.

Grave of Dead Mother
Source: Wikipedia Commons

The Treasure: I really liked this story. I thought it was interesting to see that the pope was actually the greedy one in the story. I also liked how the story ended. I think having justice served in the end is the best part. The setting felt distinctly Russian. I think it was mainly that it took place in winter. That really solidified the Russian aspect for me. I think the author did a great job of crafting the story. 

Reading Diary B: Beowulf

Reading Diary B: Beowulf

The really enjoyed the first half of this unit, so I'm expecting great things from the second half. I like Beowulf's character and I'm hoping that he doesn't meet a tragic end.

The Arrival of the Dragon: I liked how the author described the peaceful period for Beowulf and his people. It was crucial to paint a very happy picture, so this next adventure could come in and break that up. The way the story is going reminds me of The Hobbit. There is a big dragon with a lot of gold and now the king is going to try to take it from him. I'm interested to see how Beowulf approaches the situation.

My favorite character in this section was the stranger who brought the news to Beowulf. He was described perfectly and his character ushered in a new challenge for the King.

The Dragon
Source: illustration by A. R. Skelton

Battle with the Dragon: The detail in describing the dragon was incredible. I felt like I was really there watching the battle. I'm impressed with the description of the battle also. I wondered how Beowulf was going to fight and I got my answer. I think my hope that Beowulf would not have a tragic ending is not going to be fulfilled, but maybe he'll surprise me!

The End of Beowulf: Well he did have a tragic ending, but at least the dragon was defeated. I like that Beowulf stayed true to himself until the end, unlike the other barons. His legend lives on! I quite enjoyed this entire unit and I'm glad I finally got to read this full story.

Reading Diary A: Beowulf

Reading Diary A: Beowulf

I don't know much about the story of Beowulf. I didn't get a chance to read it in high school so I'm excited that I'm finally getting the chance to do so. I know that there was a movie made about it maybe five or so year ago, so I'd be interested in watching that this week while I read the unit! I'm hoping that the "wulf" means that there are going to be some werewolves, but I won't hold my breath.

King Hygelac of Geatsland: I'm already in love with the setting the storyteller has described. There are so many places that this story could go. The kingdom that they described reminded me a little bit of the Eragon series. Although this is a short story, it sets the rest of the unit up perfectly. I know exactly what type of characters I'm dealing with. And I know the types of problems that they are likely to run into. I'm excited to continue.

Ship At Sea
Source: The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933)

The Young Beowulf: The thing that strikes me about the stories in this unit is the beautiful descriptions. I'm a fan of Beowulf at the moment, because he seems so misunderstood. Even though he is really strong, he is king of the underdog because so many people are against him. I look forward to seeing where Beowulf goes in this story. There are only a few lines that let the reader into Beowulf's mind, but they give a perfect description of his thoughts and I feel like I'm on his side and I know how he operates. That just shows the skill of the storyteller for being able to get readers to like his characters so quickly.

Extra Reading Diary: Czech Folktales

Extra Reading Diary: Czech Folktales

I like all types of folktales and since I don't know much about Czech culture I think it would be interesting to explore their stories. I'm hoping for/expecting witches or vampires to make at least one appearance!

The Bear, the Eagle, and the Fish: My favorite line of this story was: "All of them were young and as pretty as peacocks..." I loved this story! There weren't witches, but their was a magician so I was partially right. I like stories that happen in threes. There were three daughters. There were three animals who wed them. I thought the story was going to be over when the count gave away all of his daughters, but I was excited to see that was not the case. My favorite character in the story was the brother. He could have disregard what happened to sisters he did not even know, but he went after them and brought peace to the kingdom. This may be the best folktale I've read all semester.

Czech castle,
photo by B. Henak

Kojata: The first paragraph of this story had me laughing. The line, "he forgot that his wife was about to have a child," is hilarious. I like how the author incorporated numbers into the story. I really enjoyed this story. I'm going to have to read more Czech folktales. I like that there was a happy ending and I think the way the prince and his love escaped her father was perfectly told.

Reading Diary B: King Arthur

Reading Diary B: King Arthur

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the King Arthur unit. I've read some of these stories before, but there are a couple that I'm not familiar with. This second part of the unit looks interesting because it focuses more on the adventures or Arthur's knights.

Sir Galahad and the White Knight: I like the story of Sir Galahad, because he is such a worthy knight.   I feel like he is one of those people that so many prophecies are written about. He is a central character that is able to do many things that others cannot. I also like that the shield in the story can only be worn by the worthiest knight in the land, not the strongest or the smartest. Arthurian Legends, especially when it comes to the Grail Quest, are more focused on being worthy than being powerful. I think these concepts give the stories a very appealing nature.

