Story Laboratory - Advice to Writers

For this week's Story Lab, I decided to look at advice for writers. The following quote was one that definitely stood out to me:

"When I was a member of the Boston Globe Spotlight Team, my editor, Gerry O’Neill, urged me to “write scared.” That is, push yourself beyond what you think is possible or safe, to the outer limits of your research and your ability, to the point where it feels exciting and a little scary. When it works, it’s exhilarating for you and for the reader."

- Mitchell Zuckoff

I thought this quote was especially profound because the majority of writing I do is academic writing, which includes analyzing within a framework of what is allowed. Creative writing is a whole other beast, and it is difficult to transition sometimes. When pushing myself to write creatively, I often find it difficult to write about things I am not comfortable with. This quote shows that it is of the utmost importance to break out of that comfort zone when writing, as that produces the best results.

Writing requires you to think freely, Pexels

Source: https://www.advicetowriters.com/

Reading Notes - Arabian Nights Part B

The story follows Aladdin, who is a poor boy who didn't like to work. He always was playing all day with his friends in the market. 

One day Aladdin's uncle, Abanazar, arrived in the city. He told Aladdin he was rich. He gave Aladdin and his mom gold, bought to Aladdin a beautiful new coat, Aladdin loved him.

However, Abanazar was not Aladdin's uncle. He was a magician from Morocco, and he had a hidden motive. He wanted to find a enchanted lamp so that he could gain power, but only Aladdin could retrieve it.

Aladdin found the old lamp and he saw the jinnee, and he got 3 wishes. He used these wishes to marry a princess and escape poverty. Abanazar constantly was following him around, and Aladdin could not rest. Therefore, he had to use the magic lamp to save the city from the magician, which he did.

Magic Lamp, Pixabay

Story source: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1898).

Reading Notes: The Arabian Nights Part A

This Unit is about a Sultan who is filled with hatred for women, and so he marries a new wife every night and kills her every morning. One day, the Grand Vizier's daughter has a plan and asks to be the wife for the next day. She goes ahead with this, and begins a story the morning before when she was supposed to be killed.

She then begins the story of a man who takes a break under a tree and accidentally kills a genius's son. The genius then says he will hill the merchant, but the merchant bargains for one year of his life to say goodbye to his family.

The Sultan wants to hear the rest of the story, so allows Scheherazade to live one more day; this continues until the story is done.

The merchant returns a year later, and is about to be killed, when an old man with him begs for a story in return for his life.

The old man tells stories of his experiences with magic, which include many personal references (we do not know if these are real or not)

The rest of the unit continues stories that delay Scheherazade's death, each with similar but also interesting plot changes.

The Story of the Fisherman

[LIBRIVOX AUDIO]

Source: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1898).

Week 5 Story: The Fountain of Youth

It has to be here. It just has to be.

Kudra had been searching for many months, map in hand, for the only thing that could set him free. A prisoner of war, he had been sent by the aging but great King Amril to find this fountain, which supposedly could grant immortality to whoever might drink from it. Many had tried to find it before, and many had failed, and it was even said that some had stumbled upon the fountain but had not realized its potential, and let it be without drinking. But Kudra was determined. He was smarter than most, and the most skilled tracker of his generation, and he knew that if he could find it, and drink from it before his King, he could save the city from devastation.

Two years prior, Amril had seized the city, and with it Kudra and his family. Pleading for his life, Kudra promised Amril that he knew where to find the famed Fountain of Youth, which no man alive had ever seen. However, Kudra's ancestors were the ones who first detailed its existence, and the King was convinced. Kudra was scared, but embarked on a dangerous journey that led him across the world back to his hometown, only to find a well that he had passed many times as a child. He recognized it as the well that no one was to ever drink from, for it should lead to certain death.

