Week 7 Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part B

The story of the Little Hunting Dog was a very unexpected one. It was interesting that the writing focused on what the man thought of the tiny people instead of where they came from. It could be fun to write a story about the people and why they came into the man's room. I was upset with the ending, where the man accidentally crushes the tiny dog he started to adore, so I would definitely change that if I re-wrote it. 

(What I imagine the little hunting dog to have looked like...but tinier, of course.)

The Fox-Fire story was also interesting to me. I might be able to use it for my storybook project, or just for the writing assignment this week. I liked how it starts off with the farmer seeing the floating ball of crystal because that draws the reader in. Then the fox is even more mystical and we learn he was preparing the elixir of life. The story starts to get confusing to me but I really like the basic elements of it (the floating ball/orb, farmer, and fox), and I think I could make something out of them.

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Image information: Beagle from Wikipedia

Bibliography: From the Chinese Fairy Tales unit. Story source: The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Week 7 Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A

From story of the Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck, here are some things that caught my attention:

• The red silk ball - The color read is very vivid and memorable, and I know it is significant in China and that is why that color specifically was chosen.
• The waiting around that the wife had to do - The story touched on how she patiently waited for her husband for 18 years even though it was a struggle. This seems really unreasonable in my mind, especially since the connection between the two characters felt really weak. If I were to write this story, I might make their love stronger or I would write in more detail about the wife's potential frustration at having to wait around for her husband.
• The wife died at the end only after 18 days of having her husband back - This was really frustrating to me. It was an interesting writing choice but not one that I would have chosen. She deserved a much better ending than that for being so loyal. I can't really understand why she would have died after everything she gave up. Then again, she was chasing luck so maybe that had something to do with it?

The writing of these Chinese fairy tales is very brutal. They seem to entail a lot of harsh ideals and subtle forms of violence. In the Cave of the Beasts, the girls killed the fox and wolf with not repercussions, and the father was never punished at all for leaving his children to die. It's a very interesting style. I'm not sure I would want to treat characters as harshly as this but it is definitely something different to consider. 

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Image information: Twin Dragons, Luck from Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography: From the Chinese Fairy Tales unit. Story source: The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Extra Credit Reading: Schippeitaro

This reading is to help me find a story for my next story in my project. This time I will likely be writing about the Forbidden Forest. After reading through Japanese Fairy Tales, I settled on Schippeitaro. I'm not sure if I'll use this one but it's a contender.

In this story, a boy roams a forest and has to be brave. I really liked this quote that described the first few "trials" he endured:

"The difficulties he met with — huge rocks to be climbed, deep rivers to be crossed, and thorny tracts to be avoided — only served to make his heart beat quicker . . .".

He ended up finding a small chapel and slept there overnight. At midnight, he woke up to cats who were yelling and dancing. The boy watched and eventually heard them say, "Do not tell Schippeitaro! Keep it hidden and secret! Do not tell Schippeitaro!" before they vanished.

In the morning, the boy found a woman in distress and he went over to help her. From a group of men surrounding her, he learned that the Spirit of the Mountain chooses a maiden to eat every year and that she would be the one chosen this year. The boy then asks if anyone knows who Schippeitaro is. They tell him that Schippeitaro is a "great dog that belongs to the overseer of our prince" and that "he lives not far away."

The boy goes to Schippeitaro's owner and asks to keep him overnight. The boy also tells the woman's parents to hide her in a closet, meanwhile he put Schippeitaro in the cask (barrel), where the girl was supposed to be taken by the Mountain Spirit. He hid in the chapel because that's where the barrel would be taken.

The cats showed up again at midnight, this time accompanied by a huge black cat--the Spirit of the Mountain. The huge cat attacked the cask but ended up being attacked by Schippeitaro (the dog), and the boy used a sword to cut the cat's head off.

The story ended with everyone celebrating, and a yearly feast was held to commemorate the boy and the dog.

I really liked how this story was set up. If I continue doing frame tales, I think I will have my MC go into the forest to explore and he ends up at the feast that is held yearly to celebrate the end of the Mountain Spirit's yearly murders. I would definitely change the details to make them resemble the Wizarding World more.

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Image information: Defeat of the Mountain-Spirit from the mythfolklore blog.

Bibliography: Schippeitaro from the Japanese Fairy Tales unit. Story source: The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1901).

Week 6: Story Laboratory - Storybook Research

The next story I write will either be about the Department of Mysteries or the Forbidden Forest. Below is research for that, mostly focusing on the DoM part because I believe that's what I'll write next. 

Research for the Department of Mysteries:

Characters who might end up in the DoM:

• Bertha Jorkins
• Arthur Weasley
• A minor character from this list who happens to stumble upon the DoM

Objects my character might find in the DoM:

• A ring - This story is about an enchanted ring. 

• A clock or watch - This story is about an enchanted watch. 

• A mirror - This story is about a magic mirror. 

• A fountain (Fountain of Youth?)

• A trunk/chest - The Flying Trunk

• A kettle - The Magic Kettle

Pottermore gives a great run-down of the DoM here, as well as its contents. 

Placing here for reference: Laura recommended this great site to find good stories based on objects! So to find stories I'm just searching for an object on Google and adding the site, so it'd be like this: [object name] site:www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/

Research for the Forbidden Forest:

Characters who might end up in the FF:

• Padma Patil
• Harry Potter
• Neville Longbottom
• Luna Lovegood

Potential "guides" through the FF:

• A character from a short story who the MC meets along the way
• Prof. Firenze 
• Owl that the MC has to follow 

Objects/things/creatures the MC might find that tells a story:

• Trees that have been cut down
• Area of the forest that has been destroyed
• Unicorn
• Sword
• Sparrow
• Dragon

Pottermore also gives a great run-down of the FF here. 

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Image Information: 

1. Ring image from Pixabay by Agzam
2. Watch image from Pexels by Jatin Anand
3. Mirror image from Pixabay by Kaz
4. Fountain image from Ciconf from Hisamatsu Kaori Megumi
5. Trunk image from Wikimedia commons by Lianki
6. Kettle image from Pixabay by Alexandrew Rizzon

Week 6 Reading Notes: Ryder's Panchatantra, Part B

From the story of Right-Mind and Wrong-Mind, I like the idea of using very obvious "names" that give you a hint to what the story will be about. It makes it easier to follow and understand where the story will be taking you.

The story of The Foolish Friend did a good job of setting up the background of the story concisely. I found myself wanting to trust the monkey because of the way he was written and was taken aback when I read about him accidentally killing the king. It was really clever (albeit sad) to show his stupidity at trying to kill a bee and ending up killing the king. It is written with enough thought that you see how the monkey could have done what he did:

But when the bee, for all his efforts, continued to approach the king, the monkey went blind with rage, drew his sword, and fetched a blow at the bee a blow that split the king's head.

It mentions that his anger was building and eventually he was so enraged at the bee that he had to kill it and that's where his focus went. I much prefer this writing to a style that would just immediately have the monkey kill the bee. It's not really showing stupidity so much as how rage can blind you.

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Bibliography: From the Panchatantra unit. Story source: The Panchatantra of Vishnu Sharma, translated by Arthur W. Ryder (1925).

Image Information: A macaque from Wikipedia.

Week 6 Reading Notes: Ryder's Panchatantra, Part A

While I am not typically a fan of short proverbs/poems/riddles included in stories, they fit in really well in these. The writing does a good job of making sure the wording is all relevant and that the story and action continues outside of the proverbs. 

The story of The Ungrateful Man caught my attention. I liked the sequence of events and how each character ended up playing a big part. Nobody was insignificant. The story is set up so that the reader is untrusting of the snake, but in the end he ends up being fine and actually helps the Brahman. The warning that the animals give him, saying not to help the man who is stuck in a well, is not immediately shown as true in the story. It begins a feeling of anticipation, knowing that something is off but it is not yet revealed to the reader. I really like that idea of having a character do something "wrong" that everyone tells him not to do, but nothing happens to him immediately. It makes you wonder who is telling the truth. 

I also thought it was clever how the story was resolved--with the snake helping the Brahman and the goldsmith being revealed as a trickster.

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Bibliography: From the Panchatantra unit. Story source: The Panchatantra of Vishnu Sharma, translated by Arthur W. Ryder (1925).

Image Information: Well like the one I imagine the characters got stuck in, from Pixabay.

Extra Credit Reading Notes: Werewolf Legends from Germany

This reading is to help me find more stories for my project. I'm currently searching for a story for the Shrieking Shack, which will involve Remus Lupin telling a frame tale about one of his werewolf transformations.

The Morbach Monster story is a good candidate for a frame tale. It mentions that in a particular town, a werewolf often visits if a specific candle in a shrine goes out. It also says that security policemen joked about a werewolf coming because the candle had gone out. I'm not sure exactly how I would use these aspects of the story, but they feel like good details that could enhance whatever I write. One other thing I found potentially useful in the story was that alarms went off and a policeman "saw a huge 'dog-like' animal stand up on its back legs, look at him, and jump over the 7 1/2 foot chain-link fence."

My idea with this one is to have Remus have gone out of control on his transformation for the month, and his friends are having trouble containing him. He ends up in the town but the Marauders pull him back and help to tame him before he can get to anyone.

The Werewolf of Vietlübbe would be a great story to use for having Remus' friends snap him out of his transformation stupor. In this story, a farmer comes across a werewolf. The werewolf is actually the farmer's neighbor, and the farmer realizes this. He tries to snap his neighbor out of an attack on a horse by calling out his name and humanizing him:

"'Irnst Jacobs, is that you? Let me say something to you. Irnst Jacobs, listen to me, Irnst Jacobs!' And as he spoke the name the third time, his neighbor stood there before him, begging him to high heaven not to reveal him."

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Bibliography: Werewolf Legends from Germany, translated and edited by D. L. Ashliman

Image Information: Werewolf drawing for the story "The Werewolf Howls" from Weird Tales magazine. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Week 5 Story: The Inscription

As the two friends parted ways, Ganem did not allow his second thoughts or worries to stop him. He desperately wanted the happiness the inscription promised to give whomever solved the task. Even more importantly, though, he had to know if the inscription was real. Even if his friend Salem's intuition was right that it was fake, he could not live with the not knowing. He decided that whatever happened to him, it would be worth the risk. Besides, he could not bare the idea of running to catch up with Salem and admit that he was probably right. And how hard could it be to cross the stream and carry the lion statue up the mountain?