Sir Galahad Opens Tomb
Source: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902)

The End of Arthur: I really enjoyed this part of the Arthurian story. I think this story about Arthur is so interesting because it allows the legend to live on. Arthur goes off to some mystical land (Avalon) to be healed and now we're all waiting for his return. I think it's a perfect non-conclusion to such an epic story. Even Lancelot and Guinevere are given satisfying endings. But ARTHUR LIVES ON!

Reading Diary A: King Arthur

Reading Diary A: King Arthur

The Drawing of the Sword: I've read this story before in my Arthurian Legend class and I liked it just as much the second time. I think my favorite part is that Arthur did not even strive to become king, but rather fell into it on accident while trying to help his "brother." I really like that when Arthur found out that he was king, he was more upset that Sir Ector wasn't his father than happy to be crowned. I also like the character Merlin. He popped up for a bit in this story, but I'm hoping there are some more stories involving him in his unit.

The Drawing of the Sword
Source:  King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902)

The Passing of Merlin: I like that even though Merlin knows the fate that will befall him he does nothing to stop it. He accepts his fate. I'm not sure if that shows how much he loved this woman or how foolish he is. I would have liked to see what Merlin's reaction was to the betrayal, but I suppose we'll never know. I like that Vivien, even though she was Merlin's apprentice was able to overpower the most powerful wizard. I have a thing for underdogs. I think that this would be an interesting story to use for my storytelling post this week. I think a woman using a man to get what she wants is a storyline that I'd like to explore.

Week 10 Review

I liked today's Words of Wisdom. It was, "As you make your bed, so you must lie on it." As with most things, it sounds better in French - "Comme on fait son lit, on se couche."

For me, it's really about dealing with the consequences of your decisions. Once you've acted, you have to accept and navigate the outcome.

Sleepy Cat
Source: Flickr girlonaglide

Extra Reading Diary: Marriage Tales

Extra Reading Diary: Marriage Tales

I'm continuing my reading of marriage tales for my Extra Reading Diary. I enjoyed the first half of the unit and I expect the second half will be just as great!

The Dog-Husband: When I read this title I was a little suspicious that it could have to do with werewolves, but I thought it was probably just my imagination. But I was right! Although the story doesn't mention werewolves, there are humans who can turn into dogs. I thought it was a very clever and interesting idea to have the main character have a man (werewolf) lover who stayed disguised in his dog form so he could be with her. It was a bit uncomfortable when the children were born as dogs, but I guess that played into the story later. Overall, I really liked this concept.

The Youth Who Joined The Deer: This story was nothing like I expected. These shapeshifter stories never end! I thought this story was amazing. I did find it odd that the man like deer so much at first and yet he still killed them. But it fit in perfectly with the ending of the story. I think this is a beautiful way to look at nature. I also found the concept interesting that deer would sacrifice themselves for their people, but they were always revived. I think it would be an interesting concept if a deer volunteered to be killed, but someone stole his bones so they couldn't bring him back. These marriage tale stories are right up my alley!

Deer
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Reading Diary A: Marriage Tales

Reading Diary A: Marriage Tales

I'm always interested in how different cultures look at love and marriages. In today's society we are so used to the idea of people having soulmates that the thought of an arranged marriage is barbaric. I think that it differs on the time period and it's interesting to see how people have adjusted to their cultures and customs.

The Piqued Buffalo-Wife: I found this to be an interesting story. I like stories about shapeshifters and I didn't expect this story to include it. I liked how the mother and son were both buffalos, but the father was still human. It's interesting to see that the man wasn't horrified or worried that his wife was different than him. Most people are scared of the unknown. I also like when characters have to go through a series of trials to get what they want. I can see this story being told around a bonfire, and those are my favorite kind.

Indian Woman
Source: photo by Edward Curtis

Bear-Woman and Deer-Woman: With the buffalo story, I expected this story to be similar, but was pleasantly happy to find that it wasn't. I like stories where animals interact with each other and are able to talk. I like the dimensions and character that each animal had.

Extra Reading Diary: Alaska

Extra Reading Diary: Alaska

I have family that live in Alaska, so I thought it would be interesting to learn a little bit about the history of where they live. I'm interested in seeing how Alaskan people differ from the Great Plains indians that I read about in my other units for the week. I'm hoping to read something about polar bears too, if possible!