Kudra closed his eyes and bent down to take a sip, knowing that he would die if he did, but if he did not, his family would soon perish. The fountain knew of his intentions, and revealed its true self to him in that moment. The water turned from a murky brown to a crystal clear blue, as did the skies above him. Eyes still closed, Kudra did not see this transformation but felt Allah protecting him. When he finally took a sip, he could see clearer than ever before and decided to commit his life to everyone but himself. For immortality has no use if it is selfish. Kudra is said to be still living to this day.

Authors Note: This story was loosely based on the story of El Khudr the Evergreen. However, the story itself did not have much elaboration onto the backstory of El Khudr, so I created one. I thought it was fun to add elements that might not have actually been written in, to make the story come to life. I changed the names of certain characters, and maintained the overall plot while taking creative liberty on other things.

Fountain of Khadr, 14th Century

Story source: Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer (1907).

Reading Notes: Holy Land Folklore B

• The devil kept foiling God's plan to provide for humanity
• Moses and Aaron discuss their fear of death, and as a result, decide that it is time to die
• The next section outlines Soloman the King's history, and how Allah chastised his gluttony
• The tale of El Khudr the Evergreen tells the traditional story of the fountain of youth
• There were many people who found themselves at El Khudr healed, and the legend spread
• Elijah was well known in Jeruselum, as well as St. George who slain the monster
• A lot of stories form the Quran are very similar to those in the Old Testament, with different names

St. George, 14th Century Painting

Bibliography: Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer (1907).

Reading Notes: Holy Land Folklore A

• 
  
• Adam and Hawa
• Allah first created the Tablet of Destiny, which has all people's fates and lives written upon it
• Allah then created the great pen, which wrote all things on the tablet
• This was followed by the creation of water, seas, wind, and the continents
• The story of Adam and Eve follows that Allah created Adam, who rest for 40 days (or 40 years) lifeless, and the angel Iblis refused to wait, and he became Satan
• Adam gave birth to many monsters that roam the Earth
• The angel Gabriel visited him many times, and over Adam's life, he gave birth to 40,000 kids

• Noah, Job, Etc
• The Story of Noah is very similar to that of the Bible, with slightly different characters and descriptions.
• Ayub had a wife who dares parley with the devil, and he asked Allah for mercy, which was granted
• There was a man named Hakim Lokman who, while being ugly, was one of the greatest and wisest man to ever live
• However, when a wise doctor was needed, his sister's son was actually a better doctor and offered life saving advise.

• Abraham
• Abraham's full name meant "Friend of God"
• Abraham was born and grew very fast and could speak at only 15 months
• He was hidden because Nimrod was afraid of someone overthrowing him
• He wondered if the sun, moon, stars, etc. were his Lord, but they all changed
• Nimrod had Abraham thrown into fire, but Abraham allowed him to be unburnt
• The story of the Tower of Babel is told, and is because Nimrod ordered it
• Abraham was very hospitable, and giving

Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron

Bibliography: Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer (1907).

Storybook Plan

For the Storybook, I have decided to continue with my idea surrounding the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and the controversies and conspiracies surrounding them. Last week, I outlined three of my storybook ideas, and plan on using the same ones on the real storybook, so the following is simply copied from my last blog post.

1. My first idea for the Pyramids of Giza revolve around the Gods themselves. The pyramids are supposedly built as great tombs for pharoahs, and Osiris is the god of death. I think that a fun story could be made where Osiris is playing a prank on Isis by stealing one of his favorite humans and trapping him in this tomb, which turns out to be a marvelous structure.

Source: The Story of Isis and Osiris, Schofield, Freebookapalooza



2. My second idea is more of a science fiction idea. It would revolve around a scientist, who comes across a startling discovery. There has been much controversy surrounding the pyramids, and this scientist reveals his discovery that the pyramids match the layout of Orion's belt, which he had only recently discovered (this is true). He goes on this massive quest to the center of the Great Pyramid, and when he gets there, he is whisked away to the past where him and his team are found to be the architects of the pyramid, who have travelled from the future. It turns out to be an endless loop, but he realizes that the pyramids were not built by aliens, but rather by himself as a tool to help humanity.

