Week 13 Story: The Princess and the Robe

Week 13 Story:

The Princess and the Robe

Author's Note: I decided to write my story over The Princess and the Pea, which is about a princess who slept on multiple mattresses and sheets and still could not stop feeling the pea underneath it all. It is something so small and hard to notice but significantly disrupts her comfort. I decided to write a story similar about a princess who is wearing many undergarments and coats but cannot stop feeling a loose thread on the inner-lining of her robe. I'm sure everyone has had a moment of wearing an item of clothing that has a tag that will itch or poke out annoyingly. So I hope this is relatable enough, while also staying similar to a fairytale aspect!

Once upon a time, there was a young prince who ventured far and wide in search of a princess to marry. For his princess needed to be kind of heart, fair of face, and beautiful of dress. Many women would approach him in attempts to pique his interest, but all had false intentions of wanting to marry into royalty instead of sharing royalty. These efforts disheartened the prince, leaving him to feel hopeless in his journey for love and completion.

One evening, there was a cyclone of wind building up near the prince's kingdom. Following the cyclone was rain falling in a sideways fashion, lightening skipping around the grassy and cobble terrain, and thunder booming above every roof and tower. No one dared to go outdoors until the devilish weather had ceased. Abruptly, the storm was broken for a moment by a knocking at the city gate. A member of the palace guard ran to open it, only to discover a princess standing alone.


How did a princess end up in this state? Alone, in a storm, seeking shelter in a kingdom, not of her own. The weather got the best of her, and left her in a horrendous state! Dripping from all limbs and
having her hair stuck to her face and neck, she continued to state that she was a royal and needed immediate care and shelter.

“I'm not so sure about her being a princess. Her presence here doesn't make any sense,” thought the old queen when the guard brought her in. But she did not say a peep and went into a guest bedroom to lay out warm clothes for their guest. When laying out all the garments, she decided to take the last overcoat and tear out one of the inner seems of thick cord. With that, she exited the room and allowed the princess to dress into about 8 layers of clothing for warmth and rest.

These were the garments that the princess had slept in all night. She had kept them on the following morning and was then asked how she had felt.

“Oh, I feel so horrible!” said she. “Stolen was my ability to close my eyes through the night. I tossed and turned and tried every position to make myself comfortable, only to be left unsatisfied. I even moved to the floor, thinking it was my bedding, only to continue to feel discomfort in the same way. Even now I cannot shake this pinching feeling. It’s awful!”

The old queen could now tell that she was a royalty because only a royal would know if beautiful silk clothing was not up to its standard. Even through all the layers she had to wear, she could feel the free cord that had been cut and left to dangle within.

Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that.

They allowed the prince to meet with her and take her as his wife because there was no doubt that she was a real princess.

Image: The Princess from the Land of Porcelain (Wikipedia)
Bibliography:  The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (Un-Textbook)

Week 13 Reading: Literary Works Hans Christian Andersen Part B

Week 13 Reading:

Literary Works Hans Christian Andersen Part B

This reading unit was focused only on the story of the Little Mermaid. Out of all the stories I've read that had Disney adaptations, this is the only one that has had so many parts to it. This story also is the least like its Disney counterpart than any other I've encountered as well. I love that this version included a female influence she could look to and an actual reason for her surface dwelling and initial emergence to looking at the world above. The imagery in this work was fantastic. I loved the word choice that separated the details of the sea when comparing it to the open land. There was also a bit of personification done to the water which helped in re-signifying the importance of it to the plot of the story. The author also chose to give as many instances of emotion for each character involved in a scene. He would recount when the Little Mermaid was excited or thought things were fun, while typically surface walkers and humans are mortified or aloof. This story is focused on the separation between a sea creature and a human being, so this method of describing everything helped to clearly paint out that divide. To include this much imagery, it makes sense for this story to be as long as it was. Each sentence had a beautiful style of writing; each having breaks by commas when needed and nothing became a run-on. This is something that I need to work on myself; specifically comma splices. The work is told in past tense form, and I wish that I looked into this before I started my project! I'm working on the same method, and I wasn't aware of the difficulty in keeping tense in a story that you'd want to be interactive. This is my last reading post for the semester, and I think I got to end it on a good note!

Image: The Little Mermaid (Wikimedia Commons)
Bibliography: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (Un-Textbook)

Week 13 Reading: Literary Works Hans Christian Andersen Part A

Week 13 Reading:

Literary Works Hans Christian Andersen Part A

So I decided to read the Hans Christian Andersen version of some of the European fairytales. I think this experience in reading went better for me than the last unit ended because it had endings that made sense! Based on the actions of the main character and their outcomes, they got the endings they deserved. I loved that everything led to one point and it felt like I got closure from each story. I was elated. I really like the European versions of these stories over the Disney ones I believe. It seems a bit more "relatable" while still being abnormal and fairytale-like. I was invested and excited as I kept reading and that's what I hope to do to people who read my works in this class! The sentence structure seemed so proper to me as it went forward. I'm a stickler for finding character dialogue when I'm reading, and so far, I didn't really see a different separation between the characters and the narration. That was utterly okay though for this! I didn't need quoted dialogue to build out the elements further for me; each member of the tale was given just enough personality to paint a picture in my mind. Most of the wording is picked in a method that traces out the characters and the scenery enough to get the mood and imagery of each make. I know that it's probably cheating to think this only because I've seen adaptations of these works before and might already have a hint of a visual. The stories are mostly different though! That's another fantastic thing for me. The way these stories are told is very mature and more adult than the current child adaptations. I've very excited to get into the Little Mermaid stories next for my second reading and see how the differences add to the story!

