Storybook Plan

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I am creating a storybook with a twist on Dante's Inferno. Obviously, this project will rely heavily on the original story. I want to learn more about the circles themselves: why Dante chose these specific categories, how he brings those circles to life for the reader, etc. By taking a deeper look at the story and its meaning, I'll hopefully gain a much better understanding of the text. I could also benefit from looking back at past storybooks to see if any of them inspire me.
There are definitely some components that I want to keep in my story. For example, Dante encounters several characters from other mythologies throughout the nine levels of hell. That is definitely a way I can convey the theme of each of my recreated circles. However, I want to give the story a much more modern twist, which might be a little hard considering how long ago it was written. That obviously starts with the plot itself. Because of the time constraints, I unfortunately won't be able to recreate all nine circles (and for that matter, I'm not sure I'd be able to). I plan on presenting a 21st-century twist on the first three levels of hell.
I'm going to be using more current wording in my stories to make my characters a little more relatable. I'm going to need to change the writing as well as the language the characters employ. One of my journalism professors told me to write as if your audience has an eighth-grade reading level, and by keeping things simple, I'll be able to give a clearer depiction of this new hell.

Main project source: Dante's Inferno.

Looking forward to throwing my twist in this man's epic tale!

Comment Wall

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Fire by Liz West.

Week 6 Story Lab: Writing Smarter, Not Faster

Because of time constraints caused by other commitments, I chose to do a story lab for this week's assignment. I decided to watch some of the TEDEd videos on creative writing and style because, when it comes to my journalism work and even classwork, I struggle at times to find creative twists to throw in my writing. I was actually really enthusiastic for this assignment because I'm very open when it comes to criticism or improvement in that regard.
I related to the video on creative constraints a lot because I think that idea in particular is very unique. The concept that the constraints motivate people to find unique solutions to issues is one that I had not thought of before, but that made sense to me. I think that idea also relates to diversity; not diversity of physical appearance, but diversity of thinking. Everyone has a different perspective on aspects of our world, but everyone has something to bring to the table.
I also really enjoyed watching the video on writing descriptively. I learned a lot about putting yourself in the perspective of your audience and asking yourself whether the audience is feeling what you want them to feel. That's definitely something I can apply to my journalistic work because the job revolves around telling stories. Especially in sports where the news isn't as serious, it's crucial for the reporter to be able to pull the viewer's strings.
I think that as a whole, this assignment gave me some really interesting perspective on how I can improve my writing, That aspect is critical for the field I want to enter after graduation, and it's something I'm striving to work on everyday. While there's no perfect way to write, I think there's some qualities that good writers hone in and emphasize in their writing, which helps them convey their message clearer as a result.

I don't have time to write my story this week because I'm in Grapevine for a
College Football Playoff mock selection. Look out for my story next week!

Reading Notes: Raja Rasalu, Part A

Story source: Tales of the Punjab by Flora Annie Steel, with illustrations by J. Lockwood Kipling (1894).

This week of readings is different from those to this point because I went in with no preconceived knowledge about this topic. It helped in some ways because I went in with such an open mind, but I definitely had to work a little harder to go through and comprehend all the readings.

The biggest reason for that is some of the language used in the stories. While the readings to this point had adaptations with more current language, the wording was clearly a little older and more difficult to understand. With that being said, I think I could turn some of these stories into a more 21st-century tale. The tales are also very unique in that they combine some parts of prose with some of poetry. This would definitely be an element worth keeping in mind when I write my story later this week.

I also think Raja Rasula is unique from some of the protagonists in that he's more independent as a hero. For example, Hector has a trusty sidekick in Paris, but when Raja Rasula shows his friends the creature that he killed while keeping guard overnight in "How Raja Rasula's Friends Forsook Him", they beg him for permission to return home. This protagonist is a hero capable of, and seemingly fine with, taking care of dangers to his people on his own.

Raja Rasula

Reading Notes: Ancient Egypt, Part B

This part of the Ancient Egyptian readings made me realize just how different that mythology is from other cultures. For example, as I was reading through The Two Brothers, I was intrigued to find out what would happen after the pharaoh had the cedar tree cut down, killing Bata. I was unsure as to why her wife would ask the pharaoh to do that, but as I followed Anpu's journey, I remembered the idea of resurrecting him after finding his heart. What I was not aware of, however, was that Bata could be resurrected several times. That is definitely a unique aspect of Egyptian mythology that I want to keep in my story. I also really enjoyed watching the relationship of the brothers develop after being torn apart by a woman. The idea of forgiveness between the two in order to save the relationship they have is a theme you can see in all types of fruitful relationships, whether real or on paper.

A depiction of brothers Bata and Anpu facing off over the Canal of Ra.

Reading Notes: Ancient Egypt, Part A

Story source: Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907).

Reading the first part of the Ancient Egypt, I was shocked in particular with the story of Osiris. I had learned in my past education that Osiris was the Egyptian god of the underworld, but I had not heard the story of his death before. It was interesting to learn about the good deeds he did for his people, and it reminded me to some extent of the kindness Jesus showed in some of the readings I explored from the Gospel of Mark unit. I also thought the manner in which he died, while original, was a little unorthodox. After all, his brother Set is a man of warfare like the story says, yet the plan for him and his conspirators is to trap Osiris in a coffin. I think I could definitely find a twist to that ending where Osiris is killed in a battle or doesn't die at all.

A painting of the god Osiris from the tomb of Nefertari.

Reading Notes: The Gospel of Mark, Part A

Story source: Gospel of Mark, King James Bible (1611).

This week of reading is a rather special one for me. A little insight: both of my parents grew up as Christians but strayed away from the religion as they got older. However, they always gave me the freedom to decide for myself what I believe in, and I grew up going to church occasionally with some of my best friends. While I do consider myself a Christian, I do not relate to any denomination in particular mainly because I was never fully immersed in the religion. I have also read parts of the Bible but never read it all the way through, which compelled me to read the Gospel of Mark for the first time.

While I knew several aspects of the Gospel of Mark beforehand, such as the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, there were also several parts of the story that I had never read about. I learned a lot about the path Jesus takes upon being announced as the Messiah, from teaching his disciples to the obstacles he has to overcome. One theme that is apparent throughout the Bible and this text is the idea of unwavering faith and acting upon it. Once Jesus is announced as the Son of God, he works to help people's illnesses, starvation, and more. While the idea of performing good deeds as repayment to God obviously is not transcendent across society, the idea of doing good out of the moral kindness is, and I think that's something I could touch on when writing my story later this week.

Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper