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)

Week 2 Story: The Wolf and His Treasure

Week 2 Story: The Wolf and His Treasure

There once was a trio of brothers that lived in a remote village in the desolate countryside. The two elder brothers were farmers and worked from dusk till dawn to provide for the younger brother. They were a happy trio of brothers and did not ask for much in life. The youngest, however, wanted a golden necklace more than anything in the world. One of his only possessions was a locket that his mother had left him before she passed away. Gold was also very scarce in this part of the country and only a wealthy few had any. The people of the country were ravenous for gold and would go to great lengths to obtain some.

One day, the youngest brother stumbled upon an unusual path while he was out taking food to his older brothers in the field. At the end of the path lie a cave. This cave was strange, as it had seemingly appeared out of the ground. The young boy soon discovered that the inside of the cave contained an unimaginable amount of gold. The guardian of the treasure, a cunning wolf, was waiting for the boy inside. The wolf offered the boy all of the treasure inside the cave, but at a great cost. 

"You can have all of my riches inside this cave. But first, you must offer that which you love in return." 

The boy was surprised and at a loss for words. In his mind, the only thing that he loved in the world were his siblings. The boy thought for a minute and replied.

"I cannot give you what you want in return. No amount of possessions are worth the price of family."

The wolf had suspected the boy to be greedy. Shocked by the boy's answer, the wolf sat quiet and thought.

"You are not like the others that belong to this country. For your honesty and love for family, I will let you part with one item from my treasure."

The boy told the wolf about his desire for a necklace. The wolf granted the boy what he desired and they parted ways. 

(Photo of a grey wolf. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Author's Note: This story was loosely based on the Czech fairy tale The Three Roses. The story follows a mother as she takes a trip to a nearby town. One of her daughters asked her mother to bring her back some roses. The mother finds her way to a palace garden and takes three roses. A basilisk appears and demands that the mother exchange her daughter for the roses. The daughter offers herself to the basilisk and ends up turning him into a prince. The daughter cuts off the basilisk's head to complete the transformation. In the end, the daughter and the prince get married and live in his palace.

I based the general idea for my story on The Three Roses. However, I wanted to include some kind of lesson that reinforced a positive trait. I also did not particularly like the ending of The Three Roses, so I took it in a different direction. It did not end like a typical fairy tale because I wanted to take a unique approach to a story and offer some kind of lesson.

Bibliography: "The Three Roses" from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922). Source: The Three Roses

Reading Notes: Fairy tales

I read through all of the stories and I liked the idea of The Fairytale (Three Roses) the best. I think that following a format similar to the classic fairy tale would suit my style of writing. I appreciated the story due to its surprising end. I was expecting something terrifying to happen to the daughter. Instead, the story took a weird twist and ended in a happy marriage. I think I could alter this story or something like it by changing the ending. I could make it end with an unfortunate event or take it in an entirely different direction. There are definitely a few ways I could go about retelling the story. We will find out tomorrow which direction I choose to take.

(A classic photo of Beauty and the Beast from 1913. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Reading Options for the Semester

When it comes to reading, I tend to be interested in things that are based on fantasy. I am a very big fan of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and I generally like anything that is similar to this kind of story. The first unit that grabbed my attention was Dante's Inferno. This story stuck out to me simply because I played the video game based on the story of Dante's Inferno years ago. I never actually read the book, so this is something I think I would be interested in reading. The second unit I looked at was the Egyptian Myth unit. This unit stuck out to me because I have some basic knowledge about Egyptian Mythology, and I have always wanted to learn more. The third unit that sparked my interest was the Monkey King. I have heard of the Monkey King before, but I have never taken the time to read the whole story. I think the intro to the story is very unique and something that makes me want to finish reading the unit. I am looking forward to reading all three of these units and many more during our class. 

(A film poster for Dante's Inferno. Source: Wikipedia Commons)