Image: Princess and the Pea (Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (Un-Textbook)

Week 12 Reading: Grimm (Librivox) Part B

Week 12 Reading:

Grimm (Librivox) Part B

For the second half of the reading, I continued to listen to the Librivox Grim Fairytales and came to a sad conclusion about myself. Something that I realized I love in a story, specifically a fairytale, is when those of good heart and intention prosper. If the lovely individuals are given their deserved opportunities, then it only makes sense that the villainous characters are given what they deserve. At least to me, this is how I feel the story should go. Outside of my opinion, most of the scripts in this second half had a good ending for everyone character. It felt as though they took one instance to provide a consequence that someone could learn from, then instantly made everything better. The meaning behind rewarding those who treat others with love and respect gets diminished a little bit by this for me. With that, I'd change the writing style to put more emphasis on the downfall of the characters who have poor intentions from the start or just rude behaviors drawn to life. The endings over the second half were also very abrupt to me. There was an ascend in the plot that put grand emphasis on the "final task" that most protagonists in these stories endured; it was sad to see their success feel lack-luster because there would be a summation of the aftermath and every character was given a happy ending. I think if they added more of a brooding opening as well, it would emphasize the harsh reality of the cruel intentions of man that they like to touch on in these works. I do like the method of task creation that each story uses though. The adventure is the best part of these tales, and it really paints a picture to follow as you read or listen through.


Image: Grimm Illustration (Wikimedia Commons)
Bibliography:  Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm (Un-Textbook)

Week 12 Reading: Grimm (Librivox) Part A

Week 12 Reading

Grimm (Librivox) Part A

I was thrilled to learn we had the option to skip over to European stories during these weeks! It's sad that we're getting close and close to being done here, and I'd love to go back and read all the stories, but Grimm Fairytales were specific to my inspiration in my project so, I thought it would be appropriate to jump on the opportunity to do complete readings on them. I want to do another Brother's Grimm story for next week as well, but for now, we'll go with the Librivox one! I plan to read Crane for next week, and I might as use these endings to help influence how I end my story for the class project. I loved the snippets of dialogue they used to cut throw the narrations of the story. It was light and whimsical, so you felt the vibe of a fairytale. I love that because these are similar to the Disney related tales that children grow up to know, I think the dramatic endings and twists give more emotion and depth to the passages. Don't get me wrong, not all of these accounts have sad endings. Most of them actually have decent ends with maybe a few traumatic consequences scatter throughout the work.  I know that the word "grim" can create this complex of thinking that the stories will end in death, sadness, maybe the villain getting what they want. That isn't necessarily the case for these stories. They can have excellent alternatives, but the way they decide to get there makes these fairytales, not as child-friendly or seem delicate anymore. That's my favorite part of these types of tales and what I want to take away to use in my endings for my project this semester.


Image: Grimm Fairytale (Wikimedia Commons)
Bibliography:  Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm (Un-Textbook)

Story Lab Week 12: Twine story software (Tech Tip)

Story Lab Week 12:

Twine story software 

This week, I decided to do the Twine Story Software reading because of my project this semester. I definitely looked into using Twine to make my choose your own adventure story, but because my choices weren't as elaborate as this software would have preferred, I just went ahead and used the button options on google sites. I do regret not using Twine, and if I had more time, I would have put more into my adventure story! So I might pick up on using this software even after the class ends and start just making fun stories on the side that my friends could read if they choose to. I could also use this to accompany my Dungeons and Dragons campaigns with some of my groups! I love how easy it is to use this application. You can also connect more options to different things, and it just helps to keep everything organized. It's also great at loading in options and providing an "undo" so you can backtrack if you change your mind later. Something I added to my story was that some outcomes brought you back to a fork. Making this return fork was harder on the google sites option than it was on Twine! I highly recommend using this site if you'd like to make an adventure. I regret not working with it, but I do think that my story wouldn't have had as many essentials to use this application to its full potential.


Image: Adventure Tag (Flickr)
Twine Info: Twine Tech Tip

Week 11 Story: My Grandmother's Stories

Week 11 Story:

My Grandmother's Stories

Author's Notes: My story inspiration this week is from Iagoo, the Storyteller. This story is meant to introduce the character of Iagoo, as wise and wonderful storyteller. He has a way of winning the hearts of all those he comes across through his storytelling, specifically children. I wanted to follow a format similar by describing the amazing way someone could portray stories but with using a family member instead. This isn't particularly about my own grandmother but, this is just a general idea of a grandparent. Being idolized by her grandchildren for the way she tells them stories and does things for them. It will be told through the perspective of one of her grandchildren who is of a pretty decent age (maybe 17-24?) and recounting the moments they were invested in the tales their grandmother would tell to them.

My eyes never lit up as bright for anyone as they did for my Grandmother. My siblings and I never dismissed the ideas of any of the stories she wanted to tell. She seemed to know the mysteries that lurked in the forests, and could interpret the meanings from all creatures from land and sea. Her emotional understanding was only matched by her brilliant ability to captivate an audience even just by one sentence. All my life, I knew she had a strong connection to the outdoors, the spiritual ties to the world, and all the weird things you'd expect crazy old women to be passionate about. She never taught us to be prim and proper adults, but more so the fact that she taught us moral lessons that shaped who we are today.

Her favorite way to teach us was through storytelling. She had a vast variety of stories to tell and I honestly don't remember ever hearing the same one twice. She knew fairy tales from what seemed to be all regions, and had learned most of what she knows through her parents passing the stories down to her and generations of the same trend taking place. If there was on take away you could get from my grandmother, it was that the world was a mysterious and mystic place that was full of beauty advice if you ever desired it.

We all loved my grandmother. Every single one of us. It was like a floodgate would open when my parents announced that we'd go to visit for the weekend. I remember running to the car as soon as the doors opened and jumping around in my seat waiting until I could see even the roof of her home. She had this rug that sat out by a leather recliner that she loved to sit in. Around that rug sat myself and all of my siblings, eagerly waiting to see our grandmother. She would walk out with a tray of chocolate chip cookies that to this day, no one has been able to master the way she did it. It was like she had a magic spell on us because we almost lost all train of thought on anything else but her.

Visits to our grandmother's mostly occurred during the holiday season. Whether it was snowy glaze coating the cracked pavement or crisp orange leaves falling from the trees, she was always inspired to tell a tale. My favorite times were when we could bundle up in warm blankets and sip on hot cocoa while listening to fairy tales of heroes, princesses, magicians, and even pirates. I felt connected to all parts of the world when I got to hear stories from my grandmother. She never failed at rallying us up to her while giving my parents the break they definitely deserved.

