Sunday, September 29, 2019

Comment Wall

(Statues of Greek Gods in Mythology. Source)

Comments about any of the stories on my portfolio can be made here. When leaving a comment, please include the name of the story to which you're referring to. Here is the link to my portfolio. Thanks and happy commenting!

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Week 6 Lab: Creative Writing and Style

(Creative Writing. Source)

Boundless freedom isn't always helpful. Creative constraints are the requirements necessary to achieve a certain goal. Constraints help drive discovery and invention. They also help us create something new and useful. Often, discoveries are made for other applications due to constraints on a certain goal. Penicillin, synthetic dye, plastic, and gunpowder were all made on accident when trying to address constraints of other problems. Rather than thinking of constraints as the boundary of creativity, they are instead the creation of it.

What do all heroes have in common? For one, they start in ordinary worlds but then have quests in a special world. Then there is a certain pattern that is followed: 0) Status Quo, 1) Call to Adventure, 2) Assistance, 3) Departure into the special world, 4) Trials, 5) Approach of the hero's worst fear, 6) Crisis, or the hero's darkest hour, 7) Treasure, where the hero gains something, 8) Result, 9) Return into the ordinary world, 10) New life, 11) Resolution 12) Back to Status Quo. In a way, we are all heroes by leaving our comfort zone and following the pattern.

Fictional worlds still have physical and societal rules just like the real world. Fiction authors are constantly creating their own worlds. How are these worlds created? Start with a basic place in time, either the past, present, or future. Create a timeline of what past events shaped that world. Think about societal values, government, power, belief system, etc.

The point of fiction is to create the illusion to the reader that they're living in the story. Descriptions help the readers feel what the characters feel. Instead of generalizing and using the word sound, an author describes the type of sound to the reader. Choose words well in order to engage the senses. Then create unexpected connotations among the story elements to engage the imagination of the reader.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Reading Notes: Persian Tales, Part B

(The Traveling Merchant. Source)


  • Every morning a baker would throw his bad bread that got burnt and spoiled to the fishes
  • A traveling merchant offered to hire the baker
    • Wouldn't have to do any work for first 40 days
    • Only has to do 2 hours of work on 40th day
    • Didn't ask the merchant what he would be doing
  • Merchant led the baker to a different place with mules and loading bags
    • Killed a cow, skinned it, and put the skin and meat on the mules
  • When they got to the base of a mountain, merchant lit a fire, got out the cow skin, and asked the baker to get inside it to see how much it could hold
  • Merchant tightened up the skin and threw meat into the fire
  • A talon came and carried the baker in the skin to the top of the mountain
    • Talon pecked at the skin until baker fell out of it
    • Talon then flew away
  • Baker threw jewels down to the Merchant in hopes of getting down from the mountain
  • Baker can either die on top of mountain or jump in the river and drown
  • Baker jumps in the river
    • Fish that he used to feed form a raft around him and he floats to safety
  • 1 year later, baker sees the merchant again and disguises himself
  • Baker offers to work for the merchant
  • Merchant tries the same trick on him again
  • Baker asks merchant how to put on the cow skin
    • Merchant puts it on to show him
  • Baker ties up the skin and Talon takes him away
  • Merchant throws down the jewels and asks where the road to escape is
    • Baker informs him there is no road, he can either jump in the river or stay at the top and die
  • Merchant jumps in the river and drowns

Reading Notes: Persian Tales, Part A

(Mouse Asking for Help. Source)

  • A mouse went to get food and fell into a trap, getting its tail cut off
  • Went to the Cobbler to get tail sewn back on
    • Cobbler told mouse to get some thread
  • Went to the Jew to get some thread
    • Jew told mouse to get an egg
  • Went to the Hen to get an egg
    • Hen told mouse to get a grain of corn
  • Went to the Corn Heap to get a grain of corn
    • Corn Heap told mouse to get a sieve (strainer)
  • Went to the Tinker to get a sieve
    • Tinker told mouse to get a goat skin
  • Went to the Goat to get a goat-skin
    • Goat told mouse to get some grass
  • Went to the Farmer to get some grass
    • Farmer told mouse to get a spade (shovel)
  • Went to the Blacksmith to get a spade
    • Mouse yelled at the Blacksmith and never made it back home

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Topic Research: King Arthur and Merlin

(The magic wand. Source)

Key Feature: How love blinds a man and is susceptible to betrayal. This will be for my first story.

Key Feature: A weapon mightier than all the weapons can only be used by a chosen one. This will be for my second story.

Key Feature: The chosen one gathering up an army. This will be for my third story.

Right now I have an idea for a story where two cities are rivals and at war with each other, the royal family of city A sends an evil daughter to be raised by city B. The daughter marries the prince and becomes queen. One day she betrays the king and kills him and allows city A to take over and enslave city B. Within city B is a mystical magic wand that no one is able to use until a brave noble young man who almost sacrifices his life is saved by the wand. The young man gathers up five hundred knights and vows to slay the evil queen. Him and his five hundred knights ride to city A, defeat their two thousand knights, and slay the evil queen, creating peace between city A and city B.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Week 5 Story: How a Robber Wed My Daughter

(The king's treasure room. Source)

Author's Note:
The origin of this story comes from The Tale of King Rhampsinitus. The story is told from the viewpoint of the king when he is writing in his journal on the day of his daughter's wedding.


I cannot believe my daughter is about to wed this man. It was he who was stealing my treasure all along. Any other man's corpse would be hung on the palace wall for all to see! But no, he gained my respect and I spared him. In fact it is I who gave him my daughter as a reward. To tell this story I have to start at the beginning.

