Week 6 Story: Attack of the Giants

Edit: The new story can be found in my portfolio here.

I arrived at the old and beaten town with hopes of resting myself for the coming weeks. However, I noticed that something was terribly wrong. The city seemed almost deserted. There were no shops open and there were no children running around in the streets. I came across an older woman and asked her what had become of this once lively town. She told me that there was a pack of giants that had been terrorizing the town for some months now. Every day, one giant would come to the town and demand a tribute from the townsfolk. Each tribute to the giants lessened the number of people in the town. The woman had already lost many of her children to this tribute. I knew I had to put an end to this ridiculous agreement. So, I gathered my supplies and headed out the next morning.

One of the giants arrived the next morning demanding a tribute. The people of the town obliged, and I used this as an opportunity to follow the giant. I stalked him back to his village of giants and lurked in the shadows until it was my time to strike. The nightfall soon came upon us, and I knew my opportunity was near. The band of giants had gathered together to prep their graciously gifted meal. They were enjoying themselves as they drank obscene amounts of wine and dined on the "catch" of the day. I noticed that their senses were dulling as they continued to engorge themselves. A small scuffle broke out between two of the giants as they were arguing over who deserved the last piece of meat. I knew this was my best time to strike, so I prepped my blade and spear.

I crept up behind two of the giants that were off in the distance completely dazed from the alcohol they had consumed. I disposed of them quickly and continued to the rest of the group sitting around the fire. The three giants sitting around the fire were a bit more aware of their surroundings, so I had to move quickly. I snuck up behind one and plunged my sword through his heart. The other two giants noticed what had happened in disbelief. I took my spear and hurled it at one of the giants who had just realized what was happening to his friends. The other giant began to charge at me and he readied his club to bash my skull. I swung myself onto his back and disposed of him like I had the rest. The two giants that had been fighting were now passed out from their recent exhaustion and had no clue what had just taken place. I finished them off and returned to the town. I freed the people of the horrors that were haunting them and went on my way to a new adventure.

(Tales of the Punjab by Flora Annie Steel from Victorian Publishers' Bookbindings. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: This story was based on one of the adventures of Raja Rasalu from the book Tales of the Punjab. Raja Rasalu was a hero to the people and he accomplished incredible feats of the strength as a man. However, he had abilities and gifts that no normal man would ever possess. Raja was also very cunning and confident. He always knew what to say and do. During this specific adventure, Raja came upon the city of Nila. He comes upon an older woman that tells Raja of the giants and their tribute from the city. The woman had lost six of her children to the giants and was about to lose her seventh. Rasalu knew he had to rectify the situation, so he took the place of the child that was supposed to be the tribute for the day. Rasalu marched for the giants home on his steed and quickly went to work. However, some of the giants did not believe that he was in fact Raja Rasalu. They gathered a stack of seven shields and stood behind them. Raja Rasalu, being the hero that he was, shot an arrow through all seven shields and all seven giants standing behind them. He tracked down the last giant and let her starve in a cave to death. I changed a few of these elements in my story, but I kept it mostly the same. One of the major changes was that I told it from a first-person perspective. I did leave out some of the details that I mentioned above because I found that it did not fit the first person narrative. Overall, the story that I told is fairly true to its source.

Bibliography: Raja Rasalu from Tales of the Punjab by Flora Annie Steel. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Raja Rasalu, Part B

Today, I took notes over the second part of the reading for Raja Rasalu. I really liked the first story in the Part B reading, so I decided to take notes over these today. The interactions with the hunter and Raja are just the precursor to the events that unfold. I tried to take note of things that happened after the hunter failed to comply with Raja's conditions.

• Again, the poetry in this story is important.
• I really liked the exchange between the buck and doe in the south woods.
• The looming fate of the hunter is such an integral part of the story.
• I think I would like to include similar foreshadowing in the retelling.
• I like the dialogue of the doe as she ponders death after the buck dies.
• I think the dynamic between the buck, doe, and hunter is very interesting.
• There is a lot of self doubt and anguish associated with the dynamic.
• This would be something cool to manipulate or recreate in the retelling.
• Mirshikari is a very confident man and did not understand the weight of his actions.
• Raja Rasalu is very wise and knowledgable. 
• It seems that Raja associates himself with others as entertainment.
• He constantly uses riddles as a way of messing with mortal men.
• I think he is very clever and his cleverness is a reoccurring theme in each story.
• The king is unable to solve Raja's riddle and seeks confirmation of the hunter's death.
• There were many who doubted the death of Mirshikari. I believe this is a testament to his strength. This only reinforces the fact that Raja is so far beyond the strength of other men.
• The story ends by Raja alluding to another king.
• I could possibly transition into the next story.

