Week 11 Story: The Teamwork of Coyote and Raven

Photo of Raven by Greg Schechter. Source.

Photo of Coyote by Yathin S Krishnappa. Source.

Raven was perched on the Old Tree, searching for his friend Coyote. The two planned to meet up. Except Coyote was late. When Coyote did arrive, his ears were drooped. Coyote didn't even try to eat the snow that fell through the sky.
Coyote flopped onto the ground, and after a moment, Coyote's looked up to Raven.

"I don't think the people like the Dark and Cold," Coyote stated as if that sentence made any sense at all.

"Okay, I'll bite. What's 'Dark' and 'Cold'?"

"The Old Ones told me that this world we live in is Dark and Cold, and the people are unable to see, eat, or live well. I learned of something called 'Light' and 'Warm' which would better suit the people. My neighbor Old Chief has a box of Light, but he refused to share it with me. And I do not know where to find Warm."

"If you want to know where Warm is, I can help."

Coyote's ears perked, and the next moment Raven had a full view of Coyote's eager face very reminiscent of a pup's.

Raven, of course, preened at the attention. "I happen to know that Warm comes from fire, which you can get from the nearby Fire People. However, they live in hidden areas, and the only sign of them is from their smoke, which blends with Dark. We would need to make to obtain Light from Old Chiefs box first."

"But I already told you, he won't share it. And his security is really good. I tried stealing the box for hours but didn't get close."

"We'll just have to trick him into opening it then, won't we." At Raven's mischievous twinkle in his eyes, Coyote felt a thrill. "I love tricks!"

Coyote and Raven then came up with a plan. Coyote visited every animal he knew, which was all of them. The Flyers, the Climbers, the Swimmers, the Runners, and the Diggers all assembled outside Old Chief's house.

The animals began to sing, "Light, Light, Light" over and over again, each with a unique tune and tempo. Their music's power summoned Light, which quickly began to envelop the sky. However, before the Light passed on to the Old Chief's home, the man himself came out and shouted, "Let it not be!"

The Old Chief's strength restored the Dark sky. However, the animals were not deterred and continued to sing "Light, Light, Light" through the night. Over time, the Old Chief grew tired from the ruckus at his door and in his weariness, shouted, "Let it be—Light!"

With this mistake, Old Chief unlocked the box containing Light, and Light enveloped the world.

As Light fully enveloped the world, Raven's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a dark cloud, from none other than the Fire People's smoke. Raven traveled to the Fire People's lands and returned with a lit torch.

And so it was Light and Warm for a long time with the gifts from Raven and Coyote. However, some animals, such as Grizzly Bear, soon wished for Dark and cold to return. These animals began to sing for Dark and Cold to return, while the rest sang with Coyote and Raven to keep the world Light and Warm forever. However, the tremendous amount of singing later tired out the animals, and they decided to compromise.

If you wish to know the results, hear this ancient rhyme: "Dark" became "Night" and "Light" became "Day. The turns of "Cold" and "Warm" is how the Seasons were made.

Author's Note:

Excerpts from Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson (1917). Source.

Creation of light. Source.

An old chief owned every bit of light, fire, and water and refused to share it. The animal people of the time gathered outside the old chief's tepee and began to try to create their own light by singing and dancing. Because of this, light began to show but the old chief banished the light again. However, after the animals sang more, the old chief became distracted at the noise level until he accidentally summoned light. Since then, people have had access to light.

Grizzly Bear and Coyote. Source.

Grizzly Bear did not like that nighttime was very short and wanted to make it night all the time. Coyote fought against this idea as people need light. They each began to sing a song. Grizzly Bear sang about how it would always be darkness, and Coyote sang about how it would always be light. The louder song then controlled whether it was light or dark. However, they both got tired and decided to make half the time light and half the time dark. This is how the cycle of day and night was made.

Later on, Grizzly Bear wanted very long winters while Coyote knew all-time winter would hurt people. Instead, Grizzly bear decided to want as many moons of winter as feathers in a Blue Grouse tail. Coyote suggested that they instead do half the number of feathers, but Grizzly Bear did not want this. Coyote suggested they instead do half the number of feathers in Flicker's tail to determine the number of moons in winter. Grizzly Bear agreed because he thought Flicker had a lot of tail feathers. This is how the seasons were made.

Origin of Light and Fire. Source.

Sea Gull owned all the light in the world, and Raven wanted to share light with the people. Ravel tricked Sea Gull into releasing the light. Raven used the light to find out where the fire was and trade for it so the people could have fire.

For my retelling, I combined these three stories. I tried to give Coyote and Raven distinct personalities. Raven is more mocking, confident, and a loner compared to the loyal, people-person Coyote.

Week 11 Reading Notes British North America, Part B

Excerpts from Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson (1917). Source.

Photo of Coyote by Yathin S Krishnappa. Source.

Coyote's Gifts. Source.

Coyote's house fire creates the aurora borealis.
Coyote rolls over and creates cold wind.
Coyote traveled around the country and shaped the land in his whimsical way.
Coyote also created each tribe's unique language.
Coyote can shapeshift

Coyote and the Salmon. Source.

Coyote decides to throw a feast and invites everyone over so they will think Coyote is amazing with his generousity, cooking skills. and party skills. However, all the cooked salmon came to life again and they escaped, including the oil! The people went home and Coyote's party was ruined. Later a very long winter came along and Coyote stayed inside. However, it turns out that the salmon had kept the outside around Coyote's house in a winter appearance so Coyote had stayed inside until summertime.

Retelling Ideas:

Combine the two stories above. Coyote knew that the winter was especially long, yet he did not go outside to check if something was wrong.

Coyote could use his powers to shape the world to make it always nice outside his home, but why doesn't he?

How did the salmon come to life again? Why did Coyote cook them if the Salmon were intelligent enough to get revenge on Coyote?

How did the salmon change the weather around Coyote's house?

What if the salmon were magic and that is why Coyote wanted to use them as his main dish?
What if the people laughed at Coyote for failing to catch the fish so Coyote was mocked and not respected?

What if Coyote disguised himself as a Salmon to catch them again and pay them back for making it winter outside his home?

Week 11 Reading Notes: British North America Part A

Excerpts from Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson (1917). Source.

Creation of light. Source.

An old chief owned every bit of light, fire, and water and refused to share it. The animal people of the time gathered outside the old chief's tepee and began to try to create their own light by singing and dancing. Because of this, light began to show but the old chief banished the light again. However, after the animals sang more, the old chief became distracted at the noise level until he accidentally summoned light. Since then, people have had access to light.

Grizzly Bear and Coyote. Source.

Grizzly Bear did not like that nighttime was very short and wanted to make it night all the time. Coyote fought against this idea as people need light. They each began to sing a song. Grizzly Bear sang about how it would always be darkness, and Coyote sang about how it would always be light. The louder song then controlled whether it was light or dark. However, they both got tired and decided to make half the time light and half the time dark. This is how the cycle of day and night was made.
Later on, Grizzly Bear wanted very long winters while Coyote knew all-time winter would hurt people. Instead, Grizzly bear decided to want as many moons of winter as feathers in a Blue Grouse tail. Coyote suggested that they instead do half the number of feathers, but Grizzly Bear did not want this. Coyote suggested they instead do half the number of feathers in Flicker's tail to determine the number of moons in winter. Grizzly Bear agreed because he thought Flicker had a lot of tail feathers. This is how the seasons were made.

Origin of Light and Fire. Source.

Sea Gull owned all the light in the world, and Raven wanted to share light with the people. Ravel tricked Sea Gull into releasing the light. Raven used the light to find out where the fire was and trade for it so the people could have fire.

Retelling Ideas:

Combine all three stories above. Coyote and Raven notice that the people struggle with endless darkness and winter, and decide to bring them light, fire, and spring. Coyote and Raven decide to work together. Raven can flow around the world to find fire but it's hidden to only the smoke can be detected. Light needs to come first so Raven can see the smoke. Coyote has the neighbor Old Chief who has hoarded add the light. The two assemble the animals to sing and dance so the Old Chief is distracted and accidentally releases the light. Raven can then find the fire. Some animals such as the Grizzly Bear don't like that winter and darkness is no longer endless and tries to bring them back. Coyote has endurance and competes with Grizzly bear for the day and night cycle to begin. Grizzly Bear still wants to make as many moons as in the feathers of a bird. Raven flies and spots the Flicker and together Grizzly bear is tricked so there are only six moons of winter in a year. The people are happier.