Source: Orion correlation theory, Wikipedia



3. My last idea revolves around the famous alien conspiracy theory. The pyramids were built with technology far too advanced for its time, so they must have had help. It was discovered that the location coordinated for the great pyramid are exactly that of the speed of light, which was not discovered until much later. This can be tied in to aliens traveling via the speed of light (ie. time travel) to clue humans in about their existence, because the Egyptian gods have taken wrath on them and they need humanity's help. I like the idea of an amicable relationship between humans and aliens.

Source: Time Travel and the Great Pyramids, Express UK

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Wikimedia

Some storytelling ideas I could use includes a first person narrative, by creating a character that lives during these events. Of course, I could also use the less personal third person approach, but I want to avoid making the stories sound like a history book.

Comment Wall

Here is the link to my storybook!

https://sites.google.com/view/pyramidtruther/home

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Pixabay

Week 4 Story Lab

I chose to watch the Crash Course videos about mythology this week. I found two aspects of the videos to be especially interesting. The first was concerning the definition of the word myth. Of course, I think all of us understand that "myth" might refer to a story about heroes or gods or anything of the sort. However, the word "myth" is used almost as often to describe something that is not true, and especially as the antithesis of the word "fact". I think that this is strange because that is not the nature of a myth, and it takes the word completely out of context.

Additionally, I thought the idea that myths can be interpreted as separate from religious stories was fascinating. Especially when we are talking about stories that are considered fact to those that follow a certain religion, you really get a different perspective when looking at the same stories from an anthropologist's perspective. One is free to analyze the story as only a story, and get more invested in the plot and the characters, as opposed to the lesson, which also holds value. Overall, I think the study of mythology is a very open field, with much to explore and even more to discover.

Crash Course Mythology

Reading Notes: Noah Part B

• The next section outlines the Holy Book, aka the Torah
• It explains how the book is the word of God
• Then, it goes on to explain how the animals on the ark went to populate the earth, and were referred to as the inmates of the ark.
• The flood then comes, which is now a representation from a different point of view
• Similar events occur, such as the length of the flood and the work of Noah to save a pair of all animals.
• Noah decides to leave the ark, and begs the Lord for mercy for the creatures, as the flood was Great.
• God blessed Noah for the sacrifice he made.
• Just as in Part A, Noah drank too much wine and became drunk. His son Canaan had to suffer for his father's sin
• The next part outlines how Noah's descendants populate the world after the flood has gone and Noah is dead.
• Then, the outline of the great Tower of Babel is talked about, where a great city and tower is constructed almost in spite of God.
• This is when God decides to create many languages so that people cannot communicate.

Statue of Abraham

Bibliography: Noah Unit, The Legend of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg, unTextbook

Reading Notes: Noah Part A

• Lineage of Noah described
• God said that He does not like what He created and will make a flood to wipe out the planet
• Noah is in good faith, so God instructs him to build an ark with certain dimensions
• The flood occurs, and everything dies except those that are on the ark
• The flood ends, and Noah sends a dove to see if the water has finally subsided.
• Once it has, Noah leaves the ark and all the creatures do with him.
• Noah then gets very drunk, and one of his children sees him naked and covers him
• At Babel, the humans of the earth and descendants of Noah all spoke one language, but this was where they were scattered across the earth.
• The next part outlines the prophecy of the Great Flood, and the birth of Noah
• Men often give in to temptation, as this is a common theme in the Bible
• There were then children who were born only after a few days of pregnancy, and believed they were safe from a flood because Methuselah was alive.

Building the Ark, 17th Century Painting

Bibliography: Noah Unit, The Legend of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg, unTextbook

Feedback Strategies: Week 3

The first article I read was about being "a mirror" when giving feedback. I found this article very interesting because it emphasized how judgement can make feedback less effective. Although I think there is a place for judgement in some types of feedback, I can also see the point that voicing opinions can detract from an accurate and useful critique of someone's writings. Being a mirror allows the writer to see their work in an unbiased eye. This can really reveal what was done well, and offer feedback that the writer can then apply to any of their other works.