I think that there is a lot of value in the first story. It spans across four different sections and includes much detail and thought. I can do a lot with this story. There is a lot of possibility for change. I could also focus on one specific section and retell it in my own fashion.

(This is a photo of deer in the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary in India. This is how I imagined the deer in the story would look. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Raja Rasalu from The Adventures of the Punjab Hero Raja Rasalu by Charles Swynnerton. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Raja Rasalu, Part A

This week I read the about the adventures of Raja Rasalu. He is known as the Hero of the Punjab. I really like to read and write about hero stories, so I decided to do another one this week. Raja has multiple stories and adventures. I decided to focus on a specific story for my notes. I am taking notes over Raja and his battle with the giants. This will most likely be the story that I choose to retell later this week. Again, I am using the bullet point notes format.

• Raja is perceived as charming to those that meet him.
• He faces similar challenges to that of other heroes in this course.
• Raja flows with confidence in himself.
• Raja does not fear for his life in this situation
• The people of the city had succumbed to the demands of the giants.
• There was not resistance formed to fight off the giants.
• Everyday the people of the city were fearful for their survival.
• The city took turns rationing their men as sacrifice.
• He does not doubt his ability to take on the giants in combat.
• Raja shows no mercy for his foes.
• He was born into the world as giant slayer.
• Raja confronts the giants with confidence and the knowledge that he will win.
• Raja slices off the hand of a giant with ease as a warning.
• The poem of Raja's return has some significance.
• I definitely need to include the poem in the retelling.
• I like how Raja is never challenged in his adventure.
• I could change his typical victory to something more fatal or drastic.

Overall, I think there are a lot of creative options for this week. I have really taken a liking to the stories about heroes and their many adventures. I will probably try to find a new way to get creative with this week's story and do something different.

(A photo of a sunset in Punjab, India. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Raja Rasalu from Tales of the Punjab by Flora Annie Steel. Source: UnTextbook

Week 5 Story: The Crazy Man

Update: The edited story can be found on my portfolio here.


I clambered upon the island as I barely managed to fight off the exhaustion and fatigue that had taken over my body. I had been floating in the ocean for hours in the unrelenting sunlight. The heat had become unbearable and my spirit was broken. All of my comrades had been taken out by the giant birds that hurled boulders upon our ships. I managed to find a shaded tree on the island to rest under as I recovered from my unfortunate travels. I awoke in the morning and scavenged for food and water to the best of my ability.

As I quenched my thirst from a nearby stream, I saw an old and beaten man in the corner of my eye. I walked over to him to see if I could help. He could not speak, but he looked parched and dehydrated. I picked him up and carried him on my back to take him to the stream for water. I took it upon myself to help this man in need despite the poor state of my own current health. As I neared the stream, I felt a tug on my neck. In an instant the old man clambered upon my neck and put me in a chokehold. I could not even manage to fight. He took me to my knees, and I could not move. I could not even manage to breathe. I gasped for air and put myself at the mercy of the old man. He dug his claws into my back and slowly loosened the grip around my neck. I fell to all fours and gasped for breath. He tugged on my hair and forced me to stand. I knew I was in trouble, but I could not escape. I was now his horse and he was a jockey.

Over the next few days he forced me to walk all over the island. I took him everywhere. I managed to spot a location for my possible escape during one of the walks down to the river. I noticed that there was a tree with a large spiked branch protruding from the center of the trunk. I plotted my point of attack for days. I took the same route to the river every day for a week. Each day, I walked closer and closer to the tree with the spiked mass. I decided to attack when the old man had let his guard down and had become used to the routine of walking to the river. I impaled the old man in the back as I forced him into the spiked tree. He screeched and loosened the grip around my neck as he braced his wound. I wasted no time in taking advantage of the moment. I kicked the old man to the ground and put as much distance between us as possible.