You see, I caught him and his brother stealing treasure from my chamber. They thought they were so clever. But no, I laid a trap and I captured one of them. I then hung his corpse on the palace wall for all to see to reveal the rest of his mourning family. His brother could not take it, and so he devised a plan to remove him.

This plan was a clever one. The most cleverest plan I have ever known. He put wine on the backs of donkeys and somehow tricked my guards into getting drunk. Once they all fell asleep, he then removed his brother's corpse from the wall. It was a noble thing that he did, but I grew even more determined to catch him.

I then sent my daughter after him. My daughter talked to the men of the city one by one and said she would consider to be their bride if they told her the most wicked and artful things they have done. When she finally talked to the thief, he was honest and revealed his identity to her. Perhaps the most honest man in all the city.

But once again he escaped my grasp! I was so furious, but this man's cunning, nobility, and honesty was unmatched. I then realized I this man by my side, and so I offered a pardon and a reward. He then turned himself in, and in return, I gave my daughter's hand.

And let it be known how a thief wed my daughter.


Bibliography:
The Tale of King Rhampsinitus by Donald Mackenzie

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Reading Notes: Ancient Egyptian Myths, Part B

(The chamber of treasures. Source)

  • Rhampsinitus, a monarch, built two statues
    • North statue - For Summer, was worshipped
    • South statue - For Winter, never worshipped
  • The king built a chamber to keep his riches
    • A builder plotted to steal the riches by placing the stone in the wrong way where it could be removed from the outside
  • The builder got ill so he told his sons about the riches before he died
  • Sons stole the treasure after their father died
  • Sons kept stealing his treasure over and over again
    • King found his treasure was stolen but didn't know who to suspect
    • Guards at entrances didn't help catch them
  • King put traps in the chamber
    • One of the sons got caught but the other one didn't
  • The son that was caught told the other son to cut off his head so the king wouldn't know the identity of his brother
  • King hung the corpse on the palace wall to see if anyone would sorrow for him but no one came
  • Mother, grieving in secret, told the son to get the corpse off the wall or else she would reveal his identity to the king
  • The son got several donkeys, put wine on their backs, got close to the guards, and removed the lids from the wine. The guards drank the wine, got drunk, and fell asleep. The son then removed his brother's body from the wall
  • The king sent his daughter in disguise to find the criminal
  • She offered to be their bride if they told her the most wicked and artful things they have done
  • She found the criminal and he told her the truth. She tried to capture him but he escaped.
  • The king was so amazed at the cunning and daring of the robber that he offered pardon a reward if he turned himself in
  • The son took the king up on his offer
    • He got pardoned and took the king's daughter in marriage

Reading Notes: Ancient Egyptian Myths, Part A


(Image of Ra. Source)


  • Ra forgives his followers (among mankind) for slaying his enemies
  • Ra tells the goddess Nut he will move his home from Earth to the heavens. He will no longer reign upon the Earth.
  • Ra assembles different beings in the heavens and stars that were born from Nut to come and praise him.
  • Ra makes reptiles dread him by shining his rays (sunlight) on them. Announces they can be charmed by words of magic. Says Osiris will favor the magicians who protect mankind from reptiles.
  • Ra tells the god Thoth to record the sins of men and the names of his enemies in the underworld Daut.
  • Ra creates the moon
  • Ra and his companions enter the underworld
  • Ra must pass through the enemies of the hour divisions
    • First hour division - A high and strong wall with a gate opened by incantations
    • Fifth hour division
      • Sokar, the underworld god
      • Drowning Pool, bodies of men with animal heads on fire
    • Seventh hour division
      • Osiris, divine judge of the dead
        • Worthy live in the Nether World, unworthy get tortured and devoured
      • Serpents attack the sun barque but are defeated
    • Eighth hour division - Serpents that spit forth fire to illuminate the darkness
    • Tenth hour division - Water reptiles and fishes
    • Twelfth hour division - Ra and his followers are reborn

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Project Topic Brainstorm


(Me thinking about what topics to use for my project. Source)

My interest in this topic is due to my time spent playing medieval type characters in video games. Among the previous knowledge is that Merlin is part of the story. One way I might retell the story is instead of knights being at the round table they are wizards instead.

My interest in this topic is due to watching movies and books about the mysterious Egyptian culture. Among the previous knowledge is that Ra has legendary and mythical powers. One way I might retell the story is combining elements of Greek mythology and Ra needing to consume sacrificial souls to empower the Egyptians.

My interest in this topic is due to the powers of the Greek gods. Among the previous knowledge is that Achilles is a brave warrior and the common folk answered to the Greek gods. One way I might retell the story is from the viewpoint of the gods in the clouds and what they observe on Earth and their thought process and dilemmas on the decisions they face.

My interest in this topic is due to playing video games where I have to kill cyclopes. Among the previous knowledge is that a cyclops is a giant one eyed creature that can cause destructive damage. One way I might retell the story is from the perspective of a legendary archer and how he has to kill the King Cyclops in order to stop cyclopes from enslaving his people.


Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Reading Notes: Homer's Iliad, Part A


How The War With Troy Began by Alfred J. Church
  • Strong story start
    • Helen is described as "most beautiful", providing clear imagery to the reader
  • Easy to follow along
    • Events told in sequential order
    • Events told in separate paragraphs. Sometimes paragraphs are as short as 2 sentences.
  • Dislike: Names of the characters
    • Slows down the flow of the reading
  • Dialogue style matches the time era
    • Ex: "Now you must all swear that you will be good friends with the man whom my daughter shall choose for her husband, and that if any one is wicked enough to steal her away from him, you will help him get her back."
  • Sentence structure
    • Frequent use of "So", "Then", "For", etc. at the beginning of sentences