Photo of Coyote by Yathin S Krishnappa. Source.

Photo of Raven by Greg Schechter. Source.

Week 10 Lab: More TED Talks

The Human Brain. Source.

Copyright is Brain Damage by Nina Paley. Source.

Paley's TED Talk covers how copyright has many detriments, including preventing the flow of culture, no additional benefits to the actual creator, etc. Overall, Paley calls herself a copyright abolitionist because any change in the laws and legislation would occur well after a human lifetime. I disagreed with a lot of Paley's talk. One of her arguments is that as copyright is traded between corporations and that the creator does not really benefit from copyright. Paley even mentions that copyright has not earned her any more money.

I argue that copyright allows creators to earn money in the first place. Yes, copyright is traded between corporations, but the reasons corporations own the copyright in the first place is because the original creator benefited from giving them rights to their art. Without money as an incentive, corporations would not be invested in art for the advertisement and production of it. In addition to this point, who would buy art such as a film when they could easily obtain a free version online. The level of consumers would drop of art was allowed to be shared everywhere, so what monetary value would it have.

And as much as people don't like to think about it, money is deeply involved in art. Aside from the money used to gather supplies to create the art, there is an upkeep cost as well. Overtime, mediums of art such paint degrade over time by chemical reactions with the air. The job is delicate enough for specialists to be required to reverse these reactions so the art retains its beauty. If no one pays to see the art, how can museums pay to conserve the art.

I agree that copyright laws are incredibly absurd, but the complete abolition that Paley describes sounds more harmful than anything else. Piracy is not a victimless crime, yet Paley says that people should use whatever art inspires them, no matter the license they fall under. If people did as Paley suggests and ignore copyright, aside from the legal consequences, the corporations would take a blow. If you do not think this is a loss, I would like to remind that a corporation may have strict businessmen on top but the people under them are just trying to make a living. If corporations lose profit, thousands of people could lose their jobs.

Another point Paley makes is that her art becomes lesser with a copyright filter, and she is correct. The work she created without the copyright material would have less substance. However, why did Paley want to use copyright source in the first place for her film's score. There are plenty of young artists who would greatly appreciate the chance to create a score, yet Paley is insistent on using already well-known art. Paley claims copyright hinders culture, but doesn't it play a part for opportunities for new artists to make their mark? I say that the use of copyrighted materials allows new ideas to spread and if after the copyright period of time a piece is still a classic, then it has made a large enough cultural impact to be worth using for the rest of time.



A New Theory of Human Intelligence by Scott Barry Kaufman. Source.

This TED talk focused on the story of a man who was rejected into a program because of his early test scores. Instead, he joins the university under another major and transfers into his preferred department. He started out as someone diagnosed as mentally impaired to getting accepted into Yale for graduate school. He describes how schools focus on past scores rather than the professional and innovative people that students want to become. 

I thought the points in this TED talk were incredibly obvious. My generation is fully aware of the problems of the American school system and attempts to improve it. For example, the No Child Left Behind legislation was made to penalize school districts with students with bad scores and reward school districts with good scores. However, if a student was doing badly in school, how could reduced resources help them improve? Changes to the SAT in recent years, such as the reduced emphasis on vocabulary are an improvement, but the SAT still has such a rigid structure that allows no leeway. 

Some students are easily confused by how a question is worded but they can describe a chemical process or historical event with a teacher's fluency. However, these students do worse on the SAT because the test is mainly multiple choice.

Another point is that when I took the ACT, there were questions about how to fix a single sentence. Except, I thought the whole sentence sounded unnatural. I would have rewritten the whole paragraph, but this was not in options A through D.