On the shore of the island I found a boat of merchants docked in their ship. I yelled for them to come help and they sent a rescue party my direction. I told them the story of my misfortune and travels, and they gladly welcomed me aboard. They took me back to Bagdad and concluded my fifth voyage on the seas.

(A photo of the old man on Sindbad's back. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: The story I told is based on one of the voyages of the merchant adventurer Sindbad. The Voyages of Sindbad come from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments. There are seven different voyages, and each one follows Sindbad as he embarks on a journey away from his home of Bagdad. The story I told was a retelling of the fifth voyage of Sindbad. It was not based on the full fifth voyage, but rather a portion of voyage five. Sindbad finds himself on the shores of an island after his whole crew had been displaced. They were attacked by a flock of Roc's (large mythical birds) that destroyed all of their ships. By clinging to a piece of wood, Sindbad survived and made it to the island. He happened upon an old man that he thought was helpless. The old man tricked Sindbad into carrying him across the river on his back. Instead, the old man put Sindbad into a chokehold and forced Sindbad to carry him around the island. Sindbad, using his wits, created wine in an empty gourd. He tricked the old man into drinking it and seized his escape when the old man was drunk. Sindbad became free of the old man and found a ride with mariners back to his home of Bagdad. I changed a few details in the story, but I kept it mostly close to the source.

Bibliography: The Voyages of Sindbad from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: The Voyages of Sindbad, Part B

I read the second half of The Voyages of Sindbad. I decided to take notes again similar to how I did for Part A. I find that the concise bullet points help me with keeping the details and theme of the story true to its source.

• Sindbad is never settled with his life at home.
• Sindbad sets out for another adventure despite all of the past troubles.
• Each voyage does not waste time to jump into action.
• The roc reminded me of escaping the giants.
• Sindbad never manages to break the cycle of bad/good luck.
• The old man reminded me of Smeagol from Lord of the Rings.
• The constant new adventures add a lot of scenery and detail to the stories.
• Each adventure does not break the mold.
• The second half of the stories follow the same formula as the first.
• I like the final voyage and Sindbad's commitment to return home.
• He went against his vow to set out for the last voyage.
• His miraculous journeys finally came to an end at the culmination of his final return.

I think the second half of the reading had a lot of great stories. I really liked the fifth voyage and Sindbad's cleverness to escape the old man. As I mentioned earlier, it reminded me of Smeagol and Lord of The Rings. If I write about the latter voyages I think I will retell this one. I think that there is a lot I can do creatively with this story. I have a lot of inspiration and ideas for an escape like this from previous stories.

(A photo of Sindbad by Rene Bull. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: The Voyages of Sindbad from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: The Voyages of Sindbad, Part A

My reading for this week is the Voyages of Sindbad. I am interested in this unit because of its similarities to Homer's Odyssey. I really like the idea of a hero that goes on adventures, and that is why I was interested in this unit. I am condensing the notes again because I benefited the most from this method.

• Sindbad is a cunning man
• The detail and scenery is noted
• Sindbad traded his life of luxury for adventure
• Each voyage leads to a new adventure
• I like the ideas of fantasy included in the voyages
• There are many different elements I can work with
• The voyages can be changed in my retelling
• There is a constant feeling of adventure
• Sindbad encounters something new all of the time
• Each voyage begins with a great sense of excitement
• Sindbad quickly meets a new enemy/disaster every voyage
• There is never a moment of peace during the voyage
• Sindbad always makes his way back to a former acquaintance
• Each voyage ends in a safe return home

I really like each of the voyages of Sindbad. I think that there is a lot of material for me to work with this week. Since I recently retold a portion of Homer's Odyssey that is similar to voyage three, I will avoid retelling the part about the escape from the giants. I really like the fact that Sindbad constantly gives his riches back to the poor and needy. I think it creates a more likable character, and I want to include this in my retelling. I also think it would be fun to create a voyage where Sindbad does not return peacefully. We will see what Part B of the reading entails before I make up my mind.

(A photo of Sindbad from the 1947 film. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: The Voyages of Sindbad from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang. Source: UnTextbook

Comment Wall

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Week 4 Story: Disapproving Mother-In-Law

Psyche and Cupid were madly in love. They were both crazy for each other despite their different upbringings. Cupid was born to one of the wealthiest families in the state. His father was a real estate mogul and a successful businessman. Psyche, however, came from more humble beginnings. They met their freshman year of college and never looked back. As soon as they graduated they planned to get married. Cupid's mother heavily disapproved of their relationship and constantly reminded her son, Cupid, about her heavy disapproval. Psyche had always wanted a nice family wedding. However, Venus told her son that she would not fund any of the wedding. She also vowed to never approve of their marriage.