Source: Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset, Gravity Goldberg


The second article criticized the pervasive use of the term "amazing" in giving encouraging feedback. While positive affirmation might seem to help motivate people, often they feel undeserving of the term "amazing", if they have done nothing to earn that praise. Instead, giving positive but constructive feedback will actually give the receiver something tangible to work with. I loved the example they gave of the American Idol judges, who all had their own style of giving feedback. To be frank, I don't think anyone actually cared about Paula's comments, because they were always so positive to the point where they didn't mean anything. A balance is important, as it is in all things.

Source: The Trouble with "Amazing", Jennifer Gonzalez

Feedback Matters, Pixabay

Topic Research: The Pyramids of Giza

1. My first idea for the Pyramids of Giza revolve around the Gods themselves. The pyramids are supposedly built as great tombs for pharoahs, and Osiris is the god of death. I think that a fun story could be made where Osiris is playing a prank on Isis by stealing one of his favorite humans and trapping him in this tomb, which turns out to be a marvelous structure.

Source: The Story of Isis and Osiris, Schofield, Freebookapalooza



2. My second idea is more of a science fiction idea. It would revolve around a scientist, who comes across a startling discovery. There has been much controversy surrounding the pyramids, and this scientist reveals his discovery that the pyramids match the layout of Orion's belt, which he had only recently discovered (this is true). He goes on this massive quest to the center of the Great Pyramid, and when he gets there, he is whisked away to the past where him and his team are found to be the architects of the pyramid, who have travelled from the future. It turns out to be an endless loop, but he realizes that the pyramids were not built by aliens, but rather by himself as a tool to help humanity.

Source: Orion correlation theory, Wikipedia



3. My last idea revolves around the famous alien conspiracy theory. The pyramids were built with technology far too advanced for its time, so they must have had help. It was discovered that the location coordinated for the great pyramid are exactly that of the speed of light, which was not discovered until much later. This can be tied in to aliens traveling via the speed of light (ie. time travel) to clue humans in about their existence, because the Egyptian gods have taken wrath on them and they need humanity's help. I like the idea of an amicable relationship between humans and aliens.

Source: Time Travel and the Great Pyramids, Express UK

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Wikimedia

Week 3 Story: The Sick Girl

It had been well known by now that Jesus had abilities that marked Him the Son of God. He had throngs of the sick, the devoted, and the curious follow wherever He went, and often was approached by those in need. One day, a man came up to Jesus, pleading for his daughter's life. However, this was a peculiar case, as the man's daughter was already dead.

Jesus replied, "Be not afraid, only believe." As the man did indeed have faith, Jesus entered the house of the leader of the synagogue. Jesus saw the people in the synagogue, crowded around the dead girl, weeping and mourning their loss. However, Jesus knew that all things were in His power, and questioned why they were weeping when they only need to have faith.

Jesus then performed something that would be impossible for any normal man. Jesus stated that the girl was not dead, but actually only sleeping. This came as a shock to the mourners, as they had clearly seen her die, and had only known that there is no life on this earth once a person had perished. But with Jesus all things were possible.

He bade all the mourners to leave, and Jesus entered the room of the dead girl, and again told her parents that fear need not exist if there was faith. He spoke the words, "Talitha cumi," thus commanding the girl to rise. Having seen what Jesus could do, the parents were hopeful and had faith in Jesus, and knew that He was capable of all things.

The girl gasped for breath, and not only that, she got up and walked. This was something that would not have been possible with even the most advanced healers, but this twelve year old girl showed no signs of ill health; she had been cured by the Grace of God.

Her parent were absolutely shocked, but also wept with great joy in the presence of Jesus. Jesus commanded that nobody who had not witnessed this event know about it, for Jesus only wanted to help humanity, and sought no glory for Himself.

The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5

Authors Note
This story was adapted from The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5. A disclaimer is that this is based on the New Testament of the King James Bible, which is a religious text. Nothing stated in this story is intended to offend, or misconstrue any beliefs that readers might have. The original text is an abridged version of the King James Bible, which is why there might be some inconsistencies in the story. No characters or plots were intentionally changed.