The one point from Kaufman that I agree most-whole heartedly with is that we need to treat unique traits of a student as co-abilities, not disabilities. I wholeheartedly agree with this. People diagnosed with some mental impairment are so often treated as lesser and it breaks my heart to hear or see any of it. As a premed, I get most riled up by idiots saying that vaccines cause autism. First of all, no they do not. Secondly, would you really rather have your own child die from debilitating diseases than have an autistic child. People with mental disorders such as autism still live perfectly normal lives.

Most of the time, we don't know a person is autistic unless they tell us they are. The reason for this is that autistic people may have difficulties but they can adjust as any other person. The same goes for any person with low test scores in their early life. People change over time and, as Kaufman said, should be allowed to live outside the scores other people assign to them. 

Week 10 Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends, Part B

"The Land of the Dead" from Myths and Legends of Alaska told by Native Storytellers and edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911). Source.

A young woman died. Her dead grandfather's spirit woke the young woman up from ger casket. The young woman travels to an alternate plane where a town of the dead replaces her living village. In the village of the dead, another woman raises a stick to our protagonist, and the grandfather explains it's to show what a dog feels like when you chase it off. Another man is stuck to the ground, with grass growing out of his body because he ate grass stems when he was alive. Soon the young woman meets her dead grandmother, who offers water and deer meat that comes from the offerings to the young woman's funeral service.

Retelling Ideas:

The young woman meets her family, and it is a happy reunion. Dying is unpleasant, but being dead is good when loved ones surround you.

Or maybe the young woman gets her just desserts like the man who ate grass stems only for his body to grow grass.

"The Ghost Land" from Myths and Legends of Alaska told by Native Storytellers and edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911). Source.

A young widower walks through the forest for a while and walks along a trail. The man stops at a rock at the edge of a lake. Then the man sees people on the other side of the lake and calls out to them, but they do not answer. Eventually, someone does hear him and brings him to a strange town across the lake. This town is the ghost land where the dead live. Man sees his deceased wife. If the man eats the food, he can never return to the land of the living. The man and his wife return to the living world, but the wife is only a shade. The wife returns, and eventually, the man dies too, and they are reunited.

Retelling Ideas:

The man is reluctant to leave because he misses his wife. However, the man realizes that one day, his time will too come to a few decades apart is nothing compared to an eternity together.

The Aurora Borealis shines above Bear Lake in Alaska by Joshua Strang. Source.

Week 10 Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends, Part A

The first human grew from a beach plea plant and, after a few days, came out of the pea pod as a full-grown adult. Man wandered along the beach and experienced strange sensations like hunger and thirst that he learned were relieved when he drank and ate. Raven discovered the wandering human and is curious about what Man is.

Raven learns that Man came from the peapod of Raven's creation. Raven realizes that he unknowingly created Man and decides to help Man learn how to live.

The world adjusts to Man's presence as Raven creates and moves animals for Man's needs. For some animals, Raven does not want Man to kill them, so places them out of Man's reach. For other animals, Raven multiples them so man can eat. Raven is still worried that Man will overeat, so he creates predators such as the bear to ward Man off.

Over time, Raven sees Man is lonely even if Man does not know what alone means. Raven carves clay and creates Woman to be a companion for Man.

Raven returns back to pea pod and sees that more men grew from it. Raven leads them into different directions and teaches them how to live with their respective lands and animals.

Retelling ideas:

Retell from Raven's perspective of a new parent who just discovered they created mankind without trying to. Perhaps Man accidentally almost hurts himself a lot because he is still ignorant of the world. These shenanigans cause Raven to want to pluck all his feathers out in aggravation and worry.

Retell from the abstract perspective of Man with descriptions of when he feels his stomach rumble for the first time or feels a weight in his chest from loneliness. Here also have almost accidents such as trying to eat a poisonous mushroom.

A mix of both perspectives could be useful, just make sure the transitions are clear.

Bibliography: Excerpt from "The Raven Myth" pulled from Myths and Legends of Alaska told by Native Storytellers and edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911). Source.

Photo of the Common Raven by David Iliff, License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Source.