Cupid and Venus spent many nights frantically worrying about how to repair the disconnect between mother and daughter in law. Cupid tried his best to mend the relationship and reasoned with his mother about a compromise. Venus came to a compromise with her son, but she offered unreasonable terms. Venus told Psyche to complete one monumental feat. This task would be deemed unreasonable by many. If Psyche completed the task, Venus said she would agree to fund the wedding and come to terms with the marriage.

Venus told Psyche that she must learn to juggle six flaming torches by the end of two months. If she failed to do so, the marriage would not receive her blessing and would not be funded. So, Psyche set out to train. She sought out the help of many different entertainers and acrobats to help her perform this feat. She dedicated ten hours of each day to train. Psyche started with two unlit torches and progressed her way to six. By the end of the second week she had managed to juggle six torches without fail. Next, she began to train with fire. Psyche suffered many burns and hurt herself quite a bit. She was confident in her ability and skill but had not mastered the final hurdle. On the day of her performance she felt ready. Psyche was nervous but felt confident. She demonstrated her newly acquired ability to Venus flawlessly. Venus was stunned by this, but she had to accept the outcome. In the end, Psyche and Cupid would marry. The wedding went according to plan and Venus learned to accept and appreciate her daughter-in-law over time.

(A photo of the mythological wedding between Psyche and Cupid. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: For this story, I retold a portion of the tale of Cupid and Psyche. Psyche was considered to be the most beautiful woman to walk the earth. Many people had spoke of her beauty far and wide. It did not take long for Venus, the most beautiful goddess, to catch word of the mortal Psyche. In response to this, Venus ordered her son, Cupid, to dispose of Psyche. She wanted Cupid to curse Psyche to a lifetime spent with the most ugly and wretched men. However, Cupid could not go through with this act. Cupid wed Psyche in secret and hid his face and identity to his lover. He did not want his mother to find out what he had done. Eventually, Psyche unveiled his identity and Cupid was forced to leave. Venus tracked down Psyche and demanded her to complete 3 impossible tasks. However, Psyche was able to accomplish each task to the dismay of Venus. In the end, Jupiter called for the marriage to be approved. He blessed Psyche with the gift of immortality to make the marriage between two immortals. I put more of a modern twist on my retelling of the story. I chose to focus on the section that included Venus and her demands of Psyche to complete the impossible tasks. I changed the outcome of the events and added my take on the well-known tale. I wanted to create a relatable story that pits the evil mother-in-law against the soon to be bride. I also wanted to add a bit of humor by adding a ridiculous task.

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche from The Golden Ass, written by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline. Source: UnTextbook.

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part B

The second half of the story really had all of the action. Part A ends with the buildup to the unveiling of Cupid and his identity and ends with the sister's deaths. Part B deals with the aftermath of all these terrible events. I am going to try a bullet list of notes to see if this works best for me.

• The dynamic between Cupid and his mother is unique.
• The rage of Venus is noted and important to the story.
• The state of Psyche is interesting. She is pleading for a second chance at life
• The struggle of the gods to find Psyche is interesting.
• Venus has an endless amount of hate for Psyche.
• Venus seems to fear the reality of aging and time.
• Psyche relies upon the help of other kind hearted people.
• I could possibly change the tasks Psyche performs.
• I could possibly change Venus's response to Psyche's performance.
• The exhaustive list to go and return from the underworld.
• Psyche's persistence to complete the impossible tasks.
• Psyche's curiosity and how it has failed her.
• The strong desire for Cupid to have his wife forever.

The ending of the story is a bit odd, and I will probably only retell sections about Cupid and Psyche. Overall, it was a very interesting story with a lot of options to consider in my retelling.

(A photo of many Cupid's represented as a baby. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche from The Golden Ass, written by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part A

This week, I decided to read Cupid and Psyche. I wanted to take a different approach to note taking this week. I felt like I was writing too much and was not being concise in my past reading notes. I want to try to really condense this week to only ideas and specific points of the story I want to write about.