Bibliography: The Gospel of Mark, UnTextbooks

Reading Notes: Gospel of Mark Part B

This part picks up right where Part A left off. However, as Jesus's death is more imminent, He makes reference to the death and resurrection more often. Jesus also begins to teach more lessons, and the focus shifts from convincing people He is the Son of God, and more to advice on how to live life and get into Heaven. I think it is interesting how a good amount of the gospel is dedicated to outlining how a man should treat his wife, and vice versa. This is important because it takes these Godly descriptions and puts them into real life examples, and functions as instructions for humanity to live their lives.

As Jesus continues to speak of how to use God to get into Heaven, He also continues to cure people of their ailments, and eventually enters Jerusalem. However, this comes to a sudden ending when Jesus is captured and sentenced to death by crucifixion, which is due to the betrayal of Judas. 3 days later, He was resurrected.

This story is interesting in the way Jesus's life is told from another's point of view. Although I found it difficult to understand sometimes, I thought it followed logical sense and was intriguing, when looking at it as a story.

The Tribute Money, by James Tissot

Bibliography: The Gospel of Mark, unTextbook

Reading Notes: The Gospel of Mark Part A

The Gospel of Mark outlines Jesus's life, as told by the disciple Mark. The first section discusses the birth and baptism of Jesus, and how He began to go around Galilee and demonstrate His authority to recruit people to follow Him. This version of the King James Bible is told more as a story than as a dialogue, as certain translations might be seen. As the Gospel continues, Jesus continues to display His ability to forgive sins and cure afflictions, which in turn serves to placate the suspicion of those who were not familiar with His abilities. So early as the second chapter, it is implied that Jesus might one day not be physically with the Disciples. Jesus continues this pattern, and then calls His 12 disciples to come to Him so that they could continue to spread the word. Each disciple is named, including Judas, who for the first time is said to betray Jesus. Once this background is set up, the parables of Jesus are begun to be told. The parables of Jesus are very interesting in that they are intentionally abstract. Jesus speaks in parables so that only those who want to listen can understand His word, which I find quite interesting. Would it not be easier to be direct about his thoughts. However, one must understand that Jesus is speaking as a representation of the Kingdom of God, which in itself is a complicated concept. Often, however, Jesus continues and explains these parables in easier terms, giving practical examples.

Other great examples of Jesus's healings are offered, including one where He brings a 12-year old girl back from the dead, as He proclaims she is simply sleeping. This continues to convince people He is the Son of God. The next section focuses on the miracles Jesus performed, including turning very little bread into a lot and water into wine. This was the pinnacle of what no man could do, and further emphasized His role as the Son of God. Jesus continues to do these things, and people continue to follow him. Again, Jesus takes His disciples to the mountains and transfigures Himself, but commands them to not tell anyone until He has risen from the dead.

Transfiguration of Christ, 12th century icon

Bibliography: The Gospel of Mark, unTextbook

Feedback Thoughts

The article "A Simple 5-Second Habit to Rewire Your Harshly Self-Critical Brain" taught a lesson that I think everyone should listen to. It spoke about how when setting goals, minor setbacks should not ever completely cause those goals to break down. The author used the analogy of ants forming a line, and when that line got broken, it would always reform. In my life, I have often set goals for myself that did not come to fruition immediately, or led me in a path that I did not initially intend. However, I have learned that sticking to that path has caused me to be more driven and more successful as a result.

The article "Why rejection hurts so much - and what to do about it" actually provided an interesting insight into something that we come across every day. In the age of social media, it is often confounding that people care so much about numbers and opinions, yet it makes complete sense when looking at it introspectively. If rejection hurts because we are too critical of ourselves, it makes sense that other's opinions might help shape our own self-concept. This is something that I have absolutely dealt with myself, and I think its important to keep things in perspective whenever we face rejection, whether that be socially, romantically, or professionally. 

Rejection often makes us self-critical, Pixabay