Eskimo Girl
Source: Myths And Legends of Alaska

The Raven Myth: Raven's Creation: My favorite part of this story was the shape-shifting raven. The raven mainly focused on creating animals that would have been relevant to the Alaskan people. Whereas other stories focus on buffalo or such, this author focuses on goats and caribou. I like the idea of a raven creator. I wonder how he was made? Is he a god? I think this could be an interesting topic to explore. 

The Raven Myth: Raven Creates the People: I was particularly intrigued by the little snippet in this story about mosquitos. I think it's funny that in this story mosquitos never bit men until they were told to do so (by man himself no less!). I like that the creator, in this case the raven, is wary of man. I think it's an interesting concept when the creator is a bit horrified of what he has made. Another concept that I like his how quickly the children grew up. Do they still have the mind of a child and the body of an adult? Or do they develop that quickly mentally as well?

Reading Diary B: Great Plains

Reading Diary B: Great Plains

This is a continuation of my Great Plains reading diary. I enjoyed the first part of this unit and I'm looking forward to the second part. I'm already interested in Why The Possum Plays Dead.

Why The Possum Plays Dead: I thought this was a clever story, explaining why possums play dead. I like stories that try to give an explanation for the way things work. I also liked that the story gave each of the animals personalities. Poor possum didn't get a wife in the end, but he did pick up a helpful survival instinct.

Possum
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Coyote and Snake: It was cool to see two animals who are usually depicted at tricksters go up against one another. In this story the snake triumphs. I like that snakes attack was subtle. I could see myself using this idea for my storytelling post this week. Pitting two clever people against each other is more interesting than a fool against someone clever. My only question is why did coyote get fatter? I assume it was swelling from the snake's venom.

Rabbit and Deer: I liked this series of stories, especially the How The Deer Got His Horns story. I like the concept of animals earning their particular physical features. It also gave a funny explanation why rabbits gnaw on bushes.

Reading Diary A: Great Plains

Reading Diary A: Great Plains

I chose this unit because I live where the Great Plains used to be. I think it's important to know the history of the land you live in. I'm also basing the werewolves in my novel off of Native American culture, so I'm hoping to get some ideas from these stories.

Indians + Tepee
Source: Wikipedia Commons

The Creation: I'm always a sucker for creation stories and this one was no exception. I liked the idea of the sun and moon being the parents of humans. This story also presented a creative take on how humans got to Earth and subsequently how animals (mainly the elk) helped them live here. The Native American people were so in tune with nature that it's no surprise they saw themselves working with animals in the beginning.

Sacred Legend: This is another take on the story of creation. In this story, in the beginning humans were in the water. This story is less about creation and more about how the people learned to survive. It takes the reader from the discovery of fire to the building of tepees. There isn't much personality to this story, but I like how it gave a more clinical view of history. This is essentially their science and how they understand the world. It was fairly simple, but it gave them an origin story.

Reading Plan

Reading Plan

• Week 9 - Great Plains 
• I chose this unit because I want to know more about the Indians that live in my area of the world. 
• Week 10 - Marriage Tales
• I have never heard of marriage tales so I'm interested to see what they're about.
• Week 11 - King Arthur



The Death of King Arthur
Source: Wikipedia Commons

• I'm in an Arthurian Legend class right now, so extra reading about him will probably be helpful. 
• Week 12 - Beowulf
• Most people read this story in high school, but I didn't get the chance. Now I can. 
• Week 13 - Inferno
• I'm interested to see Dante's view of Hell.
• Week 14 - Ashliman
• The story had me hooked at Little Red Riding Hood (there's a wolf!).

Reflections: Looking Forward

I'm looking forward to seeing where my storybook project goes. I think that it'll be fun coming up with ideas for my next two stories. I'm most excited to write the modern day werewolf story. That's the type of story I'd write outside of class.

I'm also excited to continue reading other people's stories. I've looked at a few storybooks and I want to know where they go. I'm also interested to meet more people from the class as I read introductions and storytelling posts.

I'm close to where I want to be on the points chart. I'm a couple of points behind an A, but I plan on doing some extra credit to make up for some of the assignments I've missed. It's hard for me to do every storytelling assignment, because I'm already doing so much writing between my blogging internship and writing my novel.

I'd like to get done with the class early so I can focus on my other classes, but I don't see that happening. Maybe one weekend I can completely dedicate to this class and get ahead. I don't know when that would be though.

"IT'S GO TIME!" is a phrase from one of my favorite shows, Seinfeld. It's from The English Patient episode. I like to shout this at myself before I start a long assignment. With mid-terms this week, I'm sure to be doing this a lot.

Seinfeld: The English Patient - Season 8 - Episode 17
Source: YouTube Screenshot

Reflections: Looking Back

My favorite part of the class is the storybook assignment.

My Storybook
Source: My Computer (x)

I'm also writing my novel right now and it feels very overwhelming and structured, so it's nice to have a break from that. My storybook gives me a way to release a little creativity without too much pressure. It's also nice to hear positive comments about my writing. My writing classes give much harsher critiques so encouraging comments are great.

I do like reading and commenting on people's storybooks each week. I think it gives a pretty good look into some one's life after reading their introduction and one of their stories. So yes, I do feel like I am getting to know people in this class.

One thing that I've struggled with is getting a solid schedule down. I have so much reading and writing to do in my other classes that this one is easy to put off till the last minute. I enjoy it a lot more if I have time to sit down and absorb all the information.

I do most of my work for the class in my bedroom or at the library. I really enjoy not having to get up and go to class every day. Sometimes it's nice just to lay in bed and do a couple of assignments. It is much less stressful than the classroom.

Overall, I've had a great experience with this class so far!

Extra Reading Diary: Japanese Fairy Tales

Extra Reading Diary: Japanese Fairy Tales

The most interesting stories in this unit were about Kintaro or The Golden Boy. I like that he is a character that inspires a long story.

The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy:

The way that Kintaro is described in the beginning of this story reminded me of Hercules. He is also like Snow White in that he is best friends with the woodland creatures. I like the idea that he can not only talk to animals, but that he is also friends with them. The fact that all of them are about it wrestle each other is hilarious. This story made me interested to see where Kintaro's story was going to end up. 

Kintaro Doll
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Honestly this doll is really creepy, but it gives an idea of how the people of Japan see Kintaro.

The Adventures of Kintaro (cont.):

This story continues the wrestling match between the hare and the monkey. The other animals battle and it's interesting to see how the author describes each other them. Kintaro seems like a character that is almost god-like. He can do anything that he needs to do and it doesn't seem that difficult to him. I wonder if in the rest of the story he faces some great adversity. 

Japan: The Adventures of Kintaro (cont. again):

I like that we get to meet Kintaro's mother in this section of the story. It gives a little more context as to how he lives. In this section of the story, Kintaro is introduced to an outsider. He wants to arm-wrestle Kintaro. I thought that Kintaro would for sure beat him, but it seems that he was evenly matched. 

The Adventures of Kintaro (end):

The story had a satisfying conclusion. I wish that Kintaro had more adventures and his journey was more difficult for him, but I liked learning about him. I honestly kind of forgot that this legend was supposed to be taking place in Japan until they mentioned a samurai. I enjoyed this story in all of its parts. 

Reading Diary B: South African Folktales

Reading Diary B: South African Folktales

The Dance For Water: I liked this story a lot. It reminded me of the tortoise and the hare. My favorite types of characters are tricksters, because they're always so clever. Even though the rabbit in this story was caught, by his wit he was able to free himself and escape death. I also liked the idea of an animal council. It's kind of like the jungle book, where the animals all work together and have a type of governance in place. I think that could make for a good kernel to use to build my story off of.

Rabbit Footprints
Source: Pixabay

I chose this picture because it best illustrated a pivotal point in The Dance for Water story. The rabbit's footprints are what gives him away to the rest of the animals.

 Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser Than His Mother: Lions are one of my favorite animals so I was excited to read a story about them. I think this story gave a great insight into how the people of Southern Africa view lions. I like that part of the moral of the story is to listen to your mother. I also enjoyed the poem at the end of the story. I think incorporating poems and quotes into a story can give it more depth and allow more room for individual readers' interpretations.

Reading Diary A: South African Folktales

Reading Diary A: South African Folktales

I chose this unit because it focuses on the stories of animals. I think it's interesting to project human feelings and actions on animals and see what happens. I'm hoping to see some interesting plots in this unit. I'm also looking forward to reading stories with a trickster in them. The character of the trickster is one of my favorite because they're always one step ahead of the game.

The Tiger, The Ram, and The Jackal: When I saw this title I figured that The Jackal was going to be the great trickster of this story. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was the Ram and his wife that pulled off a clever trick.

Golden Jackal
Source: Wikipedia Commons

I chose this picture because the Jackal was the most interesting character throughout this unit. (The jackal kind of looks like a wolf!)