I liked the perspective of the story. I might want to change this in my retelling as someone other than the donkey. I really enjoyed the over abundance of description by the girl. She did not hesitate to describe the luxuriousness of her wedding day. I think it would be funny to make Psyche a boy and have a complete reversal. It would change the dynamic of the story drastically. I believe that I want to focus more on the fairy tale aspect of this story. The first few sections are just a lead up to the story of Cupid and Psyche. I will probably not write about those. If I retell the story of Cupid and Psyche, I will probably focus on a couple of the reading sections. I want to condense them and make them into a possibly different story. I really liked the constant foreshadowing that Cupid provides Psyche. He continually warns Psyche of her sister's intentions. I would like to keep this in my writing if I can fit it all. The story takes a wicked turn and becomes very dark. I am not sure if I want to make my retelling as wicked.

(A photo of Cupid's Arrow in California. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche from The Golden Ass, written by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline. Source: UnTextbook.

Feedback Strategies: Praise

The two articles I read were Presence, Not Praise and The Difference Between Praise and Feedback. I think that both of the articles offered some interesting insight into the mindset of giving out praise. I have never really put much thought into the actual effects that giving praise to a child can have on their development. I thought it was interesting that both articles noted the debate over giving out praise. I think there is a happy medium in giving out praise and not giving out praise. For me, I enjoyed praise from my parents when I accomplished something important to me. However, I could see how constant praise could really dull a kid to the sensation of feeling appreciated. I think if you can balance praise and feedback as a parent, your kid will be better in the long run. I am confident, because of my upbringing, in giving people useful feedback. I know how to avoid sugar coating and overdoing praise. I can recommend the strategy of being open to other people's advice, but also sticking to what is most comfortable for you as a person. I think I would like to try the feedback strategy of Process Praise. I am not sure how I will be able to apply it consistently during this semester. However, I think it will be something that I look at in the future.

(A photo of a father reading with his two sons. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Topic Research: Werewolves

This week I began doing some research about werewolves and the possible story lines that I can create. When looking at different sources, it seems that Wikipedia offers the most about the background and origin of werewolves. I want to have that solid origin foundation for my story. While I am going to create made up story lines, I want to avoid getting too ridiculous with my stories. I want to stay somewhat true to the regular nature of werewolves for accuracy. I also want to incorporate the stories I found at http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#bartsch182.

The first storyline that I am interested in creating involves a man and his escape from a werewolf. I am drawing some inspiration from the old folklore and modern horror movies. I could also tell it in the style of “The Most Dangerous Game” book.

The second storyline that I want to create involves a high school student and his transformation into a werewolf. It would document the life of the student as he deals with the struggles of finding out how to balance his new second life. I am drawing some inspiration from the Michael J. Fox film. I think I would use the first person narrative style. Teen Wolf Wikipedia

The third story that I want to create draws inspiration from two different sources. The first source is a folktale from http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#bartsch182. The story involves a woman in an impoverished area that always somehow has a plentiful supply of meat. I want to combine this with the classic tale of Robin Hood and create a story about a werewolf that provides for the impoverished in his village. I think this could be really unique and fun.

I am certainly open to any and all suggestions and feedback. I think there are multiple ways that I could take any of these stories. I am looking forward to modifying them and solidifying what kind of story I actually want to tell. It could be something serious, funny, or both. I think this topic will be fun to work on during the semester.

(A photo of a cartoon werewolf character. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Week 3 Story: The Unfortunate Escape