Week 9 Story: The Lord Bag of Rice (Now on My Portfolio)

Once upon a time, there lived a small, close-knit village. Although the people did not have much, they were happy. However, a famine struck the community. The crops did not grow, and the hunting prey disappeared. As the elders discussed possible solutions, the food supply continued to dwindle. Finally, one researcher came across a legend that the Dragon King of the Lake would grant a favor to a human, for a price. In desperation, the village sent its most skilled hunter, Fujiwara Hidesato, to bargain with the Dragon King.
Hidesato traveled a grand distance until he came across the lake depicted in the legend.

Hidesato called out, "Oh majestic Dragon King of the Lake, I am Fujiwara Hidesato, and I've come to bargain with you."

The lake stood still.

Hidesato's heart trembled. "What if the legend was wrong. Without the Dragon King, how will our village survive?" But, to his amazement, the water began to ripple, and a great shape rose from its depths. The Dragon King of the Lake was far more fantastical than Hidesato had imagined. His silver scales rippled as silk in the daylight, and its horns were with silver scales and pearly teeth. However, these traits were not purely ornamental. Hidesato noted many scratches throughout the Dragon King's natural armor.

"Greetings Hidesato. I am the Dragon King of the Lake. Of what would you wish to bargain?'

"A terrible famine has struck my village, we ask for a solution."

"I can offer a solution. What do you offer in return?"

"What do you want?"

"A foolish question. I could have demanded a price to steep for you to pay. Aside from your lackluster bargaining skills, do you have skill with that bow in your possession."

"Yes. I am the strongest hunter in my village."

"Well then, Hunter Hidesato. Here is your bargain. A great centipede from the nearby mountain has made a habit of attacking my family every night. If you kill him, I will save your village."

"Deal."

Hidesato decided to stay by the dragon and waited until night fell.

As the Dragon King described, once night fell, a monstrous centipede appeared and charged towards the lake. Hidesato took his bow and struck an arrow into the middle of the centipede's forehead. However, Hidesato's skill was for naught as the arrow bounced harmlessly off the centipede. Hidesato's heart jumped when the centipede decided to focus its attention on Hideasto. As the centipede began to charge towards Hideasto, Hidesato, in turn, shot at one joint in the centipede, but the arrow still bounced itself off. The centipede was coming in close, so Hidesato fled. This became a pattern as the centipede chased Hidesato while Hidesato ran and shot at the centipede in as many places he could think of. Each arrow met its target but failed to damage. At this point, Hidesato had only one arrow left.

"This isn't working! What do I do," Hidesato thought. "What will it take to bring down this centipede? A centipede?" A new idea inspired Hidesato's mind, and so Hidesato placed the final arrow tip in his mouth and-

As sudden swipe crashed into Hidesato. "When did the centipede get here? Where're my weapons?" Hidesato's bow and arrow were crushed under the centipede, whose odious face leaned in closer to Hidesato.

"I can't die here, I won't," with this determination, Hidesato spat right into the centipede's face before it began to shriek. Hidesato ran from under the centipede that fell and became still. Hidesato rolled over the centipede's body and retrieved his bow, now cracked in two.

The Dragon King was pleased at Hidesato's completion of his task. "I heard the centipede's shriek. How did you manage to defeat it with a broken bow?"

"I remembered that human saliva was deadly to a centipede. I didn't know if the giant centipede would be affected, but I thought it was worth a try."

"A reckless strategy, but worthy of receiving praise for its effectiveness."

"So, you will stop the famine."

"I do not have to power to make the land fertile again. However, I do have a solution." The Dragon King held out a clawed fist and opened it. In his hand was a bag that contained one bag of rice, one roll of silk, and a bronze bell.

"Do not be alarmed at their ordinary appearance. These items are exceptional. The bag of rice will always be full, no matter how much you take out of it. Likewise, the roll of silk is endless. With these gifts, I would like you to help your people as you have helped mine. But beware, many will envy you for your wealth. Should you need me, you can call for aid with the bronze bell, and I swear help will come"

With the Dragon King's favor, Hidesato returned home to his village. Hidesato used the bag of rice and the roll of silk to feed his people. Over time, the town grew, and all who lived in it lived prosperously. Although such wealth often makes targets for bandits, rumors quickly spread that dragons attacked any who would harm the land. Fujiwara Hidesato's story grew and overtime, he became known as The Lord Bag of Rice.