The Lion, The Jackal, and The Rope: This story reminded me of the scene in Lion King when Scar throws Mufasa into the buffalo stampede. The jackal was a real jerk in this story. I like my tricksters to have some good qualities so I can hate them, but relate to them at the same time. However, I did like how the author used the dialogue between the jackal and his wife. Going from whispering to shouting aloud was a nice touch to convey the Jackal's true intentions.

Famous Last Words: Week 6

This week I reached the third milestone for my novel. I got an 83 on my first milestone and a 96 on the second. (I haven't got the third one back yet) I'm up to a whopping 12,000 words (60 pages). I knew it was going to be hard, but I feel like I'm running out of words to say. Between this class and my internship writing blogs, I have been writing non-stop! The good thing about writing non-stop is that knocking out a 1000 words is nothing now.

I have the entire novel mapped out, but once you delve into each scene it becomes more and more complex. I'm excited about the next scene of my story because my characters are finally exiting their home and encountering the outside world. The most difficult part for me has been finding my characters voices. It's easy to have your characters react just like you would, but that doesn't create interesting and dynamic characters.

I have 4,000 words due every Wednesday and one 6,000 word assignment. I've turned in all of my assignments so far, but I need to spend more time on them so that I'm actually satisfied with their content. I like my story idea, but the deadline has decreased the quality of my work, which frustrates me.

This week I also finally got payed at my new job. I work in the OU library in the ILL department. I work four days a week and it hasn't really occurred to me that I've been earning actual money. It's nice to see that all my hard work actually earns me something. I went out to eat at Pad Thai on Boyd St. to celebrate! They have amazing chicken pad thai.

I'll keep you guys updated on my continued novel progress. Hopefully I'll publish it on Kindle and you guys can buy it! :)

Extra Reading Diary: Folklore Of Laos

Extra Reading Diary: Folklore Of Laos

I chose to read about the Folklore of Laos for my extra reading. I don't know much about Laos, other than that it's a small country in Asia. I picked the photograph below because it relates to my first story and gives a setting to the little-known country.

Luang Prabang Mountain Range
Source: Wikipedia Commons

A Child Of The Woods: There is something soft and innocent about this story that I really enjoyed. I too have felt that it'd be a relief to get away from society and live only with nature. (Honestly though I don't think I'd survive very long) I liked that this story was more rooted in nature than in magic. I think that sometimes magic can lessen the meaning of stories because it explains things away easily. The author of this story did a good job of describing the jungle and made me feel as if I was on the journey with the main character.

The Man In The Moon: My favorite part of this story was the moral: everyone wants what they don't have. I think it's easy to see all the bad things in our life rather than appreciating where we're at and all the blessings we've been given. The main character is constantly complaining of his place. He's not content to be a stone, the sun, or a blacksmith. If one is not content with themselves, they won't be content with anything they do. The ending was a little disappointing, but I understand that it needed to end the way it did to make a point.

Reading Diary B: Chinese Fairy Tales

Reading Diary B: Chinese Fairy Tales

I was most interested in reading about the foxes in this unit. There were two stories in particular that caught my attention. (I mean, foxes and wolves are closely related so I had to be interested)

Fire-Fox: I enjoyed the story of the fire-fox. I knew a little bit about the creature from Naruto, but besides that I had no context for what was going to happen. I like that although the fox was angry, he allowed the man to keep and use his powers for a while. It's easy to write characters that see black and white rather than the grey in-between. The fox left the man better off than he found him, even though the man stole from him. It had a happy ending, which I always prefer.

Nine-Tailed Fox
Source: Wikipedia

The Talking Silver Foxes: The character of the fox is very interesting to read about. I like that they are sly and like to play tricks on humans. The foxes in this story weren't treated very kindly. They were killed for the tricks they played. I like the idea of animals interacting with humans more than they normally do. The foxes in this story could talk like men, which I think would be an interesting storyline to explore. The ending was sad because the fox-spirit decided not to show itself anymore, but I liked the story overall and found it entertaining.

Reading Diary A: Chinese Fairy Tales

Reading A: Chinese Fairy Tales

Through my different readings I've decided that I prefer reading different cultures' fairy tales. I've read American Indian and Persian tales and I decided to continue the trend with Chinese fairy tales this week.

The Lady Of The Moon: I really like the author's description of the moon castle. It was an interesting place to explore. I like the idea of the moon being some type of alternate reality. It was kind of like heaven because it was so other-worldly and foreign.

I also liked the beginning of the story where it described the hero, Hou I. According to the story, he is the reason we only have one sun now. He shot down the other eight. As I've said before, I like stories that explain why the world operates the way it does today.