With his mind made up, Ganem plunged into the stream to accomplish the first part of the inscription's task.

As soon as he dove, he knew he had made the wrong decision. It was much deeper than he had expected, and the whirlpool drew him in forcibly. Ganem was no match for the strong rotations, no matter how hard he fought them. He tried to yell out on instinct, but the water choked him. He splashed and gasped for air but was ultimately taken over by the current.

Everything went black.

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Ganem, drenched, woke up wheezing and coughing up water. A voice that sounded far away in Ganem's hazy mind cried, "You idiot! What did I tell you?"

Ganem's sight finally came into focus and he saw Salem, also drenched, hovering over him. He realized they were on the bank of the stream, probably half a mile away from where he jumped in. He sat up and grunted at his friend.

"You did not need to come back," Ganem said. "I was fine."

Salem sputtered unintelligibly and rolled his eyes. "Fine?" he said. "You call this," he motioned to Ganem's current state, "fine? You would have died!"

Ganem rolled his eyes at the dramatics, but his flushed face showed a hint of gratitude for the rescue his friend had provided. He really could have died, he thought. Maybe it was time to reconsider his stubborn attitude. But just because he couldn't make it across the stream doesn't mean that nobody else could . . .

Ganem stood, dusted himself off, and started walking back to the stone that held the inscription.

"What--where are you going?" Salem asked, dumbfounded. "You--you're not thinking about going back and trying that again?"

Ganem grunted and continued walking.

Salem groaned. "Don't think that I'm going to save you again!"

Ganem kept walking. Salem made an exasperated noise. A few seconds later, Ganem could hear Salem running up behind him. "Okay, fine! We'll do it together." Then with frustration but affection he said, "You obstinate idiot." The corner of Ganem's mouth pulled into a smile as they continued to trek onwards.

They worked together to finish the task. They crossed the stream together, working strategically to get past the whirlpool. They carried the lion statue to the top of the mountain in one, long run. They sweat in copious amounts and their muscles ached. When one felt like giving up, the other offered a shoulder to lean on.

At the mountaintop, Salem was not shocked to see that there was nothing waiting for them. The inscription was fake, and he had known it all along. Ganem had not seemed shocked either, as his confidence had been wavering the further into the adventure they had gotten.

Still, there was a hint of hope in both of them during the journey they had put themselves through. The hope and having each other had gotten them through it. Ganem's disappointment was immense and it showed on his face. He sat on the dirt-covered ground, picking at grass and fixing his concentration on the lion statue they had carried all that way. He refused to look at Salem.

"Whoever inscribed that has got a lot of nerve," Salem said, trying to cheer his friend up. "Who does something like that?"

Ganem, frowning, continued to stare at the lion statue.

Offering a hand to his friend, Salem said, "I heard there's a village a mile away from here with the best lamb dish on Earth."

Ganem heaved a great sigh. He then looked at Salem, smiled, and said, "We better get going, then." He took his friend's hand to hoist himself up and off they went to the next adventure.


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Author's Note: I altered the story of "The Two Travelers" to include more of Ganem and Salem's relationship. I also changed the ending.

The original story is about two men, Ganem and Salem, who are traveling together. They come across an inscription on a stone that said that "great happiness" will be given to whomever could do the brutal task listed. Ganem believes it, but Salem is worried that it is just the writing of a beggar who is trying to trick people. Salem leaves but Ganem goes on to follow through with the task and ends up as the king of the city that inscribed the message.

As for my own version, I saw that there was a lot lacking in the writing of Ganem and Salem's friendship that I wanted to read about. I wanted to see Salem go back for his friend because that just seemed like what his character would do. Ganem seemed pretty stubborn (at one point in the original story he said, "My mind is fully made up to try it") so I ended up making that a big part of the story. I've been wanting to practice character-driven stories where the character interactions are more important than the plot. Ganem and Salem's friendship seemed like the perfect opportunity for that. I then also changed the ending to create a story that centers more around the journey than the ending. Even if it's unfortunate that they did all of that for nothing, they at least bonded over the experience.

Image information: Whirlpool from Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography: The Two Travelers from the Bidpai unit. Story source: The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton, with illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, 1908.

Week 5 Reading Notes: Bidpai, Reading B

The Crane and the Crab was a really interesting story with multiple motifs in it. It deals with different species fighting for food, deception, and revenge. The crane was clever to trick the fish with so little work, but in the end the crab outsmarted the crane. The writing leads the reader to question a lot of what is happening, never quite sure of what the ending will be because there are so many aspects to the story. 

I really loved the story of The Partridge and the Crow because of its meaning. It tells the reader the importance of not comparing yourself to someone else because we all have our own paths and talents. We should never try to be like someone else because one person's way of life might not work for another person. The writing does a wonderful job of keeping the story to tell this message simple. 

The story of The Hen and the Falcon does a wonderful job of exemplifying the message that "the grass is always greener on the other side" by waiting to reveal until the end that the hen's life is really not as great as it seems. This is an important concept in a lot of these stories--wait until the end to change the reader's entire perspective. What they thought was true is completely transformed at the very end. 

It's interesting how most of the stories in this unit end up in murder. Most of the animals end up killing someone. This feels really important because it puts emphasis on how poor decisions can cause the worst-case scenario. 

The story about The Three Fish is really interesting. It lacks any kind of need for critical thinking. The reader just knows that the fish with wit will survive, and the fish without it will die. No surprises or anything. Just a very straightforward story about how one's personality can affect them. 

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Bibliography: From the Bidpai unit. Story source: The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton, with illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, 1908.

Image Information: Crane from Mythfolklore blog

Week 5 Reading Notes: Bidpai, Reading A

The story of The King, the Falcon, and the Drinking-Cup caught my interest in this unit. The story gets you attached to the King's falcon by showing you the soft side he has for the bird. Then it goes on to make you feel like something is off. This is followed by the king killing the bird for knocking the water out of the kings hands when he is desperately thirsty. This would not have worked if the writer would not have emphasized how dehydrated (and potentially near hallucinating) the king was because we know how attached to the falcon he was. I love how stubborn the king is--that he is extremely dehydrated but refuses to drink any other water than the water from the stream:

"'I have set my heart,' he said, 'on drinking from this stream which runs down the mountain-side'"

 That feels like a very important aspect of his personality. This attitude of his shows even more when he chooses to have his attendant travel to get the best water possible from the top of the stream instead of settling for the feeble drops where he was.

The end is such a tragedy, and the reader really feels it. To know that the king killed his bird, who was actually trying to save the king's life--that is painful. The story sets this up so well by emphasizing details that evoke emotional responses (about the falcon, the king's personality, and his own emotions about the situation).

The story of The Two Travelers also caught my attention. The writing makes sense of both of the traveler's opinions. The reader finds themselves seeing sense in Salem's thoughts that the writing is just made up. Still, Ganem's thoughts that the inscription tells truth is more intriguing and the writing makes it so that tension is built up and you really want to know who is right. I wonder what would have happened if they had both gone? Or what if Salem had been right?

Bibliography: From the Bidpai unit. Story source: The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton, with illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, 1908.

Image Information: Falcon from Wikimedia Commons

Storybook Plan

Story Sources

Obviously the Harry Potter book series is the most important source for me with this project. I'll also probably use some character or location analyses from the plethora of Harry Potter information online to make sure my writing is accurate. That will most likely come from Pottermore (Lupin's bio, for example), which is an official Harry Potter website.

Stories

(Note: These are extremely tentative. They're kind-of fillers because they're the only myth/folklore stories I know. I'm really just waiting for inspiration to strike as I read more of the stories this semester. Hopefully I'll find some before the project really has to take off.)

1. The Sparrow with the Slit Tongue (a.k.a. "Tongue-Cut Sparrow")
2. The Wind and the Sun
3. The Astrologer

Storytelling Styles

I am most likely going to use frame tales, where certain character(s) are telling a story to my main character(s). I think each frame tale will be its own entity, but the overarching plot will be continuous. I have three ideas for stories right now (my indecisiveness is getting in the way of making progress):

• Idea #1: Shrieking Shack - My main character (MC) wanders into the Shrieking Shack to find Professor Lupin, who tells MC stories of how he used the shack as refuge for his werewolf transformations when he was a Hogwarts student. The stories would usually be about his friends (the Marauders--Remus, James, Sirius, and Peter), the trouble they got into, and the support they gave him. 
• Idea #2: Department of Mysteries - MC (and friends?) end up in the top-secret Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. They find different objects and creatures in there that each tells a story (potentially helping them solve ethical dilemmas and life issues?). 
• Idea #3: Forbidden Forest - MC is having a bad day, wanders into the Forbidden Forest, and comes across creatures that each tell stories (of comfort?). Alternative: A "guide" of some sort (either from a myth--like the sparrow--or a Hogwarts teacher) walks the boy through the forest and explains different aspects of it (creatures, objects, locations, etc.) with different frame tales. 

I really like them all, but I listed them in the order of my favorites (so #1 is my favorite, #3 is my "least" favorite--even though I still love it). The problem is that I keep choosing one idea but then I am sad I can't do the others. Definitely need some input here. I also want to make sure I'm not straying too far from the original intent of the storybook assignment (focusing on myth/folklore) so call me out if I am!

Storybook Theme

Originally I wanted to send a moral message through my writing, but now I think my aim is to just make sure my stories are fun. It will really depend on which idea I choose, though. Idea #1 has a lot of potential to discuss the importance of friendships, idea #2 could definitely emphasize fable-like stories that convey a moral, and idea #3 could be stories that bring comfort.

Also, I might have an internal conflict that the MC is struggling with, and the overall effect of the frame tales is that they help him see a solution more clearly. Just a possibility!

Image of my storybook site. 

The name/appearance/everything is very subject to change since I still need to decide on an idea.

Comment Wall

To enter the Wizarding World: run at the brick wall, or just click here!

Comment below any feedback to let me know what you think of my storybook!

(King's Cross Platform 9 ¾ image from Lauren Manning on Flickr)

Week 4 Lab: Advice to Writers

I looked at the Advice To Writers website and found so many helpful tips. Below are the ones that I needed to hear the most.

"You learn to write through practice, through writing, over and over, again and again. All those legions of apprentice writers out there would, I’m sure, wish it were different—how much easier simply to express your innate genius in finished form without having to bother with all that odious work. And all that reading. And the endless rewrites." T.C. BOYLE

This quote has words that I always need to hear. I have this misconception in my head that to be a writer, everything I write should be good. This obviously stems from perfectionism and is a false belief that many could-be authors tend to believe. It's hard to think of your favorite book or piece of writing as being a final product that took many, many revisions to accomplish. Good writing takes hard work, and some pieces will never see the light of day. It's all about getting your thoughts out on paper and not worrying about whether or not this will be The Piece that gets published or shared. Good writing is the result of "bad" writing and practice. That's so important to remember.

"Sometimes people ask, does writing make you happy? But I think that’s beside the point. It makes you agitated, and continually in a state where you’re off balance. You seldom feel serene or settled. You’re like the person in the fairy tale The Red Shoes; you’ve just got to dance and dance, you’re never in equilibrium. I don’t think writing makes you happy…. I think it makes for a life that by its very nature has to be unstable, and if it ever became stable, you’d be finished." HILARY MANTEL

While I'm not sure I completely agree with the latter half of this quote, it did resonate with me. I have been worried for a while that writing doesn't necessarily make me happy, so should I be writing? But then I realized that no, maybe it doesn't make me happy, but it is something that I feel like I don't really have a choice about. Writing feels like a requirement to me, as if something is forcing me to do it. It fulfills me in the end, and that's more important to me than it making me happy.

"Bit by bit, putting it together.... Piece by piece, only way to make a work of art. Every moment makes a contribution, Every little detail plays a part. Having just the vision's no solution, Everything depends on execution, Putting it together, that's what counts." STEPHEN SONDHEIM

This quote is great for those of us who don't feel like baby steps are doing much, but feel that big steps are too much pressure. It's okay to take small steps and only write for a couple of minutes a day. That's better than nothing and still helps you work towards an overall goal.

"I would say to young playwrights, especially, don’t worry so much about the story. There are no original stories. All the stories have been told in one form or another. The only thing that makes a successful play is the delineation of character. Be sure you write good parts. Interesting, dramatic, amusing, romantic — it’s the characters that make the play." GARSON KANIN

Often when thinking of a story idea I realize it's too close to another plot I've read. This quote is a wonderful reminder that yes, most story ideas are taken. But that's not what is important. What's important and unique is how you tell the story and how you develop the characters in it.

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Image information: Writing from Pixabay

Learning Challenge: Deskercises

I read the article called "Deskercise! 33 Smart Ways to Exercise at Work." I love the idea of getting in exercise in small intervals throughout the day because it doesn't feel as scary or intense as one big workout at the gym. Also, something is better than nothing! I'd be doing these in my bedroom, too, so I wouldn't have to worry about people seeing me and thinking I was weird.

Here are the exercises I think I'll keep using:

• The Slog, Then Jog - jogging in place. Great for my bedroom because it's so tiny. There's no excuse not to move if I technically only have to stay in one place. 
• The Wall (Street) Sit - wall sits. A seriously good exercise that I had forgotten about. Also really fun to test your limits and see how long you can last sitting against the wall.
• The Patient Printer - calf raises. I'm a huge fan of multitasking. If you're already standing there waiting for your essays to print, why not make use of the time? 
• The Cubicle Dip - tricep dips. I love this one because I need to work on arm strength and there really is no excuse not to do these.

Image info: Desk from Pixnio

Growth Mindset: Dreams and Rain

"DON'T CRUSH THE DREAMS: Children's creativity is probably put down daily by people who don't understand them. It's easy to think that disciplining a child is going to benefit in the long run, but it's easy to miss what ideas and dreams you may be crushing."
I love this quote because it is something I have recently started thinking about. There were so many dreams I had as a child that were crushed, causing me to become lost and confused. Everything I loved was discouraged because it "wouldn't make enough money." Well, now I've spent years trying to decide what to because I let go of so many of the things I loved. I lost my creativity for a long time and did not understand how to handle life without it. I am beginning to gain back what I lost by ignoring people who discourage me, but sometimes I wonder how far I could have been by now if I would have refused to listen to those who put me down.


"Rain doesn't always have to weigh us down; sometimes it can wash off our burdens."

I love this quote, too. Recently I had the worst week of my life, where everything was going wrong. At the end of the week, though, I looked back and realized that a lot of of the things I lost and the situations I got myself into were actually beneficial for me. I ended up getting rid of so many burdens, and this quote helps me to see how bad situations are not always unlucky. This quote will be a good reminder that I should never use bad days as an excuse to stunt growth. Instead I should try to reframe the events and see that they might help me someday.

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Image information: Persist Despite Setbacks from Growth Mindset Memes Blog

Google Timer Tech Tip

I had forgotten about the Google Timer, so this was a great reminder! It is so handy to use because it keeps me from using my phone as a timer, which can distract me from my work. All I have to do is open a new tab, set the timer to 20 minutes, and start my work. Since I have such a short attention span, I usually do 20 minutes of work, then 5 minutes of a break, then 20 minutes of work. Having a timer right there on my laptop keeps me from using an excuse that I don't have a timer near me to keep me on track. While this doesn't sound like much an excuse, practically anything can keep me from doing work if I am in a procrastinating mood.