The updated version of the story can be found in my portfolio. Link: Portfolio

We sat in misery trying to plan our escape. The giant yeti had been gone for some time. The cave reeked of half eaten corpses and my men were in a state of mental paralysis. The yeti had already eaten 6 of my men and only 4 of us remained. I had to figure a way out, and my options were limited. The only thing at our disposal was a giant ice shard that had fallen from the cave ceiling and almost taken out my leg in the process. I ordered my men to distract the yeti as he came back from his afternoon hunt. We dug, to the best of out abilities, a small hole in the ice to trip the yeti upon his return. My job was to plow the ice shard through his head with all of my strength. The hope was that it would mortally wound the yeti, or give us enough time to escape as he recovered. After the trap had been set and everyone was in position, we waited. The time went by agonizingly slow. We had no water, no food, and our bodies had been pushed to the limit. We had not slept in two days. We feared for our lives every waking moment that we were stuck inside the cave. My legs were dead weight, and I could barely muster the strength to walk. We heard the yeti approach the cave, and I muttered a prayer as a last attempt to save myself. As the yeti pushed back the stone to his entrance and stammered into the cave, we all braced ourselves. He stumbled upon the hole and fell to the ground. My men jumped on his back to try and hold him into place. I leaped into the air and rammed the shard into the back of his head. Success! Or so I had thought. The ice shard deflected off his rock hard skull and I fell to the ground. I watched as the yeti began to rip my men into shreds. He was in an enraged trance and my men were on the receiving end of his wrath. My men were gone. I seized the moment and ran towards the entrance of the cave. I made it a few steps outside of the cave and raced towards freedom. However, the yeti was too quick and took hold of my leg. He smashed me against the side of the cave and my body splattered against the rock. Now, here I sit inside the realm of Hades for eternity.

(A photo of Odysseus driving his stake into the eye of the cyclops. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Author's Note: The story that I told was based on "The Cyclops Defeated" section of Homer's Odyssey. Homer's Odyssey is a story based on Greek mythology. It follows the adventure of Odysseus and his men as they make their way back home after the Trojan War. In "The Cyclops Defeated", Odysseus and some of his men are trapped inside the cave of the cyclops Polyphemus. Odysseus had let his curiosity get the best of him as he wanted to explore and take the riches of the cyclops in the cave. Once the cyclops had found them out, he ate some of the men each day and trapped the rest like pigs for slaughter. Odysseus had devised a plan to escape. He got the cyclops drunk on his wine and struck the cyclops in they eye with a hot stake. He blinded the cyclops and was able to plot his escape within the coming days. Each day Polyphemus led his sheep to the fields and Odysseus saw this is an opportunity. Odysseus and his men tied themselves to the cyclops's sheep and escaped as Polyphemus could not see what they were doing. In my rendition of the story, I created a different scenario where the men do not escape. I thought it would be funny to change the ending and have the hero and his men unexpectedly perish inside the cave. I also changed the cyclops to a yeti because I wanted to create a different scenario with new characters.

Bibliography: Homer's Odyssey translated by Tony Kline. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part B

I read the second part of Homer's Odyssey and came away with a few new ideas for this week. I think that I want to focus my storytelling on events that took place during part A of the reading. However, I did note a few things that I liked about part B. The second part of the story introduced the elements of death, and I thought that was very interesting. I think the topic of death can always be a bit eerie and the story does a terrific job of keeping it grounded. There was a certain element of creepiness to it, but I thought it was pretty neat. The conversations with the dead were also informative. I really liked the dialogue that is exchanged. There is an element of foreshadowing that is being played here. This is something that I would like to incorporate into future writing. It has a very powerful effect on the reader's mind. The other thing that I noted was the incorporation of real emotions. Odysseus wept for his friend Agamemnon. It was a sad moment. I appreciated the realness of the moment, as we would all weep for those that we care for. I would like to somehow manage to incorporate these elements into my story tomorrow or in future stories. I still believe that I will focus on the earlier events during my retelling. However, I plan on making some interesting changes for the story.

(A statue of Hades and his Cerberus. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Bibliography: Homer's Odyssey translated by Tony Kline.

Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part A

I read Homer's Odyssey for this week. I am slightly familiar with this story from the past, but I wanted to read it again because I remember enjoying it very much. I love the way the story goes into descriptive detail from the start. The cyclops are pictured as mean and nasty people, and the writing provides great imagery. I was thinking that I could maybe change the cyclops to something more comical in my own retelling of the story. I love the fact that the imagery is constant throughout each section of the reading. There is never a time where I cannot close my eyes and imagine what the events taking place look like. I love the creativity that the story offers in tricking the cyclops. Odysseus is a very cunning man and a likable character. I think a hero that is very keen on outwitting his enemies is very entertaining. This provides another level of depth to the story, and it is something that I would like to emulate in the future. I have not been able to create something like this before, and I think that it would be really neat to use this story as a base for doing something similar. I really enjoyed the back and forth banter that the story utilizes. Odysseus and Polyphemus both exchange words meant to slight the other. Even after Odysseus escapes, he cannot refrain from keeping his words to himself and fleeing in peace. He antagonizes his captor. I would consider this to be a large character flaw. I like the fact that Odysseus is also grounded as a hero and not as someone who is flawless. It keeps the story more relatable in a sense. The story also provides lots of highs and lows and avoids having periods of dullness. I think this is a special feature and something that not many people are able to replicate. Overall, I would like to stick to the elements that I have discussed. I think there is a lot to work with.

