Reading Plan

For this half of the semester, I think I want to study and read a variety of stories. Since my project is a storybook featuring a compilation of many different stories, I want to be able to draw from many different sources. Also, I want at least a few of those stories to feature Surya as a major character. For one of the weeks, I would like to read the story Surya: How the Sun God Was Tamed by Maya Balse. It would offer some good insight into my narrator and also give me some potential story ideas.

For the next two weeks, I would like to read Narayan's The Mahabharata. Surya and his family play a pretty major role in The Mahabharata and I would like to read a different version of this story that is more like a novel. I enjoyed Narayan's version of The Ramayana, so I think I will also enjoy his version of the other epic.

Because he is Surya's son, I would also like to read more about Karna. A comic book that seems fairly interesting about him is the one by Anant Pai called Karna: Brave, Generous, Ill-Fated Prince. 

Death of Karna found on Wikimedia Commons

This is what I'm thinking so far, but I'm not sure if this is exactly what I'm going to follow. Also, I have not decided what I am going to read for the last two weeks, but I think I want to read another version of the Mahabharata or two other comic books. 

Reflections: Looking Forward

So far this semester I have kept up with the assignments and turned everything in on time, so my strategy is working. I currently am on track to make the grade I want and I am enjoying the assignments. Sometimes, though, I am a little stressed because I submit assignments the day they are due. For the second half of the semester, I want to try to get ahead of schedule so I do not have deadlines hanging over my head.

Although I mostly like my schedule now, I am going to try to get all the readings and reading diaries completed early so I have more time to spend on thinking about my stories. Also, it would be nice to finish semi-early so I can free up time for studying when finals come around. I want to work on the same days I'm working now, but I want to work on assignments in larger chunks. I think this would help my comprehension as well because I would be reading more of the story at once, leaving less time to forget.

Also during the rest of the semester, I would like to try some new and different story-telling techniques. Although I've switched up settings drastically, I've been sticking to third person in general. I would like to try some different techniques that may deal with different POVs. I think it might be an interesting creative strategy if I used a style such as letters or diary entries.

Journal photo taken by Joel Montes de Oca

I'm mostly happy with how the first half of the semester progressed, so I'm hoping to stay on track and finish the semester strong.

Reflections: Looking Back

So far this semester, I have enjoyed this class immensely. It allows me to be a lot more creative than my other classes and doing the work for this class is often a break from my other work. I like to do my readings during breaks between classes on campus because it allows me to focus on the reading with little distraction so I can get as much from the story as possible. I've tried to read in my apartment, but I often multi-task and do not focus on the week's reading as much. I do like to do the storytelling portion of the assignment at my apartment, though, because I have found that listening to music or watching my favorite show can give me inspiration for a story.

I haven't done any growth mindset challenges so far this semester, officially, but I have been trying to vary my storytelling styles to add variation and to help me grow as a storyteller. Some of my favorite stories that I've told this semester have been ones that I have changed drastically, in style and in content, because I felt they were the most original and most fun to write. For example, this story about Sugriva and Vali is my favorite that I've written this semester and it is one that I changed the most from the original. 

I'm also enjoying writing my storybook, but it's fairly difficult because it is a lot different than anything I've attempted so far this semester. I'm trying to characterize someone and create a mental image solely through the dialogue used by the narrator. The storytelling aspect is just a simple form, but the introductions to the "episodes" are a lot more complex. I'm pretty proud of my introduction to my storybook, but I want to work a little harder on my next stories. I have the mental image in my head, I just have to get it out and on the computer!

iPod image found on Wikimedia Commons