Years have passed since I was able to meet with my grandmother for stories. As that time passed, she left us to float amongst the breeze by nature. She was free to swim with the dolphins and soar the skies with the eagles now. My heart still yearns to hear those stories once more, but I knew that I had to allow them to live on through me. I will pass down her legacy as a brilliant, wise storyteller who is loved by her family. I will instill deep relationships with the earth and sky to the people who give my tales a chance. To the people who are open to getting a feel for my grandmother, I wish for them to accept me with open arms and buckle up for a new insight on life.

Image: Grandma (Pixabay)
Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (Un-Textbook)

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales Part B

Reading Notes:

American Indian Fairy Tales Part B

The second half of the reading for this unit was filled nicely by cute stories of a moral reason to teach the children being spoken too. I get a very nostalgic feeling of an elderly family member spreading their wisdom to their grandchildren from this section more so than the previous one. I think it's really cool that each ending word of the story sentences left you hanging on each. The adverb choices and the adjective choices were well done in my opinion. It's clear that these stories are aimed towards children, and there's no overly complicated idea that you need to get and each word has a certain amount of power that even children can grasp the importance of. You want to go ahead and skip over the other words just to get to the point because you're excited to figure out what's going to happen next! I decided to listen to an audiobook version of these stories and I felt like I was a kid again; wanting to cheer for the characters or feeling like I could be more expressive with my reactions and interjections. Something I wish I got to take from this story to further develop my story on my project would be to bring animal creatures to life and really build out a story path like this. The stories are pretty long since they are multiple pages but the actual stories go by pretty quickly as well, and I'm not sure I could be this creative with my writing. I would love to take this into consideration for the ending of my tale though! I want to be able to make enticing imagery based on my word choice, while also not being too over the top or hard to understand. Overall this was a fun read!


Image: Sunset (Wikipedia)
Bibliography:  American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (Un-Textbook)

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales Part A

Reading Notes:

American Indian Fairy Tales Part A

Transitioning into the second week of reading this unit, it was a crazy transition for me. The first story unit I read was a tad more brutal in nature for each character whereas this story is a lot more focused on love and rewarding the good. I can see why this is titled a "fairy tale" story genre just from the feel good nature in the actions of the characters, as well as the happy endings each story possessed. Something really cool about this unit of the reading was that it built off the first story that gave information about a storyteller. Then it was that storyteller to continue to tell the rest of the stories throughout the unit. The also kept the storyteller's introduction the shortest story but also the longest story. It's like it completely engulfs the other ones in the first section because the storyteller from story one is the one telling the other stories so it's like a continuation of his story, just with different content. They also set up the stories well to appeal to youthful individuals who want a happy ending and continue to follow the arc of a nice, down-to-earth character lead. You feel so wholesome after reading or listening to some of these tales and it's a sweet way to warm your heart, as opposed to the other stories I read that kinda left me to feel a bit of discomfort and shock at some points. As much as I pride myself of appreciating twists and creepy factors of stories, I wasn't expecting that from the one I read prior so it caught me off guard. It also seemed to play off so "innocently" and casual which also threw me for a loop. This unit was a nice transition from the casual brutality to mystic romance and devotion.

Image: Storyteller (Wikimedia Commons)
Bibliography:  American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (Un-Textbook)

Story Lab Week 10: Writers Write

Story Lab

Writers Write

Hello there! I decided to do my story lab this week on the Writers Write linked page. I've been getting a bit stuck on what I'm going to do with my story regarding direction. There are so many things I want to do with it and branch out the stories into different pieces, but I know that it would be too overwhelming to make so many different endings and scenarios to go by. So I thought that maybe reading something here would help to limit the crazy branching my mind is trying to go into something that is a bit more realistic for my time and sustainable for my audience to enjoy without missing out on something! The specific pages I read under were the 3 Must Scenes That Reveal a Character and the Cheat Sheet For Writing Body Language. I chose these two subjects because the goal of my story is to meet back up with the kidnapped girl, but you also don't know if you'll reach the antagonist or not so I'd like to have a better idea as to how to bring him into the story fully personified and ready to be evil! I also wanted to get a better idea as to how to describe the protagonist in different situations solely based on body language. My story is interactive, and I want the reader to feel how the protagonist feels, so my thought process is to have more detail in the body language and make it easier to envision yourself feeling the same way. The momentum scene description really spoke volumes to me because I want to be able to build anticipation up for the final scene of the story! I also got to see a visual of a chart that helps to give an idea of how to portray feelings through the body actions of a character. My mind after reading these articles is filled with plenty of ideas on how to proceed, I just need a reliable way to tie all the pieces together! 

Image: Choose Your Own Adventure Layout (Flickr)

Reading Notes: Blackfeet Indian Stories Part B

Reading Notes

Blackfeet Indian Stories Part B

Wow is what I have to say to the second half of these stories. I remember saying in my first reading post that everything seems nostalgic to me because of the writing style. I know that at the beginning of this unit, it was said that Native American's told stories of hero's as well and that this was one of those stories. As a child, I can see how you would look up to someone that wants to help people and is triumphant in every task pinned upon him but, these stories were also pretty gruesome to read. It made me think about how they may have been different boundaries for them when telling stories and allowing their children to learn lessons. Concerning storytelling methods, It was quite difficult for me to build separations as I went forward because they liked to use the same nouns for the characters. In the beginning, there were so many people named "old man" that I wasn't aware of the difference in characters until I read further. They also liked to put emphasis on helping the elderly, which was nice. There was respect for your elders, and this showed the values that they set forth around their time period and tradition. It also helped to guide the understanding of the lessons being told from each story; though some of the content was the same each lesson was unique. Something I didn't like about the "Blood Boy" stories was that it became too predictable when he encountered different evil beings. I wanted him to be involved in more dynamic situations so that to children being told this story, he may seem like more of a hero in all aspects. It was a little unsettling that he ended up being the murder of an evil creature and all of those connected to that evil creature.