The Cassia Tree
Source: The Chinese Fairy Book

Why Dog And Cat Are Enemies: The title of this story immediately drew me in. I have wondered why cats are dogs don't get along and I hoped to gain a little bit of knowledge from this story. I was honestly not surprised that it was the cat's fault that the two are enemies today. The writer of the story captured the nature of both animals in their characters and provided an entertaining reason as to why cats and dogs are enemies. I think that the way the author also included the mouse into the story was very clever. It added an extra dynamic and made me laugh.

Thoughts About Comments

I think the most helpful comments that I get are on my storytelling posts. It's good to hear that people like my stories, but more specifically what they liked about my story. That way I can focus on providing that in future stories.

A lot of people were impressed/intimidated by the fact that I'm writing a novel this semester. It was helpful for me to take a step back and realize what a massive project I'm starting. Being around writers all the time, it's easy to forget what I'm doing is a pretty undertaking.

It would be helpful if more people gave critical comments so I could know what I need to improve in my writing. Besides that I have liked reading and learning from the comments that people have posted on my blog. I think that a good comment on storytelling posts is equal parts encouraging and critical. If all you do in a comment is encourage, then you're really doing the storyteller a disservice because it gives them nothing to improve upon in their next story.

I think that my comments on other people's blogs have been going well. I'm used to editing for my writing classes and this is another extension of that. I like reading people's stories and giving them feedback.

Extra Reading Diary: American Indian Fairy Tales

Extra Reading: American Indian Fairy Tales

I decided to read the Native American fairy tales this week because some of the characters in my book are based off of Native American culture. Since werewolves are pack creatures, Native American tribes were the perfect society to model them after. I thought that having my werewolves have a rich history that readers could relate too would enhance the authenticity of my story. I also thought I could get some plot ideas from these Native American fairy tales.

(Native American Camp
Source: Wikipedia Commons)

The Boy Who Snared The Sun:

This is the story that really stood out to me in the unit. I really enjoy reading stories that have an oral tradition element to them. The story teller, Iagoo was really able to catch my attention with his story. I also liked how Morning Glory and her brother, Eagle Feather, would interrupt and ask question during the story telling. It provided more detail for readers. The story also incorporates my favorite legend/tale element: when they use stories to explain the way the world operates today. I liked the reimagined Adam and Eve of the story. I also like when stories describe animals with certain inherent qualities. My favorite in this story was the coyote, who was smart enough to convince the dormouse to sacrifice himself to save the sun. It's interesting to see how many of the same story elements appear in all different cultures.

Story source: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921).

Reading Diary A: Folklore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian, and Jewish

Reading A: Folklore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish

I chose this unit because I think it's interesting how the stories of these three religions weave together. There are similar stories from each tradition, but they are slightly different. It's kind of like how we read these stories and create a new story for our storytelling assignments. 

David: Before I read this story I knew story of David (Daûd) and Bathsheba from the Bible. However, this story went into a lot more and a lot less detail. It described David a lot more and gave life to his character. But Bathsheba is not even mentioned in this story, only her husband. I think it would be interesting to see the story from Bathsheba's POV. I might do that for my story this week. 

Dome of the Rock
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Solomon: Before I read this unit all I really knew about Solomon is that he was a very wise king. Solomon, or Suleymân in this text, still retains his wise nature. But it what I hadn't read before was that he kept watch over evil spirits and that when he died they were released into the world. I think that could be an interesting story concept to follow. It was only a nugget of the story, not really the main plot, but I think I might follow it.

I thought it was interesting to read about Bible characters that I already knew and see how they were presented in different stories. It seemed to me that while there were some differences, none of the differences were very major. The stories still retained their meaning and the characters were basically the same. 

Storytelling for Week 4: Nash the Half-Boy

Once upon a time there was a King with no heir. This made him depressed, and finally one day he made plans to kill himself. He wandered out alone into the desert. On his third day alone, he was near death when he saw a man walking towards him.

(Man Alone In Desert, by Choaib Chikhaoui
Source: Wikipedia Commons)

The strange man approached him and asked, "Why are you all alone my King?"

The King told the man his troubles and lamented that he had no heirs.

"How many wives do you have?"

"Four," the King answered.

The man then pulled four apples from his bag and said, "Give these to your wives to eat. They will surely become pregnant." 

The King was encouraged by the man's words and his strength returned to him. He went back to his castle and gave his wives the fruit. Three of them ate the entire fruit, but the fourth ate only half of hers and sat the rest on her window ledge to eat later, but by the time she returned it was night. The moonlight shown upon the apple and it had become rotten, but she ate it anyway.