Author's Note:

In the original story, Fujiwara Hidesato was traveling and came across a lake which belongs to the Dragon King. The Dragon King asks Fujiwara Hidesato to kill the mountain centipede, which attacks the Dragon King's family. The Dragon King asks Fujiwara Hidesato to help because he was not scared to see the dragon. Fujiwara Hidesato promises to help. The centipede comes every night, so Fujiwara Hidesato waits for the next attack. Hidesato's arrows bounce off the centipede. Hidesato remembers that human saliva is deadly to centipedes and licks an arrow before releasing it. The Dragon king throws a feast to celebrate, and when Hidesato wants to leave, the Dragon King gives him gifts. Hidesato reluctantly accepts the rewards, which include an ordinary bell, a neverending bag of rice, an infinitely long roll of silk, and a cooking pot that makes everything taste delicious. Hidesato returns home and becomes very rich and later is known as the Lord Bag of Rice.

For my retelling, I wanted to expand on the reason why Hidesato was traveling. I also wanted to make the Dragon King's gifts more meaningful. The original Hidesato was wealthy enough to have servants and was not in lack of rice or silk. Also, I wanted Hidesato not to encounter the Dragon King by chance.

From this, I recreated Hidesato to be a poor hunter. I decided to make Hidesato a hunter so he would still use a bow. I created a famine, which would cause food to be scarce and would give Hidesato a motivation to visit the Dragon King for help. Hidesato saved the Dragon King's family, so I wanted the Dragon King's gifts to have the effect of saving Hidesato's family. I could not find a way to include the cooking pot, so I left it out. The original story's bronze bell was ordinary, which I thought was lackluster compared to the other gifts. I made it so the bronze bell could call the Dragon King, so this one event would stretch out over the ages.

The Dragon King and his family also served a second purpose. One question I had was about the economic implications of endless rice and silk on the market, along with people who might want to steal from Hidesato. I decided dragons made an excellent crime deterrent and that everyone else would live happily ever after.


Bibliography:

"My Lord Bag of Rice" Excerpt from Japanese Fairy Tales (1905) by Yei Theodora Ozaki, Profusely Illustrated by Japanese Artists. Source.

Image Information: Photo of Lago Nahuel Huapi. Source.

Week 9 Reading: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki), Part B

"The Ogre of Rashomon" Excerpt from Japanese Fairy Tales (1905) by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Source.

Illustration from Japanese Fairy Tales (1905) by Yei Theodora Ozaki

At the Rashomon gate of Kyoto, an Ogre is said to kidnap people and eat them. The people live terrified. Nearby is a general Raiko who once defeated many ogres. His knights hear about the ogre of Rashomon and are offended because their master was said to have made the ogres extinct. One knight named Watanabe volunteers to check on the gate, just in case. He comes across the ogre and cuts one arm off. Watanabe is worried that the still alive ogre will return for his arm. One night, his old nursemaid visits and asks to see the ogre's arm. Watanabe agrees and the nursemaid reveals herself to actually be the ogre, who runs off his the arm. The ogre escapes but never attacks again from fear of Watanabe.

Retelling Ideas:

What if the ogre is actually very nice and brings people to magical restaurants humans need an escort too. A traveler hears about the ogre taking people out to eat, but without knowing the context, assumes the ogre kills people then eats them. Watanabe sees the ogre and attacks blindly. Later Watanabe and the Ogre become allies to end Human-Ogre racism.

Week 9 Reading: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki), Part A

"My Lord Bag of Rice" Excerpt from Japanese Fairy Tales (1905) by Yei Theodora Ozaki, Profusely Illustrated by Japanese Artists. Source.