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Image information: Image of Google timer

Reading Notes: Bible Women, Part B

The Bible women stories are often controlled by men. I noticed this when reading the story of Bathsheba. David saw Bathsheba and decided that he would be with her. The man usually does whatever he needs to do to get obstacles out of the way. In this case he had Uriah killed. While I'm not completely sure what happened with Bathsheba and David after this, it is significant to note that certain Bible men play a huge part in controlling a Bible woman's life.

The story of Esther reminds me a lot of a reality show, with the king having women to choose from and going home with whomever he feels most attracted to. While I'm not sure I will make use of this element, it is interesting to think about how much of a reality show is reflected in the writing.

"And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti." 

This quote really sums up how beautiful Esther was and how she stood out from the rest. I feel like the storytelling here foreshadows how different of a queen she will be compared with the other choices of women--that she is going to change the kingdom for the better.

Some notes for my reference about the storyline of Esther:

1. Esther is Jewish, but her nationality could endanger her so she does not tell anyone. 
2. Esther goes with other women to potentially be chosen as the king's new queen. 
3. Esther's beauty helps her to "win."
4. Esther's cousin, Mordecai, overhears two guards say they are going to assassinate the king. Esther tells the king and gives credit to Mordecai for this. 
5. Haman, a high noble, expects Mordecai to bow down to him but he does not. Haman wants to kill all of the Jews, including Mordecai, and convinces the king to do so. 
6. Esther fasts, then invites the king and Haman to a banquet the next day. Haman plans to fast-track killing Mordecai. 
7. The king wants to reward Mordecai for saving his life and asks Haman what he should do to reward the man who helped him. Haman thinks he is talking about rewarding him so he says the person should get gifts and extravagance. Then Haman finds out he was talking about Mordecai and is angry. 
8. At the banquet, Esther tells the king about Haman's plan to kill the Jews. The king is enraged and ends up hanging Haman. 

Esther's kindness and brave heart has always been very inspiring to me. I think re-writing the story somehow would be really fun, even if I focused on Mordecai's or Haman's perspective. 

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Bibliography: Bible Women Unit from King James Bible.

Image information: Esther's Feast, by Lievens.

Reading Notes: Bible Women, Part A

Growing up I only ever read the NIV Bible version, so this reading from the King James Bible is a new take on Bible women for me. The writing is definitely something to get used to, with all of the ye's, doth's, and hath's. It might be something I would like to copy in my writing this week, although it will be difficult understanding exactly when to use what.

One thing I have noticed at the beginning of the reading is how much the stories about women are focused on bearing children. This is to be expected, but the women seem to only be valued for what they can produce. For example, Rebekah had "two nations" in her womb and was valued for creating them. In my own writing I think I might ignore this aspect and instead write a story in which the women desire more than a child. Not to throw feminism into it, but it would be interesting to write a Bible woman's perspective on being just as equal as the men. That is, if she would even want that considering many Bible women seem to have desired to have children without the world telling her she had to. A story possibility could entail Rebekah or another Bible woman having an internal struggle about whether or not she truly wants children. Something to think about for my story!

An idea that might be interesting is to take one of the Bible women mentioned in this unit and have them tell their story to their child. For example, Hannah might tell her young son Samuel the story of how he came to be. Her perspective would feel very different from the way the KJB tells it because it would be filled with more details and emotions.

Finally, while reading I also had the idea to take the general trend of the Bible women stories and create my own "Bible woman." The general trend for a few of them seems to be this:

1. Woman is upset and insecure that she can't bear children. 
2. Woman prays to God for the ability to have children and endures many struggles, but shows kindness to people even still. 
3. Woman finds a man to conceive with.
4. Woman miraculously has the ability to conceive and has a really important child. 

Following that general trend could make for an interesting story.

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Bibliography: Bible Women Unit from King James Bible

Image information: Hagar and Ishmael, by Jean-Charles Cazin. I thought this picture was so beautiful that I had to add it in here!

Feedback Strategies

The first article I read was "Be a Mirror." It discussed being able to give feedback without judgement, which means focusing on the person's effort. One quality of feedback the author listed was to "focus on what the reader is doing" rather than what the reader is missing. I love this idea because it allows a person to work with what they have and it gives them the confidence that what they have is good enough. Another quality mentioned was that you should not use first person pronouns (e.g. "I think..."). While I do agree with this to some degree, sometimes it can be helpful for feedback to be in first person because it makes the writer feel like they have a choice in the matter. It tells the writer that it is only one opinion but they don't necessarily have to agree with it and they don't have to change their writing if they feel it is okay.

The second article, "Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback," talks about how a lot of feedback focuses on the past rather than the future. This limits feedback and limits opportunities. Instead, the author has coined the term "feedforward" and describes how it works. One part of it is that feedforward cannot be taken as personally because the critiques would be given ahead of time, and the person getting the "feedforward" would decide whether or not to take the advice. This way it lacks any suggestion of an attack. I really love this idea and I can see how it could be useful for a variety of situations, such as public speaking, working, and writing.

I typically do not feel confident about giving people useful feedback. I never want to hurt anyone's feelings (because I myself am very sensitive), and I am worried I am wrong a lot of the time. Sometimes people just have a different vision than me and I can't see it. I would hate to critique something that someone was proud of just because I didn't see where they were going with it. Because of this, I usually only give positive feedback, commenting on what I enjoyed from someone's work. I know this isn't extremely useful for most people, but with the feedback strategies I learned from the articles I am hoping to be able to grow in this area of my life. One feedback strategy I would like this try this semester is the "being a mirror" idea. I would love to be able to help someone see their work in a non-judgemental way while still being able to provide them critiques.

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Image information: Effort Cat from Growth Mindset Memes blog. Let's put emphasis on a person's effort and applaud them for it!

Topic Research: Frame Tales

Although I'm still trying to decide which topic I will use in the end, I think the one I'll stick with for now is the frame tales with Alice in Wonderland one. In this concept, a young boy will end up in Wonderland and will have well-known characters (Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, etc.) telling him stories that teach him a lesson. The lesson would be related back to situations that the boy had encountered and is trying to figure out how to deal with. I'm considering changing the setting, though, as I am currently not feeling super attached to Wonderland. I am starting to think I would prefer a setting of Hogwarts (potentially with Dumbledore or Lupin as the storyteller), but I'm going to think on it.

The following are three possible stories I will use for this topic:

1. "Tongue-Cut Sparrow" (Here is a good summary of the story, although with a slightly less forgiving ending.) - This is a Japanese folk story about greed and anger. The key feature I would use from this story would be the idea of having a good-natured person choose a smaller and more modest gift if given the choice between two packages. Then I would have a less kind person steal the larger gift and end up with the "cursed" package. 
2. "The Wind and the Sun" - The key feature I would use from this story is the idea that it is more effective to treat someone with a kind and gentle attitude rather than a harsh and authoritative one. I would write a story about two people using either approach and show how the kinder person's approach worked best. 
3. "The Astrologer" - From this story I would use the idea of a person getting himself into trouble because he is paying too much attention to the future, and not enough attention is being given to the present. 

Side note: Since Aesop's Fables (numbers 2 and 3) are so short, re-writing them will probably have to involve adding in a lot of new details. I will either do that or I will only make the frame tales half of the story. After the tale is told, the boy will then use the new knowledge to apply it to his own situation. This might seem repetitive, though, so I would need to avoid that somehow. 

Image information: Storytelling from Tumisu at Pixabay. A visual of how I hope to bring stories to life through frame tales. 

Week 3 Story: A Goddess' Envy and Psyche's Mistake

After leaving the underworld and the ferryman behind, Psyche's curiosity overcame her. Would just a tiny drop from this jar of beauty make her more desirable to her lover, Cupid? He had left her in such haste but maybe if she could add to her beauty, he would fight to be with her. Psyche slowly and carefully opened the jar, lost in thoughts of Cupid and his own beauty.

(Psyche opening the jar.)

Inside the jar was nothing. Psyche shook it around and turned it upside down to empty the nonexistent contents. Nothing came out. Psyche, enraged, sealed the jar and discerned that Venus had planned this entire scene: The goddess of love, Venus, did not need more beauty, Psyche realized. She only asked Psyche to retrieve the jar of beauty for her because she wanted Psyche to waste more time and suffer further. She wanted Psyche to give up on her chance to be with Cupid. But she would not allow this. With the jar sealed and composure collected, she went to Venus, who sat upon her throne.

When Venus saw her, Psyche was so exhausted by the tasks and distracted by the hope that they were over that she did not notice the evil smile on Venus' face. Thrusting the jar in Venus' direction in an unkind fashion, Psyche said, "Here! Tell me it is over now!"

"Yes," Venus said, a wicked grin still playing on her lips. "Yes, I think you have had enough. You don't look well enough for any more games."

Psyche, finally noticing Venus' unusual glee, was about to question it until she saw her reflection in a mirror to the right of Venus' throne.  "Oh!" Psyche yelled, horrified at what she saw. Her reflection was not what she was used to. Instead of the beautiful and elegant appearance she had grown up having men and women fawn over, what she saw horrified her: She was a beast. No, a monster. No, a creature made of only the ugly parts of every existing animal. She cried out and wept for what she now was and what she used to be.

"Look what you did to yourself!" Venus said exuberantly. "You just had to have even more beauty--I knew the jar would tempt you. Let's see how Cupid and the world likes you now!"

When Cupid arrived, finally escaped from his room and ready to see his lover, he looked around for her. "Where is she?" he cried.

Venus pointed to the monster on the floor, and Cupid understood. "Oh, Psyche. What have you done?" He took her into his arms, unafraid of her new form but also mourning for her old beauty. He knew that Venus would not change her back and did not dare to ask.

So from then on, Psyche lived with her new form and hid in the palace she was once forced to live in. She accepted her fate and eventually convinced her family who she was. She allowed herself to realize that Cupid only loved her for her appearance and that she needed to be with someone who wanted more than a beautiful face. Venus never bothered her again and Psyche found love in her new, simple life where her character was more important than her beauty.