As the strange man had said, all of the wives became pregnant. One had a beautiful daughter and the other two had handsome sons. However, the fourth wife was cursed with a half-child. She named him Nash which means wolf, for he was part man, part wolf. The King was disgusted with the half-child and drove him and his mother from his presence.

Years passed and one day a demon set his sights on the King's daughter. She was out in the garden alone when the demon suddenly appeared and carried her off to his cave in the mountains. The King was furious when he heard the news. He gathered his fiercest army and put it under his eldest son's control, who marched them straight for the demon's lair.

The demon saw the army coming and asked the King's daughter, "What do you see?"

She answered:
"I see many men.

All with sword in hand."

"Ah, victory is ours," said the demon, "man's sword has no effect on me."

Then the demon emerged from his cave and attacked the eldest son. The prince was easily overtaken. The demon grabbed him and locked him away in his cave. The army fled with their leader gone and reported the news to the King.

The King gathered a second army and put his second son in charge. He marched towards the demon's lair, just as his brother had done. When the army approached the cave the demon asked the Princess, "What do you see?"

She answered:
"I see many men.

All with sword in hand."

"Ah, victory is ours," said the demon, "man's sword has no effect on me."

He struck the young prince just like his brother and locked him up in the cave. The army fled once again and brought the news to the King.

Now Nash knew his father would never give him an army, so he set out to face the mighty demon alone. As he came near the cave the demon again asked the Princess, "What do you see?"

She answered:

"I see one half-man.
And his swords are his hand."

"Ah, defeat is surely ours," the demon cried, "his claws will tear me to pieces."

Nash came to the mouth of the cave, claws on full display. The demon was forced to defend himself, but Nash did not hesitate and he tore into him like a beast. He cut him with his claws and ripped his throat out with his sharp teeth.

Then he set his siblings free and took them home to the King. Then his father loved him for all he had done, and made Nash heir to the throne.


Author's Note:

I chose Persian Tales for my reading this week. I was particularly interested in the story of Nim Tanak, or Half-Boy, which is what I based my story on. The tale was about a boy who was born with only half of a body. His father loved his other siblings, but was disgusted by him.

If you haven't noticed already, I'm quite interested in werewolves. I thought it would be an interesting dynamic if the "half-boy" was actually half human and half wolf, rather than just half of a boy. I also liked the character of the Div (demon) in the original story.

I chose the desert picture because I thought it would give readers a good mental image while reading the story. It also demonstrates the isolation the King was feeling when he wandered off alone.

I tried to follow the original story telling techniques, which I really liked. I especially like the rule of three, which is when the story is told three times with minor variations. In this case it would be the three different brothers, with the last one succeeding. I also modernized the language and changed some of the terms to make it easier to read.

Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919)

Read Diary A: Persian Tales

Reading A: Persian Tales

My roommate is Persian so I thought it would be interesting to learn more about his culture. The introduction of the unit also mentioned that there would be werewolves involved, so I was immediately intrigued.

The Wolf-Aunt: I was interested in the story to begin with because it featured a female werewolf. They don't feature in many stories so I was happy to find this one. My favorite part of the story is that it's used to explain why wives don't like their husband's sisters. I also think it's cool that werewolves can be found in so many cultures. It creates variety and an interesting catalogue of the werewolf.

(Wolf, photo by Arturo de Frias Marques)

Nim Tanak, or Half-Boy: I liked this story because it involved magic and demons. I'm planning on using the Devil in my storybook so it was interesting to see the way in which a demon might operate. I was interested by the idea of a half-boy. If I hadn't seen the picture I would have thought he was a dwarf, but he was literally half of a man (split down the middle!). I also liked the trope where something happens three times and it is solved on the third time. It does a good job of engaging the audience and building suspense for the conclusion of the story. 

I also liked that the stories in this half of the unit started and ended with the same lines. It brought continuity the stories. 

Famous Last Words: Week 3

This past week I finished up all the prep to begin my novel. I had to turn in a 1-page plot summary, a 10+ page "talking document," and 35-40 scenes from my novel.

The "talking document" is a discussion about my characters, their backstory, and scenes that I want to create. Essentially it can be anything. Its purpose is for me to get my ideas out of my mind and into a permanent place. It also allows my professor to see what I'm aiming for and help guide me there.

My 35-40 scenes was the most difficult assignment. It was hard to plan that far ahead, but I know that it's going to help me in the long run. When I read a book I'm always amazed at how clever the plots are. I want my book to have a few twists and turns that readers won't be expecting (maybe a character death or two!). I'm sure the plot will change a little bit as I write it, but I finally have all the major plot points planned out. And I'm pleased with the way my story shaped up.