Illustration from Japanese Fairy Tales (1905) by Yei Theodora Ozaki

Fujiwara Hidesato was traveling and came across a lake which belongs to the Dragon King. The Dragon King transforms to look human and asks Fujiwara Hidesato to kill the centipede on the mountain because the centipede kills of the dragon's family one by one. The Dragon King asks Fujiwara Hidesato to help because he was not scared to see the dragon. Fujiwara Hidesato promises to help. The centipede comes every night, so Fujiwara Hidesato waits for the next attack. The centipede appears but Hidesato's arrows bounce of the centipede. Hidesato remembers that human saliva is deadly to centipedes and licks an arrow before releasing it. The Dragon king throws a feast to celebrate and when Hidesato wants to leave, the Dragon King gives him gifts. Hidesato reluctantly accepts the gifts.

The gifts are:
An ordinary bell
A neverending bag of rice.
An infinitely long roll of silk.
A cooking pot that makes everything taste delicious.

With the gifts, Hidesato returns home and becomes very rich and became known as My Lord Bag of Rice.

Retelling Ideas:

Why doesn't Hidesato want to accept the gifts?

What if Hidesato's bow becomes broken and Hidesato's only choice is to run-up to the centipede and lick it directly.

What if Hidesato ends world hunger with the bag of rice.

What if the endless bag of rice and silk roll wreck the economy or causes other countries to declare war?

What id the bell had powers to summon powerful beings to aid Hidesato?

What if a war does occur and Hidesato uses the bell to save his country?

Week 8 Progress

I'm pretty happy with how my story writing has been. I'm especially proud of the progress with my Cupid and Psyche, Girl and the Basilisk and Alladin Prequel retellings. The assignments I most enjoy for this class are the readings as they go by pretty quickly. I find the writing task most fulfilling, but it is a painful process to get the right words out.

I've used the extra credit opportunities a couple of times, but I find it hard to find the motivation to do it. I have a constant amount of required work for my other classes, so I feel that I need to focus on those other assignments instead. At first, my weekly routine was according to the daily due dates but with one week ahead. However, with midterm preparation, I don't complete this class's assignments until Friday or Saturday.

The blog and website creation process in this class was tricky to handle at first, but now I'm very comfortable with posting and changing content on both of them. I'm pleased with how my blog and website look.

Looking forward, I want to manage my time better with studying, so I don't cram all this class's assignments. For some week, I want to retell a story with an alternate setting to add more of my creativity instead of just changes plot points of the original story.

Personal Photo of Puppies Rosie (Sitting) and Rebel (Stretching).

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

Image (3/19/17) from the Feedback Cats Page

I chose this image because I've learned that each time a person revises their story, it becomes harder to see problems because they are too familiar with their story and in what they want to convey. Because of this, external feedback is useful because it shows a person where they need to elaborate and clarify the story for fresh eyes.

The feedback I've been receiving has varied. The most helpful feedback I've received have been the ones with questions asking about plot holes or for extra details. It's useful for me to know what parts of my writing grabbed readers' attention and where I need to clarify my story. Other times, the feedback I've received has been very positive, where the reviewer doesn't see anything that needs to change. They describe ways my storytelling was good with broad descriptions. However, this is also not very helpful as I don't know what I did precisely that was good storytelling to them.

I feel that I've given good feedback to my classmates. When I liked a specific writing technique, I brought a particular sentence that was particularly enjoyable, and I tried to explain why I thought that sentence improved the writing. When I found something confusing or wanted to know more details, I asked questions, which I know was the most helpful feedback I received.

While looking through stories, I've noticed storytelling styles, such as a journal or letter format that I later used in one of my own stories. I also saw some alternate universe stories that I am interested in trying out for a future writing assignment.

While reading people's blogs, I do feel like I know more about the person behind the writing. When I looked back at my introduction, I thought it was too formal compared to what others did. However, the comments for my introduction show that they understood the part of myself I was trying to get across, so I am more comfortable with it.

Something that I've noticed more with writing experience is that it's harder to revise every time you go back to it. One reason for this is that as the author, you have all the background information in your head, so you don't realize when you need to clarify that information in a story. I've tried to help others with this problem by adding questions and bringing up specific quotes in my feedback.Through looking through my given feedback, I've seen improvement in a lot of improvement. One goal I have is to become specific with every feedback assignment, no matter the length.