Image: Bison Hunting (Wikipedia)
Bibliography: Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell (Un-Textbook)

Reading Notes: Blackfeet Indian Stories Part A

Reading Notes

Blackfeet Indian Stories Part A

I have taken a great deal of Native American courses at the University of Oklahoma, but I've never had to read any of the myth stories they had to offer based on tribe, lore, or region. This unit had plenty of different story types that varied in length and plot. Something about it that has been different than any other story I've read in this class so far is that it gives me that nostalgic storytelling method that I thought of as a child. All of the stories end with a moral lesson that can be learned throughout the tale, even if that moral lesson isn't necessarily spoken out loud. It was effortless to follow and understand for me, which helped me process each story separately. I also like that in the beginning, they were all separate stories instead of one continuous story separated by website pages. Everything was sweet, and to the point, so I didn't have to try and connect multiple pieces together that I may have forgotten early on. There is nothing wrong with continued stories, it's just helpful to have a bit of a break between reading those types or a type like this. Something else I love is that each creature from the stories used is personified to have human-like characteristics; they can converse naturally with different human characters and help to develop the story due to their influence. There is also a lot of storytelling that revolves around human relationships, specifically the connection between a man and wife. It doesn't just focus on the love and devotion portions of a marriage, but it also makes efforts to speak on the deceit and evils that can stem from it as well. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to read the rest of this unit!


Image: Winter Wolf (Pixabay)
Bibliography: Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell (Un-Textbook)

Week 9 Story: Treasure Cavern

Week 9 Story

Treasure Mountain

Author's notes: This story is based on The Golden Apple section of the Labor's of Yamato series in the Japanese Mythology section of the Un-Textbook. He is looking for a golden apple, which is a task assigned to him by a siren who is possessing his mind. When she gives him instructions on how to get to it, she does so in the form of a song. He is looking for this golden apple on the island of eternal life to please the woman he "loves" and gain her affection. I decided to make this story about treasures similar to the cavern of wonders from the Aladdin tale but focus on the song portion. I kept the rhyming scheme the same but made different verses for the song itself. My version involves a beggar who is desperate to gain riches and is granted a visit by an undefined character who will recite to him an ode that should help him locate the riches he seeks.

There was once a man who lived a bitter, dull life. Watching from the sidelines as his townsfolk walked the streets lavished in their earned riches. He was fated the dreads of poverty and envied those who fed on rich flavors the world had to offer; having only the vermin of life satisfied his hunger. He wanted more. Much more.

Among the streets always sat the rumors of Treasure Cavern. The myths and lore backed by the merchants and travelers who sold goods as well as stories upon their return. For the beggar had no glimmer nor silver-coated lining on life. He thought, “why not muster up the courage to see if the myths are fact?” So off he went. He searched high and low for more information about this Treasure Cavern, but fell short and lost motivation quickly. He had all but given up before he was greeted in the night by an unknown woman cloaked in crimson drabs encrusted in gold and ruby accents. Face hidden from all Earth-dwellers; carrying an ominous presence amongst her.

"Who are you," cried our wretched beggar.

"Is treasure not what you seek? Welcome my words to feed your hunger," stated the mysterious woman.

The beggar nodded. If one more word had escaped her veiled lips, tasteless foam would seep from his mouth like the ravenous dogs lurking the night.

"Listen," she hummed. A strong wind began to pick up, and her feet slowly lifted from the ground while her arms spread apart.

In the abandoned times of the gods and the mother,
Across the dusty deserts near the isle of Shikoku,
Heretofore dwelt a villainous mage, cruel of heart and stone of reason,
Whom was sought by the people, brewed devilish taboo.

The sage, greed consumed, collected gems upon detection,
Protesting leeches who thirst for generosity lest they scavenge themselves,
Curse upon curse he marked upon the rapacious making him grow tired and ill,
And twisted mind paid a visit to him as doth sinister elves:

“Hide thy treasure, neath the depths open to mortal steps
To a cavern molded of magic and magma of ethereal phenomenon,
House thine gold and silver and rubies and sapphires
So only magian conquest may enter and thus relieve thy vex.”


Reveled in the advice of foul impish creatures,
The mage embarked on crafting a chasm so deep even land would not convey its location,
For days and weeks and months he built through scorching sun and blazing winds,
Till the last bit of rubble had been placed amongst this magnificent formation.

This fortress then built on insanity and corrupted magic,
Left the mage stricken by deeper exertion than just physical ability,
He all but delivered his treasures to their crypt when he felt lifeless,
Only the motherland went to catch his fallen body coated by fragility.

Death was stronger than the envy that drove his mad actions,
And life's last response let the base of the cavern consume his force;
Emitting a brilliant glow along the walls that lined the mass,
Faintly visible to travelers who may walk above its source.

Below the hue of iridescence marked our Treasure Cavern,
Vastly haunted by the insanity and greed of its late creator;
To traverse one must be cunning, brave, the strength of mind flourished
Careful to chain sanity within, so that joy may peak from thy splendor.

As the last phrase was brought to life, the masked woman began to float backward and fade into the distance. Her disappearance led the wind to cease in violence. All was quiet and now undisturbed by the recent events to take place. After his breath regulated and the last drop of cold sweat slide down the base of his neck, the beggar stepped towards the door ready to locate the Treasure Cavern.

Image 1: Treasure gems (Pixabay)
Image 2: Golden treasures (Website)
Bibliography: Labors of Yamato: The Golden Apple by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (Un-Textbook)

Reading Notes: Japanese Mythology Part B

Reading Notes

Japanese Mythology Part B

I completed the reading for the second half of this unit. It was a lot easier to go through this portion because I read these sections aloud, and it also followed the story of one person, so the flow was apparent. It was similar to the Sinbad stories we were given the opportunity to read back in the Middle Eastern units a few weeks again. I loved the imagery used in this section because it was using other natural beauties to describe natural life forms. The way “foaming flowers” were used to describe the waves of the ocean was such a captivating observation for me. This section is definitely going to help me mold my storybook project pages further for the rest of the semester. I also got the hang of understanding the poem meters. It’s almost like a sandwich effect, which I like! Something I love to do when reading stories aloud is to give different voice tones and patterns to different characters. It was fun to play around with the rhythm of the poetry from this unit when reading aloud. I was also weirdly connected to Yamato based on the writing style he was portrayed under. They gave him very brief dialogue and most of his development was through action, but he had such strong passions that justified why he did what he did. It was realistic to the situation he was under, despite the mannerisms he chose to treat his wife. The only real critique I had was that the quotations thrown throughout the story were a bit confusing to me. Some of them seemed unnecessary, or like they weren't used for a character speaking. Overall a fun second half to review!