I'm struggling to come up with character names that I actually like. Right now I just have filler names because I couldn't decide. I think character names are very important. They are the first thing your readers learn about your character and if the name sucks then it can be difficult for people to engage with the character. At the same time I know it's not the most important thing. Harry isn't an original or exciting name, but J.K. Rowling was able to craft him into a character that people love.

I'm thinking about creating a storyboard in my room with pictures of my characters and major plot points. I think it will help bring my characters to life and it's another way for me to brainstorm ideas.

On Wednesday I have the first 4,000 words of my novel due. I'm excited to finally start writing, but it's also intimidating. I'll keep you guys updated as I get further into the writing process!

Styles

Topic:

My topic is going to be Werewolves Through The Ages: Ancient and Modern. My goal is to incorporate an origin story, a story set in Ancient Greece, and a modern story. There are many stories of werewolves from all different time periods so I don't think it'll be difficult for me to find inspiration. My criteria for the stories that I'm looking for are that they incorporate werewolves and have a time-specific setting.     

(The Werewolf Delusion
by Ian Woodward)

Bibliography:

The Book of Were-Wolves, by Sabine Baring-Gould (1865). This book provides a lot of material for me to work with. 

Herodotus, with an English translation by A. D. Godley. Harvard University Press. (1920). This is a short passage from Ancient Greek literature. It tells of a tribe of people that would all turn into wolves once a year. I like the setting and concept of the story.

Possible Styles:

Bedtime Story: I think it'd be interesting to see a werewolf mother telling her son the history of werewolves for a bedtime story. It would start with an origin story, then maybe an ancient love story and finally a modern story. It would be cool if I could keep it a secret that the mother and son were werewolves until the very end. The style would be the mother telling her son these stories orally so I would focus on emphasizing imagery. This will give readers a strong mental image of the stories.

Characters from different periods: This style would involve different characters from different time periods. I would emphasize each time period setting to distinguish each story. The werewolf theme would be the main thing connecting all of the stories.  Ancient Greece and the Victorian Era are two settings that I'd like to write within.

Soulmates: If I could create two characters that I really like then I think it'd be cool to do a few soul mate stories. No matter what time period these characters are in they are able to find each other in some way. Sometimes they end up together and other times they don't. I like the idea of love being that strong. The werewolf aspect could be a barrier to their union in some of these stories.

Modern Mystery: Stories of people discovering werewolves are always interesting to me. I would connect 3-4 stories through a detective (whether professional or amateur) that is solving a mystery. It could be them solving a crime or discovering that their friend is a werewolf. I would want to make this as realistic as possible. I want readers to feel like the story could actually happen to them.

All of these styles would be written in third-person, because that's the style I feel most comfortable writing in and it's the style I prefer to read.

Essay: Angels

Unit: Noah

This week I read the unit on Noah. I was particularly intrigued by the stories about fallen angels. The Bible doesn't give too much insight about angels, as it's aimed mostly at humans and how we should live life and relate to God. I like the idea of angels interacting with humans.

There is a certain innocence to angels that humans don't have. That's why I find stories about them falling from grace interesting. Most people know that Satan was an angel that fell from grace, but there isn't much else about other angels.

(Michael Casts Out All Of The Fallen Angels
by Gustave Doré)

In The Punishment of The Fallen Angels it talks about two different angels that want to come to Earth. Azazel and Shemhazai both fall in love with human women. One of the angels realizes the error of his ways and repents, but the other carries through with his fall into sin with women. The story humanizes these angels and makes them more relatable.

I also think that on the other end of the spectrum is interesting too. Michael and Gabriel are kind of like the golden boy Archangels. Michael leads the charge in casting out the disobedient angels. In the 2010 movie Legion, Michael comes down to earth to protect a human child that is supposed to be the savior of the world. In this movie Michael disobeys God's command that humankind be destroyed. In the end Michael saves the baby and is honored by God for holding out hope for humans. The idea that angels are fighting on humans behalf is a cool concept.

The dynamic of guardian angels is also intriguing. Some people believe they have their own personal angel that protects them. It is a nice concept and I think it makes for an interesting story. I read a book named Piercing the Darkness where it discusses the battle between angels and demons. They fight for control of certain areas (dominions) and people. I like the idea that there is a spiritual battle going on around us that we can't see. Angels are a part of this supernatural world and I'm fascinated by that.

Story source: The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909)