(A statue of Odysseus from the 1st century. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Bibliography: Homer's Odyssey translated by Tony Kline.

Feedback Thoughts for Me

The articles I read were: 8 Things to do when you make a mistake, and 5 Tips for taking feedback like a champ. I think both of the articles offered some valuable advice when it comes to dealing with failure and how to respond to criticism. They both emphasized the need to find a balance between failure and growth. Failure does not define me. It should be seen as a way to grow as a person and develop skills in multiple areas. I think I used to struggle to deal with criticism and feedback. I have become better at receiving critiques, but it still bothers me a bit when others do not fully appreciate my work. I understand that might be a bit selfish, but I try my best to take advice from others. I have definitely become better at this in college. I think a defining moment in college came from my freshman year. I learned that there is a distinct difference between feedback and criticism. When someone is providing feedback, it is not done with bad intent. They are trying to help me and assist me in progressing towards my goals. During high school, I received a lot of advice from my coaches in different sports. I think I benefited most from their feedback when I kept a positive mental attitude. I ran into negative experiences when I was unwilling to accept feedback from my teammates and peers. However, this was years ago during my teenage years. It hurts your mental state when you view every bit of advice as negative, and I learned to accept this.

(The positive mind and its psychology. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Topic Brainstorm: Week 2

The first topic that I am interested in is Werewolves. I am interested in werewolves because they have been a topic of great popularity when it comes to fantasy movies, shows, etc. It seems that they are very well represented within pop culture, and I want to find out why. I do not have much previous knowledge about werewolves. I have seen a few movies that involve them (Underworld, Van Helsing), but it seems that there are slight variations of the werewolves that are portrayed. I want to find out the origin of werewolves and what really qualifies someone as werewolf. I think I could make up a story about a teenage werewolf like the Michael J Fox movie "Teen Wolf". Or, I could retell collections of people finding werewolves in person. I think I could get really creative with this. Possible source: Wikipedia

The second topic I am interested in is Greek Mythology. This is such a broad topic that I could take the story in many directions. I am interested because of the sheer amount of knowledge that Greek Mythology would provide. I have played video games in the past that revolved around Greek Mythology, and I think the topic could provide a lot of depth for the story. My amount of knowledge is limited, but I definitely know some about Greek Mythology. I would like to learn more about specific Greek Gods and their stories. That interests me more than broad topics. I could create stories about a Greek Gods childhood, or I could make up story lines about the relationships amongst all of the main Greek Gods. The possibilities are very vast with this one. Possible Source: Theoi.

The third topic I am interested in is Robin Hood. Robin Hood is such a legendary figure when it comes to stories I read about during my childhood. I am interested because I want to find out about the origins of Robin Hood, if he was real, and what people thought of Robin Hood many years ago. I have a limited amount of knowledge on the topic. I remember watching the animated Robin Hood movie years ago, and I watched the Robin Hood movie starring Russel Crowe. It seems that Robin Hood might just be a metaphor, but I would like to actually understand his purpose. I would like to tell stories about Robin Hood and adventures that he went on with his crew. I could make up adventures or retell ones that have been published. I could also retell the classic adventure about Robin Hood and the king. Possible source: Wikipedia.

The fourth topic I am interested in is King Arthur and his Knights. I have heard about this story since my childhood. I am interested in the topic because it seems like there are so many variations of King Arthur. I remember watching the animated movie when I was young, and I also remember seeing the live action film that came out years ago. I want to learn more about King Arthur, what his upbringing was like, the relationships with his knights, etc. There is a lot of information regarding the topic, and I am eager to learn more. I only know the basic story of King Arthur and his knights. Outside of what I have seen from an animated film, I really do not know too much. I think I could tell a story about King Arthur and combine multiple renditions about his legend. I could also tell a story about King Arthur that involves multiple milestones in his life. It would be like a progression of his legend over the years of his life. Possible source: UnTextbook.

(A photo of King Arthur's knights at the Round Table. Source: Wikipedia Commons)