Image: Evil Tenkeisei (Wikipedia)
Bibliography: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. C (Un-Textbook)

Reading Notes: Japanese Mythology Part A

Reading Notes

Japanese Mythology Part A

Last week, I wanted to get into reading some of the Japanese Fairytale stories that the Un-Textbook had to offer. This week, I tried to get into the root of the stories I wanted to tell in this class, and that's the Japanese Mythology story unit. The goal from the reading was to get a better idea of how the Japanese myth characters were born and utilized in storytelling, as well as getting more idea of the flow of these stories. Getting into the first half of the reading, it took me a few read-throughs to get the flow down to comprehend the story. There was a mix of different story elements, including poetry, dialogue, and third-person omniscient perspective.  The mixing of these methods led to me being confused, especially in the beginning because I didn't notice it until the sentence structure thoroughly changed up. I guess I just glazed over Professor Gibb's note, in the beginning, to read aloud due to the poetry. She is not kidding when she recommends to read it out loud. I also suggest you do so! It just sounds better to hear it when you read over just going through it in your head. I wished this section had an audiobook attached so that my first experience with the story was more natural to process. The dialogue took me by surprise because it was very similar to the Greek Mythology writings. I guess in my head they had different dialects and different ways to address the characters aside from "thy" and "thou" and such. They used terms in that fashion so heavily that it got harder to read if it wasn't being read out loud. It made the reading feel condensed and complicated. The third-person view of the story was my favorite part by far. Those parts of the story were the most exciting for me, which made me sad since I usually live for the dialogue. The pavement of the story was best done for me when looking at that method over the other two.

Image: Untold Stories of Japanese Mythology (Wikimedia Common)
Bibliography: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. C (Un-Textbook)

Week 8 Progress

Week 8 Progress

I'm actually extremely pleased with my progress so far. I always get a sense of accomplishment when I submit my final assignment for the week (usually my project based assignment) and see how many points I've earned for myself and how far I'm going in the class. Professor Gibbs helps me in getting a better schedule for this class after not getting the best out of my original plan. Once I got my schedule sorted, everything fell into place much better. I love doing the story posts. Creating has been the best way to help alleviate my stresses of the semester from my other courses and really express myself through a different platform. With my love for story writing, I also get more inspiration when looking at the stories that my peers post as well. I've done one of the extra credit assignments that involved additional blog commenting. Giving me a reason to look at more stories is always super helpful and motivates me to be better! My website definitely gives me struggles sometimes when it doesn't do all that I want it to do, but after a bit of fighting it's not terrible. I may make changes in the future to it but if I did, it would be with the site I use to create my website, not the actual content. Just to have a bit more creative freedom with the structure. I may love to just lay around and do nothing when I'm able, but inside I'm always excited to work on my assignments from this class!

Image: A pug representation of me (Flickr)

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

I think that the feedback for this course is more interactive than most feedback I've ever had to give in a class before. It's meant to be helpful but also to try and find a positive from a post, and a piece that could be better and suggest improvement. I believe that the comments and feedback that I am receiving from my peers are fair and helpful. My favorite ones would have to be the Pretend feedback! I don't think I'm good at writing those types of comments, but I love seeing them on my posts. I can get into the mind of MY character and see what makes sense to others after they read my story. I think that my feedback as over time become pretty much the same, which probably stems from how much I've learned about fixing my sentence structure. I get so excited to have a better writing style that I just want to share with others what has helped me achieve it! I want to get better at doing Pretend and TAG feedback. I love how creative everyone's Introduction posts have been as well. I usually read the introductions before their story posts, and this helps me in understanding why they write the way they do and their theme for storytelling. I'm going to do my best as the weeks move forward to get better at leaving more different, specific feedback based on the individual I'm reviewing.



Image: Constructive Feedback (Growthmindsetmemes)

Week 8 Reading and Writing

Week 8 Reading and Writing

I actually really like that we're doing this review week. I've been going back and forth on my blog site theme since the course started and I finally think I'm happy enough with it to leave it be! It wanted a more chilling site to make my story posts also come off as a bit more of a twisted side. Just helping to hype up the vibe I was going for. I think I have my good weeks and my bad weeks when it comes to storytelling. Some stories just really inspire my creative side, and it helps to motivate me to put more into my stories. You can even tell based on some of the peer reviews that when another student is confused by something I've written about or wanted more out of it, I usually feel the same way in the end. Overall, I'd say I'm satisfied with everything going so far this semester. My most significant accomplishment so far in my writing for the class would be to getting my sentence structure down. I never realized how passive of a writer I was! I can't be compelling and slightly creepy if I don't sound more assertive. The information I got from Professor Gibbs, as well as the writing technique assignments, have helped immensely. I hope that in the future and second half of this class, I start being a bit more analytical to story structure from our readings and not just the story plot as a whole. Also going into it more open instead of thinking only about how I would take a story.

Image: Enchanted Forest (Web Source)

Week 7 Story: The Girl Who Never Wanted to Age

Week 7 Story:

The Girl Who Never Wanted to Age

Author’s Note: This story was based off the of the Ozaki Unit from the Asain Fairytale section of the Un-Textbook. Specifically, form the story The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die. This story is about a man who fears death and begins to change his lifestyle. In the process of this change, he remembers a story of King who also did not wish to die. This King decided to find an elixir of eternal life, and on his journey to obtain this elixir, he is put in a situation where he gets what he wishes for, but it doesn’t turn out the way he had hoped. I wanted to make a change so that the story follows a child. I think that most kids go through wanting never to grow up and staying young forever. It’s to keep the type of storytelling method similar while also making it a bit more of a modern approach.



Once upon a time, there lived a young girl named Sophie. She loved to dance, sing, and play all day without responsibilities. She could run all the way to her clubhouse and hide out for the day with her own mental company. She could stay outside and make mud cakes in the leftover puddles from the rain with her family dog all afternoon. She was satisfied waking up and munching on cookies, chips, ice-cream, and any delectable junk food she could reach. Life to her was perfect. She never wanted her fun to end. One night, as her family has gathered for dinner, Sophie decides that she doesn’t want to eat the chicken and veggie platter that her mother had made for her.