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Author's Note: Using the story of "Cupid and Psyche", I took the jar of beauty and twisted the story around. In the original story, Venus is overcome with envy for Psyche's beauty. She assigns Psyche four seemingly impossible tasks and the final one is retrieving a drop of beauty from the underworld. Psyche is tempted and opens the jar so that she can look more beautiful for Cupid (whom she is in love with) and it makes her fall into a deathly asleep. Cupid comes to her rescue and wakes her up. This part of the story caught my attention because I know the gods/goddesses can show an extreme desire for revenge. I really thought Venus' jealousy would drive her to change the one piece of the situation that Venus hated most: the fact that Psyche was more beautiful than her. So I took what I thought would happen and made this story of it. My own ending is not the happiest one, but it felt like the most realistic one given the circumstances.

Bibliography: "Cupid and Psyche" from Apuleius's Golden Ass, translated into English by Tony Kline (2013). Web source.

Image information: Psyche, by Waterhouse

Week 3 - Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche (Part B)

The first thing that caught my attention when beginning this half of the reading for Cupid and Psyche was how dramatic and lengthy the dialogue and descriptions can be. For example, Venus' rant to Cupid is 386 words and could have been made into 50. The writing is very excessive, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It definitely emphasizes a character's emotions and gets the point across. 

While reading the parts about Ceres and Juno denying Psyche help, I really admired the way it was written. The two goddesses really did want to help Psyche, and this is shown through the dialogue.  The way they talk about their loyalty to Venus makes the reader understand where they are coming from. For example, Ceres says,

“Your tears and prayers move me more than I can say, and I long to help you, but Venus is not simply my niece: we share ancient ties of friendship, and besides, she’s so good-hearted I can’t afford to offend her" (From Psyche's Prayer).

This writing does a wonderful job of being sensible and making the reader understand why Psyche is having such trouble protecting herself from Venus. It shows how she is forced to be her own person and depend on herself for protection.

The story eventually uses the writing element of trials, where Venus puts Psyche through four tasks. I've always liked this idea because while it might not be realistic, it is a wonderful way to develop a character and move a story along. The writing in this story uses it to introduce the world's kindness and pity for Psyche's situation.

I found this quote to be hilarious and want to keep it here for reference (it's more comical if you read it in context, though):

"Psyche left willingly, not to fulfill the goddess’ demand, but to escape from her troubles by throwing herself from a cliff into the river" (from Psyche's Task).

The drama--I love it. I understand that it's a dark quote, but it was not preceded by a gradual discussion of Psyche's feelings about the tasks. It was very sudden and unexpected, so it almost felt out of place. Still, it was an understandable element to add to the story because of the brutal and unforgiving tasks Venus put Psyche through.

I was surprised that there was very little point to Psyche opening the jar with the "drop of beauty" in it. I figured more would happen with it, but all that happened was Cupid waking her up. It felt like it could have been a useful element to add to the story. I suppose that is what Pandora if for, though.

I do wish that the frame tale had more meaning in the end. It seemed that it really was just used to comfort the young girl (unless I missed something or misinterpreted). In the end, it was just a story to tell. 

Bibliography:
Apuleius's Golden Ass, translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).

Image Information:
Psyche, by Waterhouse

Reading Notes - Week 3: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche (Part A)

This week I read Part A of Cupid and Psyche. This is a good start to researching for my final project since it involves a story within a story, an element I am considering using. One part I really liked was that the story ensures that there is a reason for the Cupid and Psyche story, setting it up by having the older woman feel pity for the young girl. Their dialogue previous to this was simple and yet powerful enough to set the reader up for a desire to see the young girl comforted. 

The story of Cupid and Psyche is extremely detailed and descriptive. I appreciate how much emphasis was put on Psyche's beauty. It's one thing to say that a person is beautiful but it's much more powerful to describe the effect her beauty had on people (saying that crowds of people were gathering to see her and that the news of her beauty spread from city to city). It's much more believable that she would have an affect on a goddess when her appearance is described like this. 

I loved how descriptive the negative reaction to the prophecy was ("the whole city grieved at the cruel fate that had struck the afflicted house and public business was interrupted as a fitting show of mourning."), and then how brave Psyche's words were following them. Her words strike as even braver and stronger because of how the description of the situation was laid out right before. Characters are really built and shown through the events they are put through, and the writing here shows who Psyche is. 

One aspect I would like to note is the miscommunication. If Psyche would have just been honest and told her sisters that her husband was not handsome and perfect, they would not have felt envy. Psyche's lies then got her into more trouble with them because she had forgotten how she had described her husband before, so she made up a new description. The sisters caught on to this and ended up persuading Psyche to kill him. This caused more trouble for Psyche. 

I noticed when Psyche first moved in with her husband that there was very little description on him. Instead, the focus was on her despair. I like how the writing allows the reader to be curious about what she thinks of her husband, but then distracts the reader from this by drawing our attention to her sadness about wanting to see her sisters. Later everything is revealed about her husband and this reminds the reader that they were at one point curious about wanting clarification that he was Cupid. 

Bibliography: 

Apuleius's Golden Ass, translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).

Image info:
Psyche and Her Sisters, by Giordano