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