“I don’t want this. I want cake instead!” Demanded Sophie.



“Sophie that’s enough. Finish your dinner, and then you can have dessert.” Said her mother.



“No. I won’t eat vegetables. I hate them!” Sophie said as she threw her plate from the table onto the floor.



“That’s it!” Exclaimed her mother. “To your room, now! You can go to bed without supper!”



“UGH! Adults are no fun!” Sophie screamed and ran to her room. Tears were streaming down her now rosy, flustered cheeks. “I never want to be like mommy. I want to eat sweet all day and play outside whenever I want and never have to brush my teeth!” After much pacing, crying, and diabolical scheming, Sophie had tired herself out and fall onto her bed to sleep.



Crash! A loud sound wakes Sophie from her slumber. Wiping away at her eyes, she tries to focus on what the sound was. Crash! The noise happened again. She leaps from her bed to slowly open the door and listen. It had been daybreak, and with the light shining into her house from the windows, she tried to look for who made the noise.



“Take that! And that! And this!” Said a voice from downstairs. As curiosity consumed her, Sophie ran down the stairs to find two young boys fighting each other with kitchen spatulas.



“Aha! I’ve got you now. Any last words?” The voice from before matched the voice coming from this boy.



“I surrender! Spare me!” Shouted the other boy.



“Who are you? Why are you in my house?” Yelled Sophie from a distance. “Your house? This house is everyone’s house. No one has their own house here.”



Sophie became puzzled. She looked around to see that all her family photos were gone. She searched for the rest of her home and to not her astonishment; her family was not in it. “Are you new here or something? Only adults have their own house, but there are no adults here. We can have any house we want!” Said the first boy.



Sophie takes a look out of one of the windows and notices all the children outside playing, running around, and doing all the things she loves to do herself. “There are no adults here? That’s impossible!”



“Well, it is here! Come on; we’re going to play outside!”



Sophie ran outside with her new friends and spent days eating all the junk she wanted to, continually playing outside with the other children, and going to bed whenever she wanted to. As the day went on, she noticed that she was not feeling too good. Her body had become sick from all the sweets Sophie had consumed. Her constant fun outside without any clean up had caused her to get infections in any of the scrapes she had earned running around. She had grown tired from avoiding sleep to play with everyone because she didn’t want to feel left out. Sophie’s health had taken a dramatic turn for the worse.



“Hey, Sophie! Want some cake?” Said one of the children.



“No, I don’t. I don’t feel good. Do you have carrots or crackers maybe?”



“Ew of course not! None of that can be found here silly. Here eat more cake!”



All the children started eating cake and trying to force Sophie to eat as well. The more they got her to eat, the sicker she became. She got so ill that she ended up vomiting up all of the forced cake and passing out on the floor.



A few hours had passed by when Sophie awoke to a soft knock at her door. She was in her bed after passing out on the floor with the other children. After a moment, you could see Sophie’s mother walk into the room. Sophie nearly leaped for joy when she saw her mother before her.



“Mommy! I’m so sorry! I want vegetables now please.” Sophie exclaimed as she ran to wrap her arms around her mother. Confused at the sudden change in behavior, her mother pushed the child back to her bed so that she could sit beside her.



“Sophie,” she said, “You cannot throw food onto the ground like that. What I make for you, I do because I want you always to be happy and healthy. You can’t be that way if you eat cake all of the time.”



“I know mommy. Trust me, I don’t think I’ll want to eat cake for a while” Sophie says as she grips her stomach. “I want to be healthy too. I won’t do that again.”



Sophie had learned during her dream that she might like what she usually does, but she knows that she may not want to do these things all of the time. To be a healthy kid, Sophie needs to develop a balance in fun and responsibility.

Image: Pinata Cake (Food Republic)
Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki

Reading Notes: Ozaki Part B

Reading Notes

Ozaki Part B

For the second half of the reading from the Ozaki Unit, the stories were more my style. You had more elements of the fairytale by adding in the different characters and scene depictions that I want to incorporate into my story. First off? The writing in all stories starts off with a sentence that screams fairytale being that it was ages and ages ago from the current time you’re hearing about it. When it’s given a timeframe like that, it also feels quite mystic and ominous to me as well. It’s hard to explain, but when I read it, I’m given a sense of mystery because it happened so long ago and it was such a tremendous experience we get to hear it as a story. Something else I love about these fairytales is that they add moral value. The Japanese are always great at showing their customs and religious practices within their storytelling regardless of how whimsical and unreal the story may be. Most Asian culture is the same actually and with a traditional standpoint over a modern twist back to “olden” time, I’m more drawn to the lore and the magic and the framework as a whole. I also liked that it recounts every detail, regardless of how small. From the movements of the characters to the motions of wildlife, even the weather. I was sad at first when reading Ozaki and feared that I would not get back into any excitement as I moved forward. The second half really saved this story chapter for me. So hopefully at the end of my story project for the semester, each reader will fill the same way of moral understanding and traditional practices that these stories did for me.

Image: A Demon (Wikipedia)
Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki

Reading Notes: Ozaki Part A

Reading Notes

Ozaki Part A

I’ve been waiting to get into these stories reading weeks since the start of the semester! Asian stories of myth and fairytale were the exact pieces I wanted to draw from for my semester project in this course. Considering I want to take a very “adventure” style vibe, I decided to read Ozaki’s stories of Japanese Fairytales that documented encounters with ogres, serpents, kings, and even supernatural being. The first half of my reading was actually surprising for me. I thought I’d like it more than I did? There go right into each story speaking in third person and even third person omniscient, which is fine, but it took away from the overall set up in the story for me. Much of it was build up to describe who was being talked about and then the actual story became more of a fragment instead of the main picture. It got better towards the final part of the reading, something I was thoroughly impressed with. Lots of Onomateopia were included as well in the storytelling. The effect of words like this is great to me because it makes the story slightly interactive! The writer is getting you to experience that crash, that bang, that thud, at the same time the protagonist would have to. I appreciate that since it’s third person you also are left wondering “oh what’s going to happen next” rather than “well I know this and this happens so... I expected this and this.” It’s a position I want to take in storytelling while adding in more dialogue to help shape the characters a bit better. The final story of this half of the reading did a beautiful job at that! My goal is to use it as inspiration in my project later on.

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki
Image: Origami Figure (Pexels)

Story Lab Week 6

Story Lab Week 6

Crash Course Mythology

This week, I listened to the story lab “Overview of Mythology” which went into detail about how to avoid arguement and how to compare myth with religion among theory and protagonists. They want to recount stories that have been used over a long period of time that aren’t necessarily factual or traceable. We often use the word “myth” all the time but there’s no real definition behind this word. It was an interesting insight for how to interpret both the meaning of mythology, theories of mythology, and pieces that go into mythology from characters to setting to overall story. I recommend a watch if you have the time!

Image: Religion and Mythology (Wikimedia Commons)

Add caption

Reading Notes: The Voyages of Sinbad Part B

Reading Notes

The Voyages of Sinbad Part B

During the second half of this reading assignment, I was getting past more of the sentence structure and staying focused on the story flow. Something interesting about these voyages that Sinbad is embarking on is that it is very repetitive over time. The stories each start off on the same foot or with the same reasoning while ending with the same result and feeling. It's a nice story for short reads over time. Think of the book series' that you would read as a child about a hero. Something that is positive about this tales is that you do get excited and happy when the protagonist makes it out of a sticky situation in a rather crazy way. How he managed to get through the Old Man, the Elephants, even the Roc parents is phenomenal. You never forget that he is a child of luck just by how unbelievable it is that he ends up always being the lone survivor. This is without fail every single time. I probably would have loved it more if I had read each voyage individually rather than just straight through like a novel. Aside from those remarks, Sinbad really does give off the storyteller vibe throughout each tale. He'll make side comments that remind you that this had already happened and he's recounting it for you. When his side comments and remarks do pop up every few lines, it's always a seamless insertion and you don't have a break-up in imagery. I really appreciate a writing style like that! I keep the flow going beautifully but never takes you away from the main idea or plot. It makes sense as to why it would be predictable that no matter the tragedy of the situation, Sinbad would have to have survived in order for him to be telling these stories to the other Sinbad. Oh if you haven't read this story, Sinbad the Sailor is telling his ventures to another man named Sinbad. It's actually hilarious.



Image: The Tales of Sinbad (Web Source)
Bibliography: The Arabian Nights' Entertainment by Andrew Lang (Un-Textbook)

Reading Notes: The Voyages of Sinbad Part A

Reading Notes

The Voyages of Sinbad Part A

For the reading this week, I thought it would be fun to get into the tellings of Sinbad, the heroic merchant that speaks of tales that most wouldn't believe. I was really excited to delve into this read because a hero tale is like a chocolate chip cookie; a classic heart-warmer. Right off the bat, I noticed that something this story has that others don't, the excessive use of commas. There I said it. I'm not sure if this is done to put more emphasis on the fact that he's recounting an epic feat that he endured. Maybe it's to help express the emotion behind his storytelling method so he can keep the listener hanging on each word? Or because it's so wonderous that he'll just talk on and on without stop making sure the listener has been given all the detail just as he took it in first hand? I'm honestly not too sure. It was hard to process and read through in the beginning for me because I felt like even reading in my head, I needed a break. As I got more into the story flow, it wasn't as noticeable to me if we're being honest. I can't say that it helps build the vibe of this being a re-telling; however, I can say that as the story goes on you can visualize both what's going on and Sinbad actually telling it to you. His personality is greatly shown in his storytelling style, and you also get a sense of familiarity between each voyage. It's fun to almost predict how he may handle a situation or react to a newfound problem. Thus far in these class readings, I'd say this has been the most exciting read I've gotten into!

Image: Sinbad the Sailor (Wikipedia)
Bibliography: The Arabian Nights' Entertainment by Andrew Lang (Un-Textbook)

Week 5 Story: The Meadow of Many Colors

Author Notes: This story is based on the Arabian Nights tale of Sultan and the Fish, which involves a fisherman who had given a series of colorful fish to the Sultan in exchange for riches. Upon discovering that these fish were not native to the area, curiosity strikes and he seeks to discover where they come from and why. He realizes that over time, these fish are actually people places under an enchantment by a wicked woman who lives in a castle nearby. One of the other enchanted beings she hits is her husband. My story is inspired by this with using flowers instead of fish being the people, as well as the king needing these flower for restoration and being lead by his curiosity to find the source of how these flowers conduct their magic. Please enjoy!

The Meadow of Many Colors

There once was a king who spent many nights praying to the gods of old and new. For his lovely wife had been stricken with an illness so cruel that he feared she would sleep and not make it to first light. He loved his queen dearly, just as she loved him. Her sickness had caused him to lie awake many nights. Over and over and over he’d talk with apothecaries, physicians, witch doctors; any being who had the possibilities of the right attributes to cure her. One day, he became so desperate that he sent word to all of his subjects that if they knew of a cure to come forth and he would shower them in riches.

Countless times members of his community would gather and speak so highly in their abilities just to gain treasures, yet every attempt had failed. Sorrow, despair, guilt. The king was washed in an anxiety as to why his beauty was chosen over him to bear such horror. In the peak of his wails, a veiled mistress enters his palace with a bed of vegetation in her wake.

“Sire,” she said, with a kneel and bowed head. “I wish to aid you in curing your queen’s illness. May I present to you the answers you pray upon.”

She proceeds to move the basket that holds her vegetation beds closer, revealing a magnificent array of flowers that glimmer as though direct sunlight still shined upon them. Each petal had it’s own brilliance, with mystic hues of blues and reds and yellows. For no flowers amongst the kingdom had been granted such splendor and awe like these at this moment.

“Why... how shall I use these fine beauties? Perhaps a sniff of their floral hands or a prick by their tough stalk?” The king was left curious but hopeful.

“A tea. Brew her a tea of these fine blooms and once warm to the touch, have her drink a whole cup in one go. Only then will she be cured.”

Image: Floral Tea (Pxhere)

The king ordered one of his kitchen staff to take the flowers and do as the mysterious woman requested. Tea brewed. Cup poured. The Queen brought in on a bed of fine silks and sturdy bamboo framing. With the temperature dropping to the adequate level as deemed by the kitchen hand, the queen drank until the very last drop had slid down her throat just as the few prior to. Within the next sunrise, she had been cured of all her ailments.

“Alas! My love has been restored. I thank you, woman, of unknown merit. I shall gift you what has been promised.” With this, the woman took her rewards and left; remaining with her were the other flowers that had not been used to make the necessary cup of life. With her absence, the king decided to have his garden workers discover the source of this bud’s healing properties and how to grow it for himself with what product he had left from the mysterious woman. What his workers came up with though was both alarming and disheartening.

“Oh, sire... This flower cannot be reproduced. It does not produce seeds. I don't even contain pollen. It’s just... here. I don’t know why and I cannot explain it, but this is no ordinary flower.”

“I don’t believe it. Witchcraft perhaps? Foreign vegetation? I need to know the source.” With this unsolved question, the king left with his best men to search high and low for the mysterious woman. Asking any townsfolk of her involvement or appearance nearby, yet always coming in shorthanded. “She must be here somewhere. Maybe on the outskirts?”

The king and his men decided then that they must look beyond the walls of the city since their luck had begun to fade within. Once out, they traveled far until reaching a familiar sight. Flowers. Beautiful flowers. Flowers with vivid auras so alluring that not even the horses being lead could leave their place after gazing on such a sight. "Here. We've done it, my friends. We've found them."

Image: Enchanted Forest (Web Source)

The sites before them were of the utmost beauty until they began to be filled with anxieties and fear like never before. Once they got closer it was as though an ominous horror had filled them. Swallowing in their sanity and coating their eyes with visions of people. People that were crying. Screaming. Cursing. Hyperventilating. These were not flowers grown from the very soul and soil that the earth had blessed upon the common, but morphism on creatures deemed sinful and unnecessary.
"My god.. these are not flora we should worship. This is flora of the devils on this earth. The evils this world wants to consume us in." The king tried to call out to his brethren only to look around and realize he had lost them amongst the cries and the bright glow.

"Oh, my king. Precious king" said a voice that had at the moment become second nature to recognize. The hooded woman had appeared again. Only this time with a sinister smile that was visible to the eyes, but nothing more. "Do you no longer yearn for my gift. My enchanted beauties you see before you? You wanted prosperity. Health. Sickness to dissipate. Life for life is what I have blessed onto you. They weren't worthy of the gift of life. Your ignorance pains me to believe that you also are fit to hold the same fate as thy before you. This enchantress may give you fuller purpose in that regard."

Image: Glowing Flowers (Wikimedia Common)

"No! No, you cannot do this. I only wanted to understand how this magic cured my beloved. I do not seek to disrespect your generosity!" The king pleaded and bowed; kissing the very feet of the witch herself. "Is it not curiosity that often causes the fall of the might?" stated the enchantress. Then with that, the fair king was changed. He now lies amongst the screaming, waiting for a wise one to one day vanquish the acts of this enchantress. Wishing that he had just lived on with his queen without mystery getting the better of him.




Bibliography:  The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (Un-Textbook)

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights Part B

Reading Notes

Arabian Nights Part B

During the second half of this reading, there wasn't much of a focus on multiple stories tellers as there was in the previous sections. This half has a primary focus on the story of Aladdin and the magic lamp. As a child whose name was Jasmine, I always loved when I was given the chance to watch the Disney film, Aladdin, because I felt like everything that was happening was happening to me. Having a movie I loved so much being retold to me from its original adaptation was hard to digest at first. The story was focused on retelling the counts of what was being done over dialogue and structure in character development. I know that this story was being told from a storyteller that the original Arabian Nights tale was following, but since this was a longer story than the previous ones it was probably intentional to be told this way. The style of these stories was to just recount a situation that had happened, which means it makes sense for there to not be much dialogue going back and forth between characters unless it was important to the story. There also may not seem to be much character development over time because the focus is on a recount of a story, not a made-up tale that you create the structure for. The cool thing about storytelling in this way is that the actual story may shape out to be something slightly different than the newer versions, however; most of the time this approach leaves you to be captivated as a whole rather than "I want this person to have love and justice and ..." you get the picture. You want to know about how the end of the story affects all the people and if it's good or bad regardless of the main characters' fates. This style is good for an approach at a hero tale you'd tell a child before bed, or maybe to help lift the spirits of someone who isn't doing too well.


Bibliography: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H.J. Ford (Un-Textbook)
Image: Aladdin in Arabian Nights (Wikimedia Commons)

Reading Post A: Arabian Nights

Reading Post A

Arabian Nights

My story choice this week was to read Arabian Nights. Something that my friends and I love to do is play board games and one of the board games we play very often is "Tales of Arabian Nights" which has a playable character named Scheherazade, which is the main storyteller in this story of the week. I was definitely drawn to this story right off the bat just from how it was going to be told. I love the idea of having an inception of stories within stories within stories. That approach at first glance can seem to be like the story is trying to be dragged out, which might annoy a reader who just wants to get to the end. Something I appreciate about this style of writing is that not only are you wanting and hoping for a pleasant fate for the main character but as more stories are told with other characters you start to be drawn in and hopeful for them too. It's also a great way to expand on a story since most of the time this new story will have something to do the storyteller's situation. My favorite method this story took was when it went into talking about a fisherman who was troubled by a genius (a sort of mystic presence who was wanting to harm the fisherman) and he told a story to save his life just as Scheherazade was telling a story to save his life. That section of this reading had a lot of inception like stories and I was here for every second of it. I will say that I wished there was more done between the actual storyteller and the main reasons as to why the stories were being told throughout the tales given. Did they allude back to her when she felt like she needed to pause her tales? Yes. Did they ever further develop her situation or if she ever was free to stop telling stories and still live on? Not in the scripts I read but, there may be more information elsewhere.

Bibliography: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H.J. Ford (Un-Textbook)
Image: Arabian Nights Illustration (Wikimedia Commons)

Comment Wall

Comment Wall

Please read my story and give me feedback to make it even better!

Image: Terror Gargoyle provided by Max Pixel

My Story thus far is titled, "A Punishment of Tengu" that will hopefully captivate you guys with a good adventure story that might not have the ending you expect. Please visit My Website if you have the time to look